Today, the European Parliament endorsed the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), a law to defend human rights, the climate and the environment from corporate exploitation. The endorsement marks a critical step to put people and the planet above short-term corporate interests.
That the legislation is becoming reality is hailed as a win for justice by citizens and civil society, including trade unions. But the endless delays and political U-turns before getting to this point put a stark light on the EU’s willingness to sacrifice human life for corporate profits. Political games by France, Germany, other Member States and a massive lobbying attack on the proposed text by big business mean the text leaves the door open for fresh exploitation and environmental and climate devastation.
The vote marks eleven years to the day after the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory that killed 1,138 men and women inside and put a spotlight on the fatal consequences of irresponsible corporate conduct. It shouldn’t take years for European politicians to decide whether to put human lives above business profits. The victims of the countless disasters caused by corporate misconduct deserve justice.
Paul de Clerck, Economic Justice Campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe, said:
“We welcome that the law is finally adopted, but it is alarming to see how member states weakened the law in the final negotiations. The EU claims to defend justice, democracy and human rights – but the last years of campaigning have shown the EU’s priorities are easily swayed by corporate interests. The CSDDD should never have been controversial, and yet the text approved today has gaping loopholes. Victims still face major obstacles to hold a company accountable for human rights violations, and the law lacks an effective mechanism to enforce that companies reduce their climate emission.”
The European Council is expected to adopt the Directive before the end of June. Member States will then have two years to transpose the directive into national law. They will have to take the opportunity to build on the CSDDD to defend justice over profit in their own laws.
