CSDDD: France, Germany and Italy are making a mockery of the EU’s democratic processes

Today’s failure of the EU Council to endorse the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive – CSDDD – marks a deplorable setback for corporate accountability and the protection of Human Rights and the environment worldwide.

Alban Grosdidier, Climate Campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe said:

“France, Germany and Italy are making a mockery of the EU’s democratic processes. Stalling the vote on this corporate sustainability law right at the finish line is blatant disregard for the widespread public support for CSDDD, and a betrayal to the countless victims of corporate abuse by European companies. The EU didn’t get this far on a milestone human rights directive just to watch a few countries jeopardise it for cheap political gains. It’s one minute to midnight and decisionmakers have a chance to uphold the EU’s reputation for democratic leadership. No more political games and underhanded delays. It’s the moment now to pass the CSDDD and put justice before corporate interests.”

Please see the Joint Civil Society Statement reacting to lack of majority in COREPER on CSDDD signed by 140 organisations:

We say YES to the CSDDD

Today’s failure of the EU Council to endorse the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive marks a deplorable setback for corporate accountability and the protection of Human Rights and the environment worldwide.

The blockage is largely attributable to big Member States: the early announced abstention from influential Germany – orchestrated by the minority German coalition partner, the FDP, and met with spiritless resistance by Chancellor Scholz – was followed by others. A last-minute attempt by France to derail negotiations by proposing a tenfold increase in company threshold last night increased the uncertainty for other states. These political games starkly defy the resounding support for the Directive from governments, trade unions, civil society, large, medium and small businesses, and individual citizens. Without binding EU legislation on corporate accountability, national governments fail to address human rights impacts, the exploitation of workers, and impacts on Indigenous Peoples’s rights and other traditional communities and natural ecosystems linked to corporate operations. It is a harrowing failure by EU governments to meet their obligations under international human rights law, and a green-light signal to reckless businesses that they can keep fueling the climate and ecological crises for corporate profits.

This lack of support threatens a vital piece of EU sustainability legislation, necessary and overdue to trigger the change in business conduct. It is the result of a democratic process in the European Parliament and of extensive negotiations with Member States.

Now more than ever, the Belgian Presidency must rise to the occasion: it is time to circle back to the Member States and ensure a strong majority without haggling over the key principles of the compromise hammered out in the trilogue agreement.

Signatures:

1. European Coalition for Corporate Justice
2. Friends of the Earth Europe
3. European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
4. Fern
5. Vredesactie
6. BankTrack
7. FIDH 
8. GLOBAL 2000 – Friends of the Earth Austria
9. Mai bine
10. REDU
11. CUIB
12. ShareAction
13. Swedwatch
14. ECONOMY FOR THE COMMON GOOD
15. Anti-Slavery International
16. Südwind, Austria
17. Solidaridad
18. Jugend Eine Welt, Austria
19. WeWorld, Italy
20. Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO)
21. European Public Service Union (EPSU)
22. Human Rights International Corner (HRIC)
23. Informationsgruppe Lateinamerika, Austria
24. International Peace Information Service (IPIS)
25. Novi sindikat, Croatia
26. European Environmental Bureau
27. MVO Platform
28. Irish Coalition for Business and Human Rights
29. Christian Aid Ireland 
30. Finnwatch
31. OECD Watch
32. WSM
33. Mani Tese ETS
34. Campagna Impresa2030
35. Transport & Environment
36. NeSoVe 
37. Frank Bold
38. Romero Initiative
39. Latinamerikagrupperna
40. SÜDWIND – Institute for Economy and Ecumenism
41. Broederlijk Delen
42. ActionAid International 
43. Oxfam
44. Reds – Red de solidaridad para la transformación social 
45. Fairtrade International
46. ClientEarth
47. CNCD-11.11.11
48. Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands) 
49. Informationsstelle Peru
50. CorA-Netzwerk für Unternehmensverantwortung
51. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
52. World Fair Trade Organization – Europe
53. Act Church of Sweden 
54. Sherpa
55. Diakonia Sweden
56. LM International 
57. Amis de la Terre France / Friends of the Earth France
58. Polish Institute for Human Rights and Business 
59. Grupo belga Solidario con Guatemala
60. Amnesty International 
61. FOS
62. Climate Action Network Europe
63. IF Metall (Industrial and Metal Workers’ Union Sweden)
64. Protection International
65. CIDSE-  An international family of Catholic social justice organisations
66.  Initiative Lieferkettengesetz
67. Eesti Roheline Liikumine – Estonian Green Movement
68.  achACT
69.  ForumCiv, Sweden
70. Fair Trade Advocacy Office
71. Plataforma por Empresas Responsables
72. Partos
73. WeEffect, Sweden
74. Avocats Sans Frontières
75. Observatorio de Responsabilidad Social Corporativa
76. Environmental Justice Foundation
77. Coordinadora Estatal de Comercio Justo
78. Afrikagrupperna, Sweden
79. Welthaus der Diözese Linz
80. Vision, the Swedish  civil servants’ union
81. Clean Clothes Campaign
82. PowerShift
83. CCFD-Terre Solidaire
84. Initiative pour un devoir de vigilance, Luxembourg
85. Global Witness
86. EU-LAT Advocacy Network
87. Setem
88. Focus Association for Sustainable Development 
89. RREUSE
90. Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
91. Global Responsibility – Austrian Platform for Development and Humanitarian Aid
92. European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR)
93. Solsoc
94. ÖGB EU Office
95. Forest Peoples Programme
96. AK EUROPA – Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour – Brussels office
97. WWF European Policy Office
98. La Strada International 
99. International Dalit Solidarity Network
100. 11.11.11, Coalition for International Solidarity, Belgium
101. Trócaire, Ireland
102. KIOS Foundation, Finland
103. Germanwatch,
104. Minerva Business and Human Rights Association
105. Fairfood
106. FEMNET e.V.
107. Cultural Survival
108. Centre for the Politics of Emancipation, Serbia
109. EU Raw Materials Coalition
110. Notre Affaire A Tous
111. Earthsight
112. Publish What You Pay
113. Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI)
114. Rainforest Foundation Norway, Norway
115. Society for Threatened Peoples, Switzerland
116. European Federation of Public Services Unions (EPSU)
117. Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland e.V. (Friends of the Earth Germany)
118. IM, Sweden
119. Securing Indigenous Rights in the Green Economy Coalition (SIRGE)
120. Batani Foundation
121. The Andrew Lees Trust 
122. Ökumenisches Büro für Frieden und Gerechtigkeit e.V.
123. Earthworks
124. Human Rights Law Centre
125. ACT Alliance EU 
126. BUNDjugend / Young Friends of the Earth Germany
127. Human Rights Watch
128. FIAN Germany 
129. Solidair met Guatemala
130. Lightup Norway
131. Norwegian Helsinki Committee
132. Factlines
133. Christian Council of Norway
134. Norwegian Council for Africa
135. Framtiden i våre hender, Norway
136. Asociación por la Paz y los Derechos Humanos Taula per Mèxic, Catalunya
137. Norwegian Church Aid 
138. Initiative pour un devoir de vigilance, Luxembourg
139. CorA-Netzwerk für Unternehmensverantwortung (CorA-Network for Corporate Accountability)
140. CNV Internationaal