"Commission’s Reflection Paper on Sustainable Europe lacks determination on Responsible Business Conduct", 4 Feb 2019

After European Commission’s Vice-President Timmermans had called for enforceable regulation at a public conference on sustainable global value chains last October, his long-awaited reflection paper "Towards a sustainable Europe by 2030" takes a disappointing step back.

It hasn’t taken note of the French "duty of vigilance law" in force since 2017, and the fact that several EU member states are discussing or considering similar legislation.

Moreover, the document ignores the long list of calls by EU institutions and UN bodies who have already spoken out in favor of binding rules on "Human Rights Due Diligence" (HRDD) requirements for business. It also ignores civil society campaigns in Finland, Luxembourg, Switzerland, as well as governments' commitments in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Luxembourg to consider national level HRDD legislation while emphasising the need for EU legislation...

A legal framework on due diligence and improved access to remedy for victims can position the European economy as a leader in responsible and sustainable business... The Commission’s reflection paper, unfortunately, lacks determination in creating more responsible business models in Europe...