Today the cross-party European Parliament Working Group on Responsible Business Conduct (RBC Group) announced a bold Shadow EU Action Plan on Responsible Business Conduct outlining the necessary steps to ensuring a globally responsible and accountable European business sector.

The undersigning NGOs highly welcome the MEPs’ initiative to react to EU inertia in progressing the agenda on responsible business conduct and sustainable global supply chains. A 2011 commitment from the European Commission to develop an Action Plan on responsible business conduct has been left unfulfilled... Meanwhile, the evidence of the link between European companies and human rights and environmental abuses worldwide continues to grow, with almost half of all major EU companies subject to documented accusations of human rights violations.

A coalition of ActionAid, Amnesty International, Anti-Slavery International, Clean Clothes Campaign, the European Coalition for Corporate Justice and FIDH... therefore urge the European Commission to follow suit and take immediate steps towards the development of the overdue action plan. The ambitious and comprehensive Shadow EU Action Plan presented today by MEPs should serve as a strong basis for EU action that must now make up for lost time...