"Opening Speech of Richard Howitt MEP at the European Commission Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)", 3 Feb 2015

Today...more than 400 businesses, trade unions, government representatatives and NGOs begin a two-day meeting in Brussels of the "European Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)", which represents the last stage in a European Commission consultation leading to a CSR Communication and new strategy 2015-20, due to be published later this year. The Forum is the brainchild of Richard Howitt MEP, who has served in three successive European parliamentary terms as Rapporteur on CSR and who also played a leading role linking it to European implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.  Here is Richard Howitt MEP's keynote speech to the forum, outlining the action he expects Europe to take in the next five years.