"Transposition Guide for the CSDDD," 12 November 2024

Today, the ECCJ, in collaboration with Clean Clothes Campaign, European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights, Frank Bold, Oxfam, CIDSE, FIDH, Anti-Slavery, and Friends of the Earth Europe, publishes the Transposition Guide for the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). This essential guide provides key insights and recommendations for the upcoming transposition phase of this EU directive.

The Transposition Guide was developed by a coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) with the goal of supporting fellow CSOs in advocating for ambitious and effective transposition of the CSDDD across European Union Member States. The CSDDD represents a major advancement in promoting responsible business conduct within and beyond the EU, holding companies accountable for human rights and environmental harm resulting from their activities.

Following its adoption and publication in the EU’s Official Journal in June 2024, EU Member States are now in the process of integrating the Directive into national law over the next two years.

Key priorities for the transposition phase of the CSDDD

This guide outlines key priorities to address in the transposition process, including:

• Effective access to justice, including reversing the burden of proof in civil claims and ensuring practical time limitations.
• Effective and meaningful stakeholders engagement, which are the core of the chain of activities. This engagement should be done early and should be continuous.
• Broader personal scope, while removing conditions on the material scope defining human rights and aligning the environmental scope on international norms.
• Extending due diligence obligations to all relevant parts of the value chain, including the downstream activities of financial services.

This guide is a key resource for CSOs working towards an effective application of the CSDDD.