"Turning the CSDDD into Action: a Guide for National Transposition", September 2026

The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) requires large companies to check their entire supply chain for harm to people and the planet, and to fix what they find. It’s not the directive civil society fought for. Political and corporate pressure weakened key provisions before a single Member State has even transposed it into national law. But it’s still a legal tool worth fighting with.

Right now, EU Member States are turning the CSDDD into their own national laws. That process will decide something very concrete: whether a worker or community harmed by a company can actually get justice and compensation — or whether the system stays stacked against them.

Developed by the European Coalition for Corporate Justice, Anti-Slavery International and Frank Bold, the guide sets out what ambitious, effective transposition looks like, with priority recommendations for Member States, including:

• Effective, ongoing due diligence : companies should treat due diligence as a continuous process, not a form filled in once and forgotten
• Civil liability and access to justice : people harmed by a company should be able to hold it accountable and obtain compensation
• Independent, resourced supervisory authorities : enforcement bodies need the skills, staffing, and power to actually investigate and act
• Meaningful stakeholder engagement : workers and affected communities must be consulted in ways that are enforceable, not symbolic
• Climate transition plans with teeth : companies should be required to adopt and implement plans that lead to real emissions cuts, not paperwork
• Alignment with international standards : national rules should reflect existing global consensus, including the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights