Almost a year after a large majority of the European Parliament backed ambitious and binding rules for companies to identify and mitigate their human rights and environmental impact, the European Commission is finally publishing the draft EU law on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence, otherwise known as ‘due diligence.’
In March 2021, S&D MEP Lara Wolters led Parliament in sending a strong message to the Commission that voluntary guidance on due diligence must be replaced by mandatory EU-wide rules that apply to the entire value chain of companies selling in the internal market. The S&D Group has spent years calling for EU rules that force companies to identify the risks they pose to human rights, the environment and good governance, and to mitigate or stop any activities that are likely to cause harm.
The S&D Group has also campaigned for victims to be able to seek justice from a company which has failed to conduct due diligence and caused harm. The act of carrying out due diligence should not absolve companies of their legal responsibilities.
