On February 28, 2024, EU Member States have sent a clear message: no change is needed in business conduct – despite the years-long debates and negotiations between the co-legislators and the stark defy the resounding support for the Directive from governments, trade unions, civil society, large, medium and small businesses, and individual citizens.

This afternoon, EU diplomats met at the Coreper to decide and endorse the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).

As a reaction, over 140 European organisations share the same disappointment and call on the Belgian Presidency to rise to the occasion, circle back to the Member States and ensure a strong majority without haggling over the key principles of the compromise hammered out in the trialogue agreement.

Joint Civil Society Statement: We say YES to the CSDDD

Today’s failure of the EU Council to endorse the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive marks a deplorable setback for corporate accountability and the protection of Human Rights and the environment worldwide.

The blockage is largely attributable to big Member States: the early announced abstention from influential Germany – orchestrated by the minority German coalition partner, the FDP, and met with spiritless resistance by Chancellor Scholz – was followed by others. A last-minute attempt by France to derail negotiations by proposing a tenfold increase in company threshold last night increased the uncertainty for other states. These political games starkly defy the resounding support for the Directive from governments, trade unions, civil society, large, medium and small businesses, and individual citizens. Without binding EU legislation on corporate accountability, national governments fail to address human rights impacts, the exploitation of workers, and impacts on Indigenous Peoples’s rights and other traditional communities and natural ecosystems linked to corporate operations. It is a harrowing failure by EU governments to meet their obligations under international human rights law, and a green-light signal to reckless businesses that they can keep fueling the climate and ecological crises for corporate profits.

This lack of support threatens a vital piece of EU sustainability legislation, necessary and overdue to trigger the change in business conduct. It is the result of a democratic process in the European Parliament and of extensive negotiations with Member States. Now more than ever, the Belgian Presidency must rise to the occasion: it is time to circle back to the Member States and ensure a strong majority without haggling over the key principles of the compromise hammered out in the trilogue agreement.

Signatures:
1. European Coalition for Corporate Justice
2. Friends of the Earth Europe
3. European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
4. Fern
5. Vredesactie
6. BankTrack
7. FIDH
8. GLOBAL2000-Friendsof the Earth Austria
9. Maibine
10.REDU
11.CUIB
12.ShareAction
13.Swedwatch
14.ECONOMY FOR THE COMMON GOOD
15.Anti-SlaveryInternational
16.Südwind,Austria
17.Solidaridad
18.JugendEineWelt,Austria
19.WeWorld, Italy
20.CentreforResearchon MultinationalCorporations(SOMO)
21.EuropeanPublicServiceUnion (EPSU)
22.HumanRightsInternationalCorner (HRIC)
23.InformationsgruppeLateinamerika, Austria
24.InternationalPeaceInformation Service(IPIS)
25.Novisindikat,Croatia
26.EuropeanEnvironmentalBureau
27.MVOPlatform
28.Irish CoalitionforBusinessand HumanRights
29.ChristianAidIreland
30.Finnwatch
31.OECDWatch
32.WSM
33.ManiTeseETS
34.CampagnaImpresa2030
35.Transport&Environment
36.NeSoVe
37.FrankBold
38.RomeroInitiative
39.Latinamerikagrupperna
40.SÜDWIND-InstituteforEconomy andEcumenism
41.BroederlijkDelen
42.ActionAidInternational
43.Oxfam
44.Reds-Reddesolidaridadparala transformaciónsocial
45.FairtradeInternational
46.ClientEarth
47.CNCD-11.11.11
48.Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands)
49.InformationsstellePeru
50.CorA-Netzwerkfür Unternehmensverantwortung
51.Business&HumanRights ResourceCentre
52.WorldFairTradeOrganizationEurope
53.ActChurchofSweden
54.Sherpa
55.DiakoniaSweden
56.LMInternational
57.AmisdelaTerreFrance/Friends of theEarthFrance
58.Polish Institute for Human Rights and Business
59.Grupobelga Solidariocon Guatemala
60.Amnesty International
61.FOS
62.ClimateActionNetworkEurope
63.IFMetall (IndustrialandMetal Workers’UnionSweden)
64.ProtectionInternational
65.CIDSE-Aninternational familyof Catholicsocial justice organisations
66. InitiativeLieferkettengesetz
67.EestiRohelineLiikumineEstonianGreenMovement
68.achACT
69.ForumCiv,Sweden
70.FairTradeAdvocacyOffice
71.PlataformaporEmpresas Responsables
72.Partos
73.WeEffect,Sweden
74.AvocatsSansFrontières
75.ObservatoriodeResponsabilidad SocialCorporativa
76.EnvironmentalJusticeFoundation
77.CoordinadoraEstataldeComercio Justo
78.Afrikagrupperna,Sweden
79.WelthausderDiözeseLinz
80.Vision, theSwedish civilservants’ union
81.CleanClothesCampaign
82.PowerShift
83.CCFD-TerreSolidaire
84.Initiativepourundevoirde vigilance,Luxembourg
85.GlobalWitness
86.EU-LATAdvocacyNetwork
87.Setem
88.FocusAssociationforSustainable Development
89.RREUSE
90.SwedishSocietyforNature Conservation
91.GlobalResponsibility–Austrian PlatformforDevelopmentand HumanitarianAid
92.EuropeanCenterforConstitutional andHumanRights(ECCHR)
93.Solsoc
94.ÖGBEUOffice
95.ForestPeoplesProgramme
96.AKEUROPA-AustrianFederal ChamberofLabour-Brussels office
97.WWFEuropeanPolicyOffice
98.LaStradaInternational
99.InternationalDalitSolidarity Network
100. 11.11.11,Coalitionfor InternationalSolidarity,Belgium
101. Trócaire, Ireland
102. KIOSFoundation,Finland
103. Germanwatch,
104. MinervaBusinessandHuman RightsAssociation
105. Fairfood
106. FEMNETe.V.
107. CulturalSurvival
108. CentreforthePoliticsof Emancipation,Serbia
109. EURawMaterialsCoalition
110. NotreAffaireATous
111. Earthsight
112. PublishWhatYouPay
113. NaturalResourceGovernance Institute(NRGI)
114. RainforestFoundationNorway, Norway
115. SocietyforThreatened Peoples,Switzerland
116. EuropeanFederationofPublic ServicesUnions(EPSU)
117. Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland e.V. (Friends of the Earth Germany)
118. IM, Sweden
119. Securing Indigenous Rights in the Green Economy Coalition (SIRGE)
120. Batani Foundation
121. The Andrew Lees Trust
122. Ökumenisches Büro für Frieden und Gerechtigkeit e.V.
123. Earthworks
124. Human Rights Law Centre 
125. ACT Alliance EU
126. BUNDjugend / Young Friends of the Earth Germany
127. Human Rights Watch
128. FIAN Germany
129. Solidair met Guatemala
130. Lightup Norway
131. Norwegian Helsinki Committee
132. Factlines
133. Christian Council of Norway
134. Norwegian Council for Africa
135. Framtiden i våre hender, Norway
136. Asociación por la Paz y los Derechos Humanos Taula per Mèxic, Catalunya
137. Norwegian Church Aid
138. Initiative pour un devoir de vigilance, Luxembourg
139. CorA-Netzwerk für Unternehmensverantwortung (CorA-Network for Corporate Accountability)
140. CNV Internationaal
141. Fashion Revolution
142. Freedom United
143. Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)