Environment, forced labor: green light from the 27 for a “duty of vigilance” for companies
After weeks of tough negotiations, the 27 validated on Friday March 15 an obligation for companies to protect the environment and human rights.
But after long debates, the measure has a much weaker scope than expected.
General view of the pollution fog falling over the city of Milan, Italy.
© DANIELE MASCOLO / Reuters
By: RFI Follow
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They left on February 28 with a marked disagreement, so much so that the project was thought to be at a standstill.
And yet, the states of the
European Union
agreed this Friday on a text imposing the duty of vigilance on businesses on the continent.
Vigilance, because the companies concerned will now be legally responsible for human rights violations, such as child labor, and
environmental
damage such as deforestation or pollution.
A provision that also applies to their suppliers.
A much more restrictive scope
However, it remains to be determined to which companies this duty of vigilance applies.
It is on this point that the debates have stumbled until now.
A first version targeted groups of more than 500 employees, or working in sectors considered at risk such as textiles or mining.
A gauge that is too broad for many European countries wishing to protect their small and medium-sized businesses.
The threshold was finally raised to 1,000 employees, which leaves a bittersweet taste for the promoters of this text.
Certainly, an agreement was reached, but the scope of application is now much more restrictive.
The European Parliament will now have to validate the text by mid-April.
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