MEPs of the Legal Affairs Committee adopt their EP mandate position on the so-called Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence directive. The draft legislation aims at obliging companies to identify, and where necessary prevent, end or mitigate the negative impact of their activities, including that of their business partners, on human rights and the environment. This includes child labour, slavery, labour exploitation, pollution, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. Extracts from the vote and statement by Lara WOLTERS (S&D, NL), Rapporteur.

Brussels

corporate social responsibility (T)

vote

Committee on Legal Affairs

LAGODINSKY, Sergey (Greens/EFA, DE)

WOLTERS, Lara (S&D, NL)

Vote on Corporate Sustainability: extracts from the vote and statement by Lara WOLTERS (S&D, NL), Rapporteur

Title: Vote on Corporate Sustainability: extracts from the vote and statement by Lara WOLTERS (S&amp;D, NL), Rapporteur

SOUNDBITE (English), Lara WOLTERS (S&amp;D, NL), Rapporteur

SOUNDBITE (English), Sergey LAGODINSKY (Greens/EFA, DE), Vice-Chair of the JURI Committee (2 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Sergey LAGODINSKY (Greens/EFA, DE), Vice-Chair of the JURI Committee, opening of the voting session and first amendment (4 shots)

Final vote: 25 votes casted, 19 in favour, 3 against and 3 abstained (6 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Lara WOLTERS (S&amp;D, NL), Rapporteur, What we're talking about here is companies from 250 employees onwards. So any company that has more than 250 employees, both European companies and companies from outside of the EU, who want to provide services or products inside the EU.

SOUNDBITE (English), Lara WOLTERS (S&amp;D, NL), Rapporteur, These are new European rules on responsible business conduct. What that means is we are making a law on what it is we expect from companies on human rights and on the environment, how they should behave when it comes to those two topics, both in Europe and outside of Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Lara WOLTERS (S&amp;D, NL), Rapporteur, The aim of this directive is to avoid harm and for it to never happen in the first place. What we say is companies need to be aware of the risks in their supply chains and when they find that they might be causing harm to people or planet, they need to go and do something about it. There needs to be redress for victims through grievance mechanisms and through dialogue. If that isn't sufficient, then fines can be put in place by authorities, products can be taken off the market, or there is civil liability also for companies that don't take their duty of care seriously.

SOUNDBITE (English), Lara WOLTERS (S&amp;D, NL), Rapporteur, We've made sure that there needs to be a transition plan in place for companies so that they become climate neutral in line with the Paris Agreement. And we've made sure that human rights impacts, as defined in all major international treaties, need to be adhered to by large companies.

SOUNDBITE (English), Lara WOLTERS (S&amp;D, NL), Rapporteur, We're much more serious about climate and about access to justice, access to justice for victims who often are in a position where it's difficult to go to court, where it's costly to go to court. What we say in this directive is there needs to be remedy for victims, and if that isn't there, it needs to be easier for them to go to court. That's what we're doing here. And what was missing in the Commission's proposal.