This is a major step for FIDH and many civil society organisations who have been calling for the adoption of binding rules to hold businesses accountable for human rights abuses and ensure access to justice for victims at regional and international level. FIDH is notably a member of the board and active participant to the European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ), which leads such advocacy before European stakeholders and will continue to monitor the Commission’s next steps as the initiative moves forward.
More information on the topic can be found on ECCJ’s website.
EU Commissioner announces European corporate due diligence bill
04/05/2020
Impact
On April 29, during a webinar organised by the European Parliament, the European Union Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, committed to introducing new EU-wide binding rules on corporate accountability. In early 2021, he announced, a legislative initiative will be proposed on mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence obligations for EU companies, which will include liability and enforcement mechanisms and access to remedy provisions for victims of corporate abuse.