News & Press Releases - CSR & Supply Chain Law

© Initiative Lieferkettengesetz

Berlin. A greatly weakened version of the EU Supply Chain Act has cleared the central hurdle: The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Council of the European Union (COREPER) today voted in favour of the important human rights project. This means that the directive can be adopted before the European elections in June. For weeks and until the end, the FDP had tried to bring down the law. The EU had actually already found a compromise in the trilogue procedure in December 2023. With a further compromise proposal that has been greatly undermined, the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union today succeeded in securing a qualified majority of member states for the EU Supply Chain Act. FDP Justice Minister Buschmann also rejected this compromise proposal, which is why Germany abstained from the vote.

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© Laila Sieber

Major setback for the EU Supply Chain Act: The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Council (COREPER) today failed to reach a qualified majority in favour of the human rights project. The Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union has announced that it will now enter into negotiations again with the member states and the EU Parliament. Meanwhile, there is great support for the EU Supply Chain Act among the German population: More than two-thirds of people in Germany want the law, as a new representative survey shows.

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© Initiative Lieferkettengesetz

Berlin.  The German government will not agree to the compromise on the EU supply chain law negotiated in Brussels under pressure from the FDP and major business associations. This was announced today by Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) to the Reuters news agency. The Supply Chain Act initiative condemns this withdrawal at the last minute. It damages Germany's reputation as a reliable political and economic partner in the EU and shows the low priority of human rights as well as climate and environmental protection for the German government.

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© FEMNET

Berlin. Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) and Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) reject the compromise negotiated in Brussels on the EU supply chain law. This is the result of a statement by the two ministries, from which the dpa quotes today and which is available to the Supply Chain Act Initiative. The alliance of more than 140 civil society organisations is calling on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to use his policy competence and agree to the EU Supply Chain Act.

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© FEMNET

Bonn, Cologne, Berlin. Forced labour in China? Low wages in Ukraine? Lack of progress on climate protection? These and other questions must be asked by the fashion company Hugo Boss at its upcoming Annual General Meeting on May 24 by FEMNET, the umbrella association of critical shareholders and the campaign for clean clothing (CCC Germany).

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Civil society members have a positive view of the established process, but criticise the exits of some companies.

Berlin / Bonn / Munich. As part of the new review process, the Alliance for Sustainable Textiles is examining its member companies for the first time for the implementation of human rights, environmental and corruption-related due diligence obligations. The Supply Chain Act provides for similar obligations. As part of the review, independent experts have analysed the information provided by the companies and requested improvements in accordance with an OECD-compliant risk analysis and remedy. It became clear: In terms of risk analysis and measures, some companies still have a lot to do to comply with future legal requirements. As of today, the released reports will be made available to the public on the Alliance's homepage. More reports will follow in the coming weeks.

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Destroyed Rana Plaza building

Press release of the Clean Clothes Campaign of 20.05.2021

On 15 May 2013, just weeks after the Rana Plaza collapse, which killed at least 1,134 people, brands and retailers, along with trade unions, signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (Accord). This landmark, legally binding agreement expires in 10 days, on May 31, 2021, after the program has made 1,600 factories safer for over two million garment workers over the past eight years. The Clean Clothes Germany campaign calls on the 200 brands and retailers that are currently signatories to the Accord, including the Otto Group, to sign a new legally binding security agreement.

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