Brussels, 6th December 2023 To Permanent Representatives Dear Excellency, I hope this letter finds you well. As you may be aware, the inter-institutional trialogue negotiations on the Corporate Sustainable Due Diligence Directive are entering their final and decisive round.

The European Parliament has today voted to make EU businesses accountable for their conduct – but stronger measures will be needed to prevent unions and workers’ rights violations. The vote of the Parliament’s report on the proposal for a Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive represents an important step forward in putting people and planet before the profits at all costs, and making businesses accountable.

Today, the Competitiveness Council adopted its “general approach” for the trialogue negotiations on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDD). “The position taken by the Council is very disappointing to say the least”, says Isabelle Schömann, ETUC Confederal Secretary. “The Council position waters down an already unambitious proposal by the Commission.

Tomorrow - 1 December – at the EU Competitiveness Council, Ministers will try to reach a general approach to the directive on corporate sustainability due diligence (CSDD), which introduces an obligation on companies to identify and prevent, end or mitigate the impact of their activities on human rights, including trade union and workers’ rights, and the environment.

Proposal for a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDD) - Updated Roadmap to mobilise ahead of the EU trialogue Discussed at the Executive Committee meeting of 27-28 October 2022 Summary of key messages Based on the ETUC key demands as adopted by the Executive Committee in December 2019 in the ETUC Position calling for a European Directive on mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence and responsible business conduct[1], the ETUC position ‘Towards an EU law on mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence: indicative roadmap for ETUC actions in 2021-2022’ (December 2021)[2] as well as the ETUC Position ‘ETUC initial analysis of the Commission’s proposal for a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence and updated roadmap for ETUC actions in 2022-2023” (March 2022)[3], the ETUC Executive Committee is asked to discuss and take note of this (updated) position paper which provides in particular a summary of the main amendments the ETUC intends to put forward to the European Parliament and Member States and other stakeholders as well as an overview and update of the actions undertaken March 2022 and some suggestions for further actions in view of the EU trialogue which is likely to start in Q2 in 2023 at the earliest.

Today, activists set up ‘scales of justice’ in front of the Justus Lipsius building in Brussels to ask EU diplomats to guarantee justice for people harmed by companies’ human rights and environmental abuses, ahead of the Council meeting on draft due diligence rules. The action launched the ‘Justice is Everybody’s Business’ campaign by over 100+ civil society and trade union organisations for a strong EU law to hold business accountable for human rights and environmental violations. [1]

We are happy to announce to you that European Commissioner Didier Reynders has agreed to meet trade unions and NGOs for a public Q&A session. Together with affiliated trade unions and NGOs (AK Europa, ÖGB, Friends of the Earth Europe, European Coalition for Corporate Justice, European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, CCFD-Terre Solidaire), we have long called for a meeting with the Commissioner

We would like to remind you to join us on 1 June to discuss the importance of human rights due diligence, and how trade unions can influence company strategies for the benefit of workers and the environment. 

9 years after the Rana Plaza disaster, workers in Europe and in the world cannot wait any longer: the ETUC calls for zero tolerance for doing business in breach of human rights  Why? Because labour is not a commodity: workers’ life and security should not be negotiated nor put at risk by business models! 

ETUC initial analysis of the Commission’s proposal for a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence and updated roadmap for ETUC actions in 2022- 2023 Adopted at the virtual Executive Committee meeting of 16-17 March 2022 European Commission finally proposed a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence

Towards an EU law on mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence: indicative roadmap for ETUC actions in 2021-2022 As discussed and agreed at the ETUC Executive Committee of 8-9 December 2021 Summary of key messages

Open letter to President Von der Leyen: It is time for you to show leadership on the Sustainable Corporate Governance initiative Dear President Von der Leyen, As a coalition of civil society organisations, including national coalitions and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), who are actively working and engaging on the planned Commission proposal on a Sustainable Corporate Governance (SCG) initiative, we are writing to raise our strong concerns about the new delay to the publication of this initiative.

The European Commission has indefinitely postponed its promised directive on human rights due diligence - over 150 days since it was first meant to be delivered.

  ETUC Position for a European directive on mandatory Human Rights due diligence and responsible business conduct Adopted at the Executive Committee Meeting of 17-18 December 2019 Key Messages