Commenting on today's EU Parliament vote on the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), Juliane Petrich, Policy and Sustainability Officer at TÜV Association, says:
"The EU Due Diligence Act can be a real game-changer to reduce inequities in global value chains, strengthen human rights in producing countries and curb the environmental and climate crisis. At the EU level, more companies are to be held accountable than in the German Due Diligence Act and ecological due diligence obligations are also to be taken into account. This will ensure a level playing field and protect those companies that already comply with high social and environmental standards."
INDEPENDENT AUDITS STRENGTHEN IMPLEMENTATION
For a successful implementation of the EU Due Diligence Directive, it is important to not only stipulate comprehensive requirements, but also to ensure that these requirements are actually met. "We strongly welcome that the proposal assigns an important role to independent third parties assessing compliance with due diligence requirements along the value chain. Certifications and on-site audits by independent conformity assessment bodies are important instruments to ensure compliance with social and environmental standards and to provide the necessary confidence in the statements of the individual links in the value chain. This helps companies and creates transparency for consumers. More and more people want to know where the products they buy come from and under what social and environmental conditions they were produced," says Petrich.
With today's vote, the way is now clear for the joint negotiations with the EU Council of Ministers and the European Commission (trilogue negotiations). The two co-legislators should now strive for a fast procedure and not allow any watering down, in order to attain a due diligence legislation that really protects people, the environment and the climate.
