The President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen committed to deliver a proposal on a Sustainable Corporate Governance initiative in 2021. ECNL with a coalition of CSOs and the European Trade Union Confederation in an open letter now express our concerns about the delay of the publication of this legislative initiative and the lack of transparency regarding the reasons of the delay.
We stress that the delay perpetuates a situation where local communities, Indigenous people and ecosystems around the world suffer the consequences of irresponsible corporate behaviour resulting in human rights abuses and negative environmental impact. The initiative since its announcement is supported by CSOs and trade unions internationally but also by the a majority of European citizens.
The letter calls on Ms. Von der Leyen to reiterate her commitment to a legislation ensuring human rights and environmental due diligence for companies active in the European Union. See the letter below: