"Global South warns EU will fail workers and environment worldwide if it walks back on key corporate accountability law," 18 February 2025

We, the undersigned human rights, environmental, and social justice organisations from the Global South and other countries beyond the European Union (EU), are deeply concerned by reports that the European Commission may reopen the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), potentially reducing the number of companies that will be subject to it, the scope of the due diligence obligations, and removing its mandatory nature. This law has set a new global standard and has the potential to transform the global economy and ensure that multinational corporations respect human rights and the environment in our countries. We urge the European Commission to discard this option and commit to a full and timely implementation of the CSDD.

For years, civil society from the Global South and other non-EU countries have called for the adoption of mandatory due diligence laws that oblige multinational corporations to respect human rights and the environment across their global value chains, and hold them accountable for the failure to do so. We have seen firsthand how voluntary initiatives have failed to end business practices that harm people and the environment, particularly in our countries. While the CSDDD is not perfect, it is a unique opportunity to expand mandatory due diligence laws across the world. [...]

When it committed to this groundbreaking legislation, the EU positioned itself as a world leader.[...] If the EU delays or casts doubts on the CSDDD, its potential to incentivise changes in business practices and to serve as a standard for other jurisdictions will be lost, to the detriment of people and the planet.

We are shocked by the opaque and hurried process through which the decision to reconsider the CSDDD is being made. It is unacceptable that so far this process has excluded the voices of communities and civil society from the Global South and other non-EU countries - often those most affected by harmful business practices. This stands in stark contrast to the extensive consultative process that led to the CSDDD’s adoption, which incorporated input from over 174,000 persons and civil society organisations from outside the EU. It is also troubling that the CSDDD is being reopened before its implementation has begun, denying us the opportunity to assess its impact.[...]

Reopening the CSDDD through this opaque process would be a deep disappointment for communities in the Global South and other countries outside the EU. But regardless of the EU’s ultimate decision, our organisations remain steadfast in our commitment to advocating for corporate accountability in global value chains, and for the protection of the environment and workers worldwide.