The sef: Policy Lunch, co-hosted by the Development and Peace Foundation and CIDSE – the International Alliance of Catholic Development Agencies, took place on 20 November 2017. It looked at the negotiations from an European angle, which sparked considerable interest in the Brussels community. The European institutions have not been speaking with one voice at the negotiations so far. 

 ...Sarah Dekkiche, Sustainability Policy Advisor at the Foreign Trade Association...advocated for some middle ground between local initiatives and a supranational and complex treaty as the latter might be impossible to implement.

...With the treaty process taking time, [Denise Auclair, Senior Advisor at CIDSE] voiced the hope that the UNGP and the treaty process will be complimentary, eventually providing progress in protecting people from human rights abuses.

.... Mercedes García Pérez, Head of the Human Rights Division at the European External Action Service (EEAS), explained that the EU does not want to let transnational corporations off the hook but wants to make sure that all business enterprises are eventually covered by a treaty.

...Lola Sánchez Caldentey MEP, who spoke on behalf of the European Parliament in Geneva...underlined the strong support of the European Parliament for a robust binding treaty.

...Denise Auclair pointed to the fact that there had also been a new level of discussion on the content with the first draft text on the table. This is the starting point for further substantial discussions on the content of the treaty, with a fourth session to come.