You're browsing our English site, so by default we are only showing content in English. If you'd prefer to view all available content regardless of language, please change this switch.
You're browsing our English site, so by default we are only showing content in English. If you'd prefer to view all available content regardless of language, please change this switch.
The content is also available in the following languages:
한국어
Article
24 Jan 2025
Author:
Sherpa, ActionAid France, Amis de la Terre France, BLOOM, CCFD-Terre Solidaire, Collectif Ethique sur l’Étiquette, Oxfam France, Notre Affaire à Tous, Reclaim Finance
France: CSOs criticise French government's call for "massive regulatory pause" on EU legislation, incl. CSRD and CSDDD
"Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive : France advocates for indefinite postponement, to the detriment of social and environemental justice," 24 January 2025
According to a document made public by Politico and Mediapart, the French government, via the Minister of Economy Eric Lombard, intends to bring to Brussels an agenda of all-out deregulation which, in addition to suspending the application of the text “sine die”, would call into question entire sections of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. This irresponsible position risks precipitating the unravelling of a text necessary in the face of the climate and social crisis, a text that France nevertheless declares to have supported.
[...] The instrumentalization of the simplification of the law to weaken a directive is dangerous and unacceptable for European democracy.
According to the document published this morning in the press, France would request an indefinite postponement of the application of this directive, a significant increase in the application thresholds, or even the removal of the clause that would allow in the future to specifically regulate the activities of financial actors. These numerous modifications would lead to an exclusion of nearly 70% of the companies concerned, even though only 3,400 of the 32 million European companies (i.e. less than 0.1%) were covered under the previous thresholds according to the NGO SOMO.
In reality, as during the negotiation of the text, France is merely echoing the demands made by several employers’ organisations hostile to the duty of vigilance, including AFEP and Business Europe. In doing so, France is actively contributing to undoing the progress achieved by citizens in recent years.
For our organisations, human rights and environmental associations and trade unions, the position expressed by France is irresponsible and incomprehensible. Last week, more than 160 European associations and trade unions repeated their opposition to a questioning of European Sustainable Finance legislations.
We call on the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron and the Bayrou Government to reconsider this position as soon as possible and to reiterate France’s support for the European duty of vigilance, for the other texts of the Green Deal which are vital for people, the climate and biodiversity, and for respecting their implementation timelines.
The document obtained by Politico can be read in french here. An unofficial translation of the document is attached above.
Part of the following timelines
EU: Development & implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)
Dutch businesses urge the EU to uphold and implement the CSRD, CSDDD, and Taxonomy as planned, emphasising the need for legal certainty, a level playing field, and the benefits of strong sustainability regulations.
CSOs argue that the EU must reject calls for corporate-driven deregulation and uphold sustainability laws to protect people, the planet, and small businesses from exploitation.
Finnish CSOs and companies urge the European Commission to avoid renegotiating agreed sustainability due diligence rules, emphasising the need for certainty, timely transposition, and clear guidance.
Frank Bold's analysis examines the positions on the Omnibus proposal, specifically the CSRD and CSDDD, from certain ministries and authorities in Germany and France.
150+ civil society stakeholders have requested in a joint letter that the European Commission does not create further confusion and uncertainty through re-opening agreed legislative texts. The letter also criticises the way in which the Omnibus process has proceeded.
240 European researchers, mainly economists, have issued an open letter warning of the dangers of the ‘Omnibus’ initiative being prepared by the European Commission.
Investors with a combined €6.6 trillion in assets under management have urged the European Commission to “preserve the integrity and ambition” of the EU’s sustainable finance framework.
In their commentary, Heidi Hautala and the Resource Centre's Director Phil Bloomer argue that Europe must resist deregulation pressures and maintain strong ESG standards to uphold public trust, protect rights, and ensure legal certainty for businesses.
Signatories request President von der Leyen and Commissioner Dombrovskis to "respect the principles of democratic decision-making enshrined in the Treaty on European Union, which are so important to the credibility, mandate and public trust in the EU institutions."
Alexander Burr, ESG policy lead at Legal and General Investment Management, told Bloomberg that rolling back the rules “could risk our ability to understand ESG or sustainability-related risks.” The statement has also been covered by other outlets including Forbes and FT SustainableViews.
The European Commission announced plans to streamline business regulations to boost innovation. CSOs have criticised this Competitiveness Compass, arguing that it steers Europe in the wrong direction.
The European Commission is convening a roundtable with major corporations, particularly from the financial and energy sectors, and civil society groups to discuss revisions to the upcoming Omnibus proposal.
Transition plans should be “a single, comprehensive strategic planning process that covers all regulatory requirements stemming from applicable legislation” such as the corporate sustainability reporting directive and corporate sustainability due diligence directive (CSDDD), EBA's new guidelines state.
Ten European National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) expressed concerns in an open letter that the EU’s Omnibus proposal could undermine progress on corporate sustainability and create uncertainty for companies.
CSOs criticise France’s push for an indefinite delay of EU legislation, including CSRD and CSDDD, warning it could undermine social and environmental justice despite the country’s prior support for the legislation.
In light of the European Commission's announcement of an 'Omnibus Simplification Package’ , a group of business and human rights experts from legal practice, consulting, academia and the business world have expressed their grave concerns regarding the approch in a letter to the Commission.
In light of the discussions around an ‘Omnibus’ law, companies like Nestlé, Mars, Mondelez, Ferrero, Hershey and Tony’s Chocolonely, as well as other chocolate sector actors, urge the European Commission to not modify any elements of the CSDDD, nor to reopen it for renegotiation by the co-legislators, but to focus on guidance and support for its implementation.
The letter from 11 companies and industry associations, including Nestlé, Ferrero, MARS, Primark and Unilever, says: "Investment and competitiveness are founded on policy certainty and legal predictability. The announcement that the European Commission will bring forward an “omnibus” initiative that could include revisiting existing legislation risks undermining both of these."
170 civil society groups, human rights and environmental defenders, trade unions and climate activists have published a joint statement "saying no" to the 'Omnibus' proposal announced by EU Commission President von der Leyen to amend three key legislative pillars of the European Green Deal: the CSDDD, the CSRD and Taxonomy Regulation
The due diligence approach allows human rights and environmental risks to be assessed in a contextualized manner. Behind what is criticized as a “bureaucratic” approach, there is therefore far-reaching trust in companies, the authors argue.
Some of France’s largest companies, including Amundi SA and Electricite de France SA, have signed a letter to European policymakers urging them to ensure the bloc sticks with its current timetable for implementing ESG reporting rules.
90+ organisations urge EU leaders to protect the sustainability reporting framework, promoting smart implementation and providing the legal certainty companies need to thrive.
The 2024 Danish Institute for Human Rights benchmark assesses the human rights policies and due diligence practices of 30 major Danish companies, measuring their alignment with global standards and contributing to discussions on responsible business conduct and the impact of upcoming EU regulations.
In their new report, frank bold shows key findings from an assessment of 100 companies’ reports in preparation for the implementation of the EU Sustainability Reporting Standards, good practice examples and recommendations to businesses, auditors and policymakers.
UNICEF’s new guidance briefs assist companies reporting under the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) by offering insights on how to integrate children’s rights into assessments, disclosures, and reporting requirements, especially in areas such as child labor, community impacts, and protections for children as consumers.
Standardised sustainability disclosures under the CSRD are crucial for the EU's economic resilience and global leadership in sustainability, write Julia Otten and Susanna Arus of Frank Bold in Sustainable Views. Policymakers should maintain a strategic vision, focusing on long-term resilience rather than short-term expediency.
The European Commission has initiated infringement procedures against 17 EU member states for failing to meet the July 6, 2024 deadline to fully implement the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) into national law.
The agreement among EU co-legislators needs to be formally voted by the Council and EU Parliament, but is expected to be in place before the EU elections this year.
However, MEPs ensured that the Commission will strive to publish sector-specific sustainability reporting standards in eight areas as soon as they are ready before the deadline.
It of critical importance to address challenges and uncertainties currently faced by companies, as well as to ensure meaningful sustainability disclosures, the statement says.
A majority of 359 Members of the Parliament voted against a motion to reject the ESRS and its replacement with an emptied and diluted piece of legislation.
Germany is seeking to exempt thousands of Mittelstand companies from EU green reporting rules, in a move officials say risks “gutting” the bloc’s efforts to hold companies accountable for their impact on the environment.
Frank Bold calls on the Commission not to disregard the political agreement reached in 2022 on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
These Standards provide more detail on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive adopted last year, while also updating them to align with new international climate reporting standards issued in June.
Eurosif welcomes the standards covering all Environmental, Social and Governance topics. Concerns remain over making all disclosures subject to materiality assessment.
The endorsed statement was developed jointly by the European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA), the European Sustainable Investment Forum (Eurosif), the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), the PRI and the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI).
On 9 June, the European Commission published for public consultation a draft Delegated Act on the first set of European Sustainability Reporting Standards.
Publication by the Danish Institute for Human Rights: "How do the pieces fit in the puzzle? Making sense of EU regulatory initiatives related to business and human rights"
The European Commission will now consult EU bodies and Member States on the draft standards,
before adopting the final standards as delegated acts in June 2023, followed by a scrutiny period by the European Parliament and Council.
Sustainability reporting experts and NGOs welcome the adoption of the EU sustainability reporting standards (ESRS) by EFRAG submitted this week to the European Commission. Whilst the ambition of the ESRS remains limited in several areas, they represent a major improvement for companies as well as for users of sustainability information and address the biggest problems in quality and reliability of corporate reporting.
MEPs voted today (November 10) to confirm the agreement reached earlier this summer to strengthen companies’ obligations to disclose information on their sustainability risks and impacts, and adopt mandatory EU standards covering ESG matters
The letter, signed by 37 organisations, calls on the European Commission to uphold the legal mandate agreed in the CSRD to develop and adopt an ambitious framework to improve and standardise corporate disclosure on sustainability matters
On Tuesday 21 June, the trilogue negotiations between the European Commission, Parliament and Council concluded with an agreement for the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive proposal will move to the final stage of the legislative process and enter trilogue negotiations between the EU Commission, European Parliament and the Council.
NGOs together with investors and asset managers call members of the European Parliament to broaden the scope of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) to ensure that all listed SMEs, as well as non-listed SMEs operating in high-risk sectors, are adequately incorporated in the legal framework.
The 12 signatories of this statement - who represent key users of corporate sustainability information - call on EU policymakers to promptly agree on the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive reform and support accompanying EU standards
Frank Bold's report calls on EU to strengthen Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive to effectively address barriers to supervision and enforcement of disclosure obligations introduced by EU NFRD
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre has signed an open letter alongside Wikirate, OAR and Clean Clothes Campaign, urging EU members of Parliament and the EU Commission to adopt and incorporate open data principles into the proposed Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive
The authors argue that respect for human rights is not just an ESG factor, but a global standard of expected conduct for all companies, including institutional investors.
The proposal presents several major improvements which are essential to help companies focus and report on meaningful information and channel finance to activities and projects needed to meet the objectives of the European Green Deal. However, it falls short on several important points, which significantly limit its desired impact.
The recommendations can successfully guide the EU standard-setting process, and significantly advance the quality of corporate sustainability transparency, says the Alliance for Corporate Transparency.
The reports set out recommendations to the European Commission for the elaboration of possible EU sustainability reporting standards and for possible changes to EFRAG's governance and funding if it were to become the EU sustainability reporting standard setter.
To contribute to a meaningful EU process for the standardisation of reporting requirements in favour of comparable, concise and relevant disclosure, the members of the Alliance for Corporate Transparency have combined their expertise and aligned on key priorities for reform of the EU NFR Directive and development of possible future standards.
Dutch businesses urge the EU to uphold and implement the CSRD, CSDDD, and Taxonomy as planned, emphasising the need for legal certainty, a level playing field, and the benefits of strong sustainability regulations.
In a statement, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights encourages the EU not to reopen the CSDDD text, emphasising legal certainty, alignment with the UNGPs, and the importance of transparency and stakeholder engagement.
CSOs argue that the EU must reject calls for corporate-driven deregulation and uphold sustainability laws to protect people, the planet, and small businesses from exploitation.
240 European researchers, mainly economists, have issued an open letter warning of the dangers of the ‘Omnibus’ initiative being prepared by the European Commission.
150+ civil society stakeholders have requested in a joint letter that the European Commission does not create further confusion and uncertainty through re-opening agreed legislative texts. The letter also criticises the way in which the Omnibus process has proceeded.
Frank Bold's analysis examines the positions on the Omnibus proposal, specifically the CSRD and CSDDD, from certain ministries and authorities in Germany and France.
Finnish CSOs and companies urge the European Commission to avoid renegotiating agreed sustainability due diligence rules, emphasising the need for certainty, timely transposition, and clear guidance.
Investors with a combined €6.6 trillion in assets under management have urged the European Commission to “preserve the integrity and ambition” of the EU’s sustainable finance framework.
In their commentary, Heidi Hautala and the Resource Centre's Director Phil Bloomer argue that Europe must resist deregulation pressures and maintain strong ESG standards to uphold public trust, protect rights, and ensure legal certainty for businesses.
Signatories request President von der Leyen and Commissioner Dombrovskis to "respect the principles of democratic decision-making enshrined in the Treaty on European Union, which are so important to the credibility, mandate and public trust in the EU institutions."
Alexander Burr, ESG policy lead at Legal and General Investment Management, told Bloomberg that rolling back the rules “could risk our ability to understand ESG or sustainability-related risks.” The statement has also been covered by other outlets including Forbes and FT SustainableViews.
The European Commission announced plans to streamline business regulations to boost innovation. CSOs have criticised this Competitiveness Compass, arguing that it steers Europe in the wrong direction.
The European Commission is convening a roundtable with major corporations, particularly from the financial and energy sectors, and civil society groups to discuss revisions to the upcoming Omnibus proposal.
Finnish companies face varying levels of preparedness for EU sustainability regulations, with a key challenge including regulatory uncertainty created by the EU, a new study finds.
Ten European National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) expressed concerns in an open letter that the EU’s Omnibus proposal could undermine progress on corporate sustainability and create uncertainty for companies.
Transition plans should be “a single, comprehensive strategic planning process that covers all regulatory requirements stemming from applicable legislation” such as the corporate sustainability reporting directive and corporate sustainability due diligence directive (CSDDD), EBA's new guidelines state.
CSOs criticise France’s push for an indefinite delay of EU legislation, including CSRD and CSDDD, warning it could undermine social and environmental justice despite the country’s prior support for the legislation.
In light of the European Commission's announcement of an 'Omnibus Simplification Package’ , a group of business and human rights experts from legal practice, consulting, academia and the business world have expressed their grave concerns regarding the approch in a letter to the Commission.
In light of the discussions around an ‘Omnibus’ law, companies like Nestlé, Mars, Mondelez, Ferrero, Hershey and Tony’s Chocolonely, as well as other chocolate sector actors, urge the European Commission to not modify any elements of the CSDDD, nor to reopen it for renegotiation by the co-legislators, but to focus on guidance and support for its implementation.
The letter from 11 companies and industry associations, including Nestlé, Ferrero, MARS, Primark and Unilever, says: "Investment and competitiveness are founded on policy certainty and legal predictability. The announcement that the European Commission will bring forward an “omnibus” initiative that could include revisiting existing legislation risks undermining both of these."
170 civil society groups, human rights and environmental defenders, trade unions and climate activists have published a joint statement "saying no" to the 'Omnibus' proposal announced by EU Commission President von der Leyen to amend three key legislative pillars of the European Green Deal: the CSDDD, the CSRD and Taxonomy Regulation
The due diligence approach allows human rights and environmental risks to be assessed in a contextualized manner. Behind what is criticized as a “bureaucratic” approach, there is therefore far-reaching trust in companies, the authors argue.
Some of France’s largest companies, including Amundi SA and Electricite de France SA, have signed a letter to European policymakers urging them to ensure the bloc sticks with its current timetable for implementing ESG reporting rules.
The paper explores how the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive could promote responsible business practices in Sub-Saharan Africa, with examples of the impact on three commodities– cotton, cocoa, and copper supply chains– and provides an action plan for African policymakers.
The 2024 Danish Institute for Human Rights benchmark assesses the human rights policies and due diligence practices of 30 major Danish companies, measuring their alignment with global standards and contributing to discussions on responsible business conduct and the impact of upcoming EU regulations.
A new report by the EIRIS Foundation, applying its Social LobbyMap methodology, examines and highlights the role of private sector influence in the exclusion of financial sector downstream value chain activities from the scope of the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
The ECCJ, in collaboration with 8 other CSOs, published a Transposition Guide for the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). This essential guide provides key insights and recommendations for the upcoming transposition phase of this EU directive.
The ActionAid report highlights the need for a gender-responsive approach to the CSDDD, emphasizing the importance of addressing gender inequality, women’s rights, and protections for marginalized groups disproportionately affected by corporate abuses.
The report outlines recommendations for governments and companies to enhance corporate human rights performance through robust regulatory frameworks and collaborative efforts.
The study by the British Institute of International and Comparative Law provides reflections on changes in corporate practice resulting from the implementation of HREDD laws, namely the French DVL and German LkSG, and a comparative analysis of these legal models.
Trade unions are pushing for stronger human rights protections in the base metals sector, emphasising the role of HRDD frameworks and the CSDDD in improving worker conditions and holding companies accountable.
Anti-Slavery International's analysis of the EU CSDDD aims to empower civil society organisations to advocate for its effective implementation, address remaining gaps, and promote fair treatment of workers by businesses.
In its report, UNICEF provides its recommendations to the EU Institutions, EU Member States, and businesses on how to effectively implement the CSDDD for children’s rights.
The guide provides an in-depth analysis of the CS3D Directive, offering recommendations for its transposition into national laws to ensure strong environmental protection while encouraging alignment with international standards and supporting lawmakers, public authorities, and companies in understanding and implementing its provisions.
The particular format of the sector dialogues has had some positive results, but on balance the overall result for civil society is rather patchy – this is the conclusion NGOs participating in those sector dialogues present in a new background paper. Attempts by companies to depict their activities in sector dialogues as stakeholder engagement must be viewed in a critical light against the background of the CSDDD and the German Supply Chain Act.
The guide provides practical guidance on how to engage with policymakers through the transposition of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive to advocate for alignment with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and other international business and human rights standards.
Non-exhaustive examples showing how questions of effectiveness, current supply network/value chain complexity, and feasibility for companies have been addressed by the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
The new blog by BSR says that financial institutions should proactively align with the CSDDD by assessing management gaps, enhancing collaboration, mapping value chains, identifying stakeholders, and developing a roadmap based on international due diligence standards.
Swedwatch views the CSDDD as a positive, long-awaited step towards corporate accountability but urges the Swedish government to strengthen the law during transposition, particularly by addressing gaps in company scope, downstream due diligence, and enforcement.
More than 100 large companies, SMEs and networks including Maersk, Aldi Süd Holding, Cisco, Nokia, H&M Group, Scania and Ritter Sport have united to endorse the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) again at the stage of final formal confirmation.
Necessary storage enables core site functionality. This site cannot function without it, so it can only be disabled by changing settings in your browser.
Analytics cookie
ON
OFF
When you access our website we use Google Analytics to collect information on your visit. Accepting this cookie will allow us to understand more details about your journey, and improve how we surface information. All analytics information is anonymous and we do not use it to identify you. Google provides a Google Analytics opt-out add on for all popular browsers.
Promotional cookies
ON
OFF
We share news and updates on business and human rights through third party platforms, including social media and search engines. These cookies help us to understand the performance of these promotions.
Your privacy choices for this site
This site uses cookies and other web storage technologies to enhance your experience beyond necessary core functionality.