Protecting human rights and fostering global sustainable development – the European Union has committed to working toward these goals, and in the face of the current crises, they have now become more important than ever.

Yet, all too often, European companies have stood for the opposite. By engaging in unscrupulous business practices, they contribute significantly to dangerous working conditions, exploitative child labor and the destruction of rainforests throughout the world. All too often, people and the environment must pay the price for the profits of European corporations.

The time has come for Europe to take responsibility and pass an effective supply chain law for the EU: this is how Europe can make a real difference for our planet and its people.

We are a coalition of more than 130 civil society organizations, and in Germany, we have already successfully campaigned for a supply chain law. However, due to resistance from the business lobby, this law still has gaps and weaknesses, which is why we need an even stronger EU supply chain law that creates mandatory human rights and environmental standards for companies across Europe.