Statement:

At amfori we have been supportive of the idea of an EU-wide framework for responsible business conduct since the very start of those discussions at EU level. EU-wide rules represent an opportunity for harmonisation, but also a way to amplify business efforts that would otherwise remain too scattered.

Our support for EU-wide legislation on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (#CSDDD), however, has never been unconditional. One of our key asks was to ensure alignment with existing internationally recognized due diligence standards. This would allow businesses to take a risk-based approach to their due diligence and, with that, to prioritise their actions. We also envisioned a Directive that would build on existing practices and promote effective collaboration between companies, including in the context of industry and multistakeholder initiatives.

We believe that the compromise agreement reached by the EU institutions in December 2023, while not perfect (especially as far as the level of harmonisation is concerned), meets our key priorities.

We therefore call on EU policymakers to endorse the political agreement while reminding them of the opportunity offered by the subsequent transposition phase to ensure as much EU-wide harmonisation as possible of the future set of national due diligence rules. This is essential to avoid fragmentation of the EU internal market through diverging national rules.

Who we are:

Founded in 1977, amfori has evolved into a leading business association for sustainable trade, supporting 2400 companies across the globe to operate successful and responsible businesses, by improving the Environmental, Social and Governance performance of their supply chains. At amfori, we believe that companies can simultaneously focus on people and planet as well as profit