"Letter to Prime Minister Meloni on HRDs and the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive", 22 February 2024

Today I have written to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to express my serious concern at reports Italy may block the EU’s proposed new rules on human rights and environmental due diligence for companies.

The new rules, negotiated over three years as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, have the potential to significantly improve security for human rights defenders at risk, setting a new standard for responsible business conduct. They were set to be signed off on in recent weeks, only to be delayed after last minute opposition from a number of EU Member States.

I call on the Italian Government to fully support the proposed Directive. [...]