In late February, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence. According to the Commission, its aim is to foster sustainable and responsible corporate behaviour throughout global value chains. Human rights and environmental considerations will be at the core of the new due diligence rules. Moreover, the proposal also aims at harmonising the national rules on due diligence that are already in place in a number of Member States. While FIEC is generally in favour EU-wide legal framework for supply chain due diligence, there are several problematic aspects in the Commission's proposal. Extending the scope of the legal obligations to the whole value chain, as well as expanding disproportionately civil liability would put unrealistic expectations on contractors, harming their competitiveness and imposing disproportionate administrative burdens.
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