EU Council Delays Critical CSDDD Vote. Now What?

February 9, 2024 | Sourcing Journal

“Research has shown definitively that goods at a high risk of being produced with Uyghur forced labor, in particular, are still entering the EU market,” Peter Irwin, senior program officer for advocacy and communications at the Uyghur Human Rights Project, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., told Sourcing Journal. “Loopholes in the EU’s current legislative framework must be closed by this law—as well as the upcoming EU forced labor regulation—to make sure companies are compelled to root out these kinds of abuses.”

Toppling the CSDDD, in a worst-case scenario, doesn’t necessarily put the forced labor regulation in peril, however. Standing up against a law designed to prevent modern slavery would be a bad look, Irwin said. Opposing a more expansive supply chain rule offers some moral latitude, though not much.

“When the FDP and parts of the business community say this law amounts to ‘administrative burdens’ for companies, what they’re really saying is that they don’t want to be forced to ensure their supply chains are free from forced labor or other human rights abuses,” he added.

Read the full article: https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/compliance/european-council-eu-csddd-vote-delayed-due-diligence-493816/