"Yes to EU supply chain law means yes to protecting people, the environment and the climate"
Global Responsibility Working Group welcomes EU Parliament's position on supply chain law and appeals to Austrian MEPs to advocate for tightening up in upcoming negotiations
The 'yes' vote by a majority of MEPs on June 1 in favor of a comprehensive EU supply chain law is a 'yes' to protecting people, the environment and the climate beyond Europe's borders. We welcome the fact that the European Parliament will now enter into negotiations on a supply chain law with the European Commission and the European Council with a strong position," saysLukas Wank, Managing Director of AG Global Responsibility.
For people in countries of the Global South who produce goods for the European market, such a law is a real opportunity, Wank reports and explains:
"The number of extremely poor people who have less than 1.60 euros a day to live on could soon rise to one billion. A supply chain law would counteract this, for example by creating better working conditions and living wages for workers - for example in the textile industry, agriculture or mining".
Furthermore, such a law would also be beneficial for numerous Austrian companies that already focus on sustainability in their global trade and supply chains, emphasizes Wank. For them, it would finally ensure a level playing field at a high level.
https://news.pro.earth/2023/04/21/earth-day-eu-lieferkettengesetz-muss-den-planeten-schuetzen/
The final legislative text will be determined by the Commission, Council and Parliament in so-called trilogue negotiations, which are due to start next week, explains Wank and concludes by addressing the Austrian MEPs:
"We appeal to the Austrian Members of the European Parliament to advocate for more stringent measures in the further rounds of negotiations. For example, the burden of proof for human rights violations should not lie solely with those affected. Proof from companies that they are complying with the law would provide even better protection for human rights and social and environmental standards."
