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Petitions: 90,000 people demand strong EU supply chains law

NGO alliance criticizes the position of the Federal Government

Berlin, 06.12.2022. The European Union wants to oblige companies to protect human rights and the environment in its value chains. However, it is open how effective the so-called EU supply chain law is. The responsible EU Minister Council agreed on a position in Brussels last Thursday that goes beyond the German supply chain law, but still contains numerous loopholes. Several EU governments, including Germany, continue to try to weaken the project. On the other hand, activists from the "Initiative ZUT chain law" protested in Berlin today and presented a petition addressed to Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz with 90,248 signatures.

»Whether in the coalition agreement or on the SPD debate convent: Again and again the SPD is committed to an effective EU supply chain law. Chancellor Scholz has to show on a European floor that these are not lip service! This is not only 130 organizations, but also 90,000 people who have signed our petition, «comments Michelle Trimborn, spokeswoman for the Lief chain Act initiative .

»An EU supplier chain law is only effective if those affected by human rights violations are given a realistic opportunity to claim damages from the responsible companies in the EU. The devastating dam break in Brumadinho and the fires in Asian textile factories have shown that certificates and industry standards are not guarantors for human rights and are not allowed to free companies from liability. The federal government must withdraw its demands for such loopholes, «emphasizes Pirmin Spiegel, General Manager of Misereor .

»In the textile industry, 85 percent of greenhouse gases and environmental damage are created at the beginning of production. An effective supply chain law must therefore take effect from the first fiber and include all production steps. With the coalition partners, Chancellor Scholz must ensure the sanctionability of the climate care duties along the entire supply chains and thus set up a central lever in the fight against the climate crisis and nature destruction, «demands Martin Kaiser, Managing Director of Greenpeace Germany .

»The EU Lief Coveret Act must oblige all companies along the entire value chain to protect human rights. For example, it must work if deliveries from flight petrol to Myanmar can contribute to war crimes. There must be no exceptions for important business areas such as arms exports or financial investments. Only through a comprehensive regulation can the European Union set standards worldwide, «emphasizes Markus Beeko, General Secretary of Amnesty International in Germany .

The Federal Government voted for the joint draft last Thursday at the meeting of the responsible EU Minister Council "Competitiveness" in Brussels. Among other things, this stipulates that European companies are also supposed to be civil law that they have caused by disregarding human rights duties in their supply chain. The full duty of care is not limited to the first link in the supply chain. In addition to human rights, companies should also pay attention to environmental standards and create climate plans. This would mean that the EU Lief chain law would go well beyond the German supply chain law, which will come into force on January 1, 2023.

The Federal Government had campaigned in advance for the fact that arms exports and financial investments are excluded from the law and that companies that do not implement their climate plans are not sanctioned. These positions can now also be found in the EU Council decision. On the other hand, the Federal Government could not enforce itself with the attempt to accommodate a so-called "Safe Harbour clause" in the decision-making text-a kind of free ticket for companies that use certain certifications or participate in industry standards. According to the Federal Government, companies should reliably free them from a possible reparation of damage that caused them negligently. This had led to severe criticism on the part of civil society. Nevertheless, the Federal Government holds this requirement under pressure from the FDP.

The EU Parliament has announced that it will position itself to the EU Lief chain Act next spring. The negotiations between the EU Parliament, the EU Commission and the Council, known as the "trilog", then begin. Misereor, Greenpeace Germany and the German section of Amnesty International are among the more than 130 organizations that have come together for the Initiative Supplails Act.

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