BETA


2015/2315(INI) Corporate liability for serious human rights abuses in third countries

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead AFET CORRAO Ignazio (icon: EFDD EFDD) GRZYB Andrzej (icon: PPE PPE), ASSIS Francisco (icon: S&D S&D), GERICKE Arne (icon: ECR ECR), WEBER Renate (icon: ALDE ALDE), BUCHNER Klaus (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE)
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54

Events

2016/10/25
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2016/10/25
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 569 votes to 54, with 74 abstentions, a resolution on corporate liability for serious human rights abuses in third countries.

International background : increasing globalisation and internationalisation of business activities and supply chains will make the role that corporations play in ensuring respect for human rights more important .

In this regard, Members are deeply concerned by cases of human rights violations committed in third countries, including as a result of some EU corporations and business enterprises management decisions. They reaffirmed the urgent need to act in a continuous, effective and coherent manner at all levels, including national, European and international, in order to effectively address human rights abuses by international corporations when they appear.

While welcoming the adoption of the UN Guiding Principles (UNGPs) on Business and Human Rights, Members called for all the UNGPs and other international corporate responsibility standards to be consistently raised by EU representatives in human rights dialogues with third countries.

Calls addressed to corporations : Parliament called on companies, whether European or not, to carry out human rights due diligence and to integrate their findings into internal policies and procedures.

Recognising the major importance of CSR and welcomes the growing use of instruments based on CSR and the self-commitment by corporations, Parliament strongly emphasised that respecting human rights is a moral duty and a legal obligation on corporations and their management and should be integrated into a long-term economic perspective, wherever they may act and whatever their size or industrial sector.

Members welcomed the Commission's active cooperation with the participation of the Parliament and the Council together with other international bodies to achieve a fundamental convergence of CSR initiatives in the long term and the exchange and promotion of good corporate practice regarding CSR, as well as to push forward the guidelines provided in the International Organisation for Standardisation’s ISO 26000 so as to ensure a single global, coherent and transparent definition of CSR.

Attention needs to be drawn to the special features of SMEs and the opposition to all measures that could result in additional administrative or financial constraints for SMEs.

Calls addressed to Member States : Parliament called on the Union and the Member States to:

ensure that human rights are protected, including against abuses committed by companies; explicitly include the principle of human rights protection in all trade treaties that they sign; adopt binding instruments devoted to the effective protection of human rights in the field of corporate responsibility; implement the UNGPs swiftly and robustly in all areas falling under their respective competence, including by developing action plans; lay down clear rules setting out that companies established in their territory or under their jurisdiction must respect human rights throughout their operations, in every country and context in which they operate, and in relation to their business relationships, including outside the EU; prioritise for immediate action the establishment of mandatory human rights due diligence for business enterprises which are owned or controlled by the state, and/or receive substantial support and services from state agencies or European institutions as well as for businesses that provide goods or services through public procurement contract; address companies that use raw materials or commodities under the current legislature procedure that might originate from conflict affected areas to disclose their sourcing and use of such materials by product labelling, to provide complete information on the content and origin of products.

Access to effective remedies : Member States should take any appropriate steps, in cooperation with international partners, to ensure, through judicial, administrative, legislative or other appropriate means , that when such human rights violations occur, those affected have access to an effective remedy, when a corporation based in the given states holds, directs or controls companies that are responsible for human rights violations in other countries.

Calls addressed to the Commission : stressing that non-binding private sector initiatives are by themselves not sufficient, Members called for the adoption of urgent binding and enforceable rules and related sanctions and independent monitoring mechanisms.

The Commission is called upon to:

systematically include in trade and investment agreements rules on corporate liability for violations of human rights; come forward with a legislative proposal for the export control of dual use items , since technologies made by European companies are still causing human rights violations all over the world; establish minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and sanctions in the areas of particularly serious crimes with a cross-border dimension pertaining to serious human right violations in third countries committed by corporations, given the nature and impact of such offences and the special need to combat them on a common basis; report regularly on the steps taken to ensure effective protection of human rights in the context of business activity.

Parliament urged the building of a consistent body of law , including rules governing access to justice, jurisdiction, the recognition and enforcement of judicial decisions in civil and commercial matters, the applicable law, and judicial assistance in cross-border situations involving third countries.

In order to promote increased awareness among producers and consumers, Members recommended the creation of a certified ‘abuse-free’ product label at EU level . This label shall be monitored by an independent body governed by strict rules and endowed with powers of inspection, devoted to verifying and certifying that no abuse has been committed at any stage in the chain of production of the relevant good.

Lastly, the Commission is called upon to launch an EU-wide campaign , introducing and promoting the ‘abuse-free’ label regarding respect for human rights.

Documents
2016/10/25
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2016/10/24
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2016/07/19
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Details

The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the own-initiative report by Ignazio CORRAO (EFD, IT) on corporate liability for serious human rights abuses in third countries.

Increasing globalisation and internationalisation of business activities and supply chains will make the role that corporations play in ensuring respect for human rights more important.

In this regard, Members are deeply concerned by cases of human rights violations committed in third countries, including as a result of some EU corporations and business enterprises management decisions.

They reaffirmed the urgent need to act in a continuous, effective and coherent manner at all levels , including national, European and international, in order to effectively address human rights abuses by international corporations when they appear.

While welcoming the adoption of the UN Guiding Principles (UNGPs) on Business and Human Rights, Members called for all the UNGPs and other international corporate responsibility standards to be consistently raised by EU representatives in human rights dialogues with third countries.

Calls addressed to corporations : recognising the major importance of CSR and welcomes the growing use of instruments based on CSR and the self-commitment by corporations, the report strongly emphasised that respecting human rights is a moral duty and a legal obligation on corporations and their management and should be integrated into a long-term economic perspective, wherever they may act and whatever their size or industrial sector.

Members welcomed the Commission's active cooperation with the participation of the Parliament and the Council together with other international bodies to achieve a fundamental convergence of CSR initiatives in the long term and the exchange and promotion of good corporate practice regarding CSR, as well as to push forward the guidelines provided in the International Organisation for Standardisation’s ISO 26000 so as to ensure a single global, coherent and transparent definition of CSR.

Calls addressed to Member States : the report called on the Union and the Member States to:

ensure that human rights are protected, including against abuses committed by companies; adopt binding instruments devoted to the effective protection of human rights in the field of corporate responsibility; implement the UNGPs swiftly and robustly in all areas falling under their respective competence, including by developing action plans; lay down clear rules setting out that companies established in their territory or under their jurisdiction must respect human rights throughout their operations, in every country and context in which they operate, and in relation to their business relationships, including outside the EU; prioritise for immediate action the establishment of mandatory human rights due diligence for business enterprises which are owned or controlled by the state, and/or receive substantial support and services from state agencies or European institutions as well as for businesses that provide goods or services through public procurement contract; address companies that use raw materials or commodities under the current legislature procedure that might originate from conflict affected areas to disclose their sourcing and use of such materials by product labelling, to provide complete information on the content and origin of products.

Access to effective remedies : Member States should take any appropriate steps, in cooperation with international partners, to ensure, through judicial, administrative, legislative or other appropriate means , that when such human rights violations occur, those affected have access to an effective remedy, when a corporation based in the given states holds, directs or controls companies that are responsible for human rights violations in other countries.

Calls addressed to the Commission : welcoming the non-binding private sector initiatives for responsible supply chain management introduced by the Commission’s services are by themselves not sufficient, Members called for urgent binding and enforceable rules and related sanctions and independent monitoring mechanisms .

The Commission is called upon to:

systematically include in trade and investment agreements rules on corporate liability for violations of human rights; come forward with a legislative proposal for the export control of dual use items , since technologies made by European companies are still causing human rights violations all over the world; establish minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and sanctions in the areas of particularly serious crimes with a cross-border dimension pertaining to serious human right violations in third countries committed by corporations, given the nature and impact of such offences and the special need to combat them on a common basis; report regularly on the steps taken to ensure effective protection of human rights in the context of business activity.

In order to promote increased awareness among producers and consumers, Members recommended the creation of a certified ‘abuse-free’ product label at EU level. This label shall be monitored by an independent body governed by strict rules and endowed with powers of inspection, devoted to verifying and certifying that no abuse has been committed at any stage in the chain of production of the relevant good.

Lastly, the Commission is called upon to launch an EU-wide campaign , introducing and promoting the ‘abuse-free’ label regarding respect for human rights.

Documents
2016/07/12
   EP - Vote in committee
2016/04/28
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2016/03/18
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2015/11/26
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2015/05/06
   EP - CORRAO Ignazio (EFDD) appointed as rapporteur in AFET

Documents

Activities

Votes

A8-0243/2016 - Ignazio Corrao - Résolution #

2016/10/25 Outcome: +: 569, 0: 74, -: 54
DE IT ES FR RO PL HU PT BE AT SE BG CZ NL FI GB SK IE EL DK LT SI HR CY LV LU EE MT
Total
90
69
50
70
27
49
20
21
19
17
20
16
19
25
13
67
13
10
20
10
9
8
7
6
6
5
5
5
icon: PPE PPE
201

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Lithuania PPE

2

Croatia PPE

2

Cyprus PPE

1

Luxembourg PPE

3

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1
icon: S&D S&D
178

Czechia S&D

3

Netherlands S&D

3

Ireland S&D

For (1)

1

Slovenia S&D

For (1)

1

Croatia S&D

For (1)

1

Cyprus S&D

2

Latvia S&D

1

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Estonia S&D

For (1)

1

Malta S&D

2
icon: ALDE ALDE
63

Romania ALDE

3

United Kingdom ALDE

1

Ireland ALDE

For (1)

1
2

Slovenia ALDE

For (1)

1

Croatia ALDE

2

Luxembourg ALDE

For (1)

1

Estonia ALDE

2
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
48

Hungary Verts/ALE

2

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Netherlands Verts/ALE

2

Finland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Lithuania Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Slovenia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Croatia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Estonia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
48

Portugal GUE/NGL

For (1)

4

Sweden GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Czechia GUE/NGL

2

Netherlands GUE/NGL

3

Finland GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2
icon: ECR ECR
68

Italy ECR

2

Romania ECR

For (1)

1

Bulgaria ECR

2

Czechia ECR

2

Netherlands ECR

2
2

Slovakia ECR

3

Greece ECR

For (1)

1

Denmark ECR

Abstain (1)

2

Lithuania ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Croatia ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Cyprus ECR

1
icon: NI NI
12

Germany NI

For (1)

1

France NI

2

Poland NI

Against (1)

1

Hungary NI

2

United Kingdom NI

Abstain (1)

1
icon: EFDD EFDD
40

Germany EFDD

Against (1)

1

France EFDD

Abstain (1)

1

Poland EFDD

1

Sweden EFDD

2

Czechia EFDD

Against (1)

1

Lithuania EFDD

For (1)

1
icon: ENF ENF
38

Germany ENF

Against (1)

1

Romania ENF

1

Poland ENF

Against (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Belgium ENF

Against (1)

1

Netherlands ENF

3

United Kingdom ENF

Against (1)

1
AmendmentsDossier
257 2015/2315(INI)
2016/04/28 AFET 257 amendments...
source: 580.788

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

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  • date: 2016-07-12T00:00:00 body: EP type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP shadows: group: EPP name: GRZYB Andrzej group: S&D name: ASSIS Francisco group: ECR name: GERICKE Arne group: ALDE name: WEBER Renate group: GUE/NGL name: URBÁN CRESPO Miguel group: Verts/ALE name: BUCHNER Klaus responsible: True committee: AFET date: 2015-05-06T00:00:00 committee_full: Foreign Affairs rapporteur: group: EFD name: CORRAO Ignazio
  • date: 2016-07-19T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2016-0243&language=EN type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading title: A8-0243/2016 body: EP type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
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  • date: 2016-04-28T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE580.788 title: PE580.788 type: Amendments tabled in committee body: EP
events
  • date: 2015-11-26T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2016-07-12T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2016-07-19T00:00:00 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2016-0243&language=EN title: A8-0243/2016 summary: The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the own-initiative report by Ignazio CORRAO (EFD, IT) on corporate liability for serious human rights abuses in third countries. Increasing globalisation and internationalisation of business activities and supply chains will make the role that corporations play in ensuring respect for human rights more important. In this regard, Members are deeply concerned by cases of human rights violations committed in third countries, including as a result of some EU corporations and business enterprises management decisions. They reaffirmed the urgent need to act in a continuous, effective and coherent manner at all levels , including national, European and international, in order to effectively address human rights abuses by international corporations when they appear. While welcoming the adoption of the UN Guiding Principles (UNGPs) on Business and Human Rights, Members called for all the UNGPs and other international corporate responsibility standards to be consistently raised by EU representatives in human rights dialogues with third countries. Calls addressed to corporations : recognising the major importance of CSR and welcomes the growing use of instruments based on CSR and the self-commitment by corporations, the report strongly emphasised that respecting human rights is a moral duty and a legal obligation on corporations and their management and should be integrated into a long-term economic perspective, wherever they may act and whatever their size or industrial sector. Members welcomed the Commission's active cooperation with the participation of the Parliament and the Council together with other international bodies to achieve a fundamental convergence of CSR initiatives in the long term and the exchange and promotion of good corporate practice regarding CSR, as well as to push forward the guidelines provided in the International Organisation for Standardisation’s ISO 26000 so as to ensure a single global, coherent and transparent definition of CSR. Calls addressed to Member States : the report called on the Union and the Member States to: ensure that human rights are protected, including against abuses committed by companies; adopt binding instruments devoted to the effective protection of human rights in the field of corporate responsibility; implement the UNGPs swiftly and robustly in all areas falling under their respective competence, including by developing action plans; lay down clear rules setting out that companies established in their territory or under their jurisdiction must respect human rights throughout their operations, in every country and context in which they operate, and in relation to their business relationships, including outside the EU; prioritise for immediate action the establishment of mandatory human rights due diligence for business enterprises which are owned or controlled by the state, and/or receive substantial support and services from state agencies or European institutions as well as for businesses that provide goods or services through public procurement contract; address companies that use raw materials or commodities under the current legislature procedure that might originate from conflict affected areas to disclose their sourcing and use of such materials by product labelling, to provide complete information on the content and origin of products. Access to effective remedies : Member States should take any appropriate steps, in cooperation with international partners, to ensure, through judicial, administrative, legislative or other appropriate means , that when such human rights violations occur, those affected have access to an effective remedy, when a corporation based in the given states holds, directs or controls companies that are responsible for human rights violations in other countries. Calls addressed to the Commission : welcoming the non-binding private sector initiatives for responsible supply chain management introduced by the Commission’s services are by themselves not sufficient, Members called for urgent binding and enforceable rules and related sanctions and independent monitoring mechanisms . The Commission is called upon to: systematically include in trade and investment agreements rules on corporate liability for violations of human rights; come forward with a legislative proposal for the export control of dual use items , since technologies made by European companies are still causing human rights violations all over the world; establish minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and sanctions in the areas of particularly serious crimes with a cross-border dimension pertaining to serious human right violations in third countries committed by corporations, given the nature and impact of such offences and the special need to combat them on a common basis; report regularly on the steps taken to ensure effective protection of human rights in the context of business activity. In order to promote increased awareness among producers and consumers, Members recommended the creation of a certified ‘abuse-free’ product label at EU level. This label shall be monitored by an independent body governed by strict rules and endowed with powers of inspection, devoted to verifying and certifying that no abuse has been committed at any stage in the chain of production of the relevant good. Lastly, the Commission is called upon to launch an EU-wide campaign , introducing and promoting the ‘abuse-free’ label regarding respect for human rights.
  • date: 2016-10-24T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20161024&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2016-10-25T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=27530&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
  • date: 2016-10-25T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2016-0405 title: T8-0405/2016 summary: The European Parliament adopted by 569 votes to 54, with 74 abstentions, a resolution on corporate liability for serious human rights abuses in third countries. International background : increasing globalisation and internationalisation of business activities and supply chains will make the role that corporations play in ensuring respect for human rights more important . In this regard, Members are deeply concerned by cases of human rights violations committed in third countries, including as a result of some EU corporations and business enterprises management decisions. They reaffirmed the urgent need to act in a continuous, effective and coherent manner at all levels, including national, European and international, in order to effectively address human rights abuses by international corporations when they appear. While welcoming the adoption of the UN Guiding Principles (UNGPs) on Business and Human Rights, Members called for all the UNGPs and other international corporate responsibility standards to be consistently raised by EU representatives in human rights dialogues with third countries. Calls addressed to corporations : Parliament called on companies, whether European or not, to carry out human rights due diligence and to integrate their findings into internal policies and procedures. Recognising the major importance of CSR and welcomes the growing use of instruments based on CSR and the self-commitment by corporations, Parliament strongly emphasised that respecting human rights is a moral duty and a legal obligation on corporations and their management and should be integrated into a long-term economic perspective, wherever they may act and whatever their size or industrial sector. Members welcomed the Commission's active cooperation with the participation of the Parliament and the Council together with other international bodies to achieve a fundamental convergence of CSR initiatives in the long term and the exchange and promotion of good corporate practice regarding CSR, as well as to push forward the guidelines provided in the International Organisation for Standardisation’s ISO 26000 so as to ensure a single global, coherent and transparent definition of CSR. Attention needs to be drawn to the special features of SMEs and the opposition to all measures that could result in additional administrative or financial constraints for SMEs. Calls addressed to Member States : Parliament called on the Union and the Member States to: ensure that human rights are protected, including against abuses committed by companies; explicitly include the principle of human rights protection in all trade treaties that they sign; adopt binding instruments devoted to the effective protection of human rights in the field of corporate responsibility; implement the UNGPs swiftly and robustly in all areas falling under their respective competence, including by developing action plans; lay down clear rules setting out that companies established in their territory or under their jurisdiction must respect human rights throughout their operations, in every country and context in which they operate, and in relation to their business relationships, including outside the EU; prioritise for immediate action the establishment of mandatory human rights due diligence for business enterprises which are owned or controlled by the state, and/or receive substantial support and services from state agencies or European institutions as well as for businesses that provide goods or services through public procurement contract; address companies that use raw materials or commodities under the current legislature procedure that might originate from conflict affected areas to disclose their sourcing and use of such materials by product labelling, to provide complete information on the content and origin of products. Access to effective remedies : Member States should take any appropriate steps, in cooperation with international partners, to ensure, through judicial, administrative, legislative or other appropriate means , that when such human rights violations occur, those affected have access to an effective remedy, when a corporation based in the given states holds, directs or controls companies that are responsible for human rights violations in other countries. Calls addressed to the Commission : stressing that non-binding private sector initiatives are by themselves not sufficient, Members called for the adoption of urgent binding and enforceable rules and related sanctions and independent monitoring mechanisms. The Commission is called upon to: systematically include in trade and investment agreements rules on corporate liability for violations of human rights; come forward with a legislative proposal for the export control of dual use items , since technologies made by European companies are still causing human rights violations all over the world; establish minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and sanctions in the areas of particularly serious crimes with a cross-border dimension pertaining to serious human right violations in third countries committed by corporations, given the nature and impact of such offences and the special need to combat them on a common basis; report regularly on the steps taken to ensure effective protection of human rights in the context of business activity. Parliament urged the building of a consistent body of law , including rules governing access to justice, jurisdiction, the recognition and enforcement of judicial decisions in civil and commercial matters, the applicable law, and judicial assistance in cross-border situations involving third countries. In order to promote increased awareness among producers and consumers, Members recommended the creation of a certified ‘abuse-free’ product label at EU level . This label shall be monitored by an independent body governed by strict rules and endowed with powers of inspection, devoted to verifying and certifying that no abuse has been committed at any stage in the chain of production of the relevant good. Lastly, the Commission is called upon to launch an EU-wide campaign , introducing and promoting the ‘abuse-free’ label regarding respect for human rights.
  • date: 2016-10-25T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
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    • The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the own-initiative report by Ignazio CORRAO (EFD, IT) on corporate liability for serious human rights abuses in third countries.

      Increasing globalisation and internationalisation of business activities and supply chains will make the role that corporations play in ensuring respect for human rights more important.

      In this regard, Members are deeply concerned by cases of human rights violations committed in third countries, including as a result of some EU corporations and business enterprises management decisions.

      They reaffirmed the urgent need to act in a continuous, effective and coherent manner at all levels, including national, European and international, in order to effectively address human rights abuses by international corporations when they appear.

      While welcoming the adoption of the UN Guiding Principles (UNGPs) on Business and Human Rights, Members called for all the UNGPs and other international corporate responsibility standards to be consistently raised by EU representatives in human rights dialogues with third countries.

      Calls addressed to corporations: recognising the major importance of CSR and welcomes the growing use of instruments based on CSR and the self-commitment by corporations, the report strongly emphasised that respecting human rights is a moral duty and a legal obligation on corporations and their management and should be integrated into a long-term economic perspective, wherever they may act and whatever their size or industrial sector.

      Members welcomed the Commission's active cooperation with the participation of the Parliament and the Council together with other international bodies to achieve a fundamental convergence of CSR initiatives in the long term and the exchange and promotion of good corporate practice regarding CSR, as well as to push forward the guidelines provided in the International Organisation for Standardisation’s ISO 26000 so as to ensure a single global, coherent and transparent definition of CSR.

      Calls addressed to Member States: the report called on the Union and the Member States to:

      • ensure that human rights are protected, including against abuses committed by companies;
      • adopt binding instruments devoted to the effective protection of human rights in the field of corporate responsibility;
      • implement the UNGPs swiftly and robustly in all areas falling under their respective competence, including by developing action plans;
      • lay down clear rules setting out that companies established in their territory or under their jurisdiction must respect human rights throughout their operations, in every country and context in which they operate, and in relation to their business relationships, including outside the EU;
      • prioritise for immediate action the establishment of mandatory human rights due diligence for business enterprises which are owned or controlled by the state, and/or receive substantial support and services from state agencies or European institutions as well as for businesses that provide goods or services through public procurement contract;
      • address companies that use raw materials or commodities under the current legislature procedure that might originate from conflict affected areas to disclose their sourcing and use of such materials by product labelling, to provide complete information on the content and origin of products.

      Access to effective remedies: Member States should take any appropriate steps, in cooperation with international partners, to ensure, through judicial, administrative, legislative or other appropriate means, that when such human rights violations occur, those affected have access to an effective remedy, when a corporation based in the given states holds, directs or controls companies that are responsible for human rights violations in other countries.

      Calls addressed to the Commission: welcoming the non-binding private sector initiatives for responsible supply chain management introduced by the Commission’s services are by themselves not sufficient, Members called for urgent binding and enforceable rules and related sanctions and independent monitoring mechanisms.

      The Commission is called upon to:

      • systematically include in trade and investment agreements rules on corporate liability for violations of human rights;
      • come forward with a legislative proposal for the export control of dual use items, since technologies made by European companies are still causing human rights violations all over the world;
      • establish minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and sanctions in the areas of particularly serious crimes with a cross-border dimension pertaining to serious human right violations in third countries committed by corporations, given the nature and impact of such offences and the special need to combat them on a common basis;
      • report regularly on the steps taken to ensure effective protection of human rights in the context of business activity.

      In order to promote increased awareness among producers and consumers, Members recommended the creation of a certified ‘abuse-free’ product label at EU level. This label shall be monitored by an independent body governed by strict rules and endowed with powers of inspection, devoted to verifying and certifying that no abuse has been committed at any stage in the chain of production of the relevant good.

      Lastly, the Commission is called upon to launch an EU-wide campaign, introducing and promoting the ‘abuse-free’ label regarding respect for human rights.

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        Corporate liability for serious human rights abuses in third countries
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        6.10.09 Human rights situation in the world