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Berlin. A greatly weakened version of the EU Supply Chain Act has cleared the central hurdle: The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Council of the European Union (COREPER) today voted in favour of the important human rights project. This means that the directive can be adopted before the European elections in June. For weeks and until the end, the FDP had tried to bring down the law. The EU had actually already found a compromise in the trilogue procedure in December 2023. With a further compromise proposal that has been greatly undermined, the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union today succeeded in securing a qualified majority of member states for the EU Supply Chain Act. FDP Justice Minister Buschmann also rejected this compromise proposal, which is why Germany abstained from the vote.

Details: Category: Lieferkettengesetz; Published: 15 March 2024

Major setback for the EU Supply Chain Act: The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Council (COREPER) today failed to reach a qualified majority in favour of the human rights project. The Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union has announced that it will now enter into negotiations again with the member states and the EU Parliament. Meanwhile, there is great support for the EU Supply Chain Act among the German population: More than two-thirds of people in Germany want the law, as a new representative survey shows.

Details: Category: Lieferkettengesetz; Published: 28 February 2024

Berlin. The German government will not agree to the compromise on the EU supply chain law negotiated in Brussels under pressure from the FDP and major business associations. This was announced today by Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) to the Reuters news agency. The Supply Chain Act initiative condemns this withdrawal at the last minute. It damages Germany's reputation as a reliable political and economic partner in the EU and shows the low priority of human rights as well as climate and environmental protection for the German government.

Details: Category: Lieferkettengesetz; Published: 06 February 2024

Berlin. Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) and Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) reject the compromise negotiated in Brussels on the EU supply chain law. This is the result of a statement by the two ministries, from which the dpa quotes today and which is available to the Supply Chain Act Initiative. The alliance of more than 140 civil society organisations is calling on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to use his policy competence and agree to the EU Supply Chain Act.

Details: Category: Lieferkettengesetz; Published: 01 February 2024

Berlin. In today's Bureau decision, the FDP announced its intention to stop the EU Supply Chain Act. The FDP is thus positioning itself against the compromise reached by the EU Council and the European Parliament in December 2023. Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) had significantly shaped the negotiating position of the Federal Government and supported it until the end. Johannes Heeg, spokesperson of the civil society alliance “Initiative Supply Chain Law”, commented.

Details: Category: Lieferkettengesetz; Published: 15 January 2024

Joint press release by FEMNET , ECCHR and Rosa Luxemburg Foundation.

Berlin, Bonn, Karachi. New research by Pakistani trade unions National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) and HomeBased Women Worker’s Federation (HBWWF) and the German human rights organisations FEMNET and ECCHR show that even the minimum wage is often not paid in the supply chains of German companies: The report: "No contracts, no rights: How the fashion industry is cheating its workers on minimum wages Exposes alarming labour rights violations in textile factories in Pakistan that have been ongoing for years and calls for immediate action by fashion brands. The German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG), which entered into force on 1 January 2023, requires companies to ensure compliance with labour rights in their value chains. For this reason, the authors of the study informed those companies named by the workers surveyed, which are covered by the new law, about the labour rights violations committed by their producers in Pakistan. While many of the brands have not yet taken effective action, the law has been instrumental in ensuring that some companies now take responsibility for their due diligence obligations.

Details: Category: Lieferkettengesetz; Published: 07 December 2023

Joint press release from FEMNET and Global Nature Fund (GNF)

Bonn. The German health sector contributes significantly to the environmental impact and is responsible for a considerable 5 percent of national greenhouse gas emissions. A critical analysis shows that about 60 percent of these emissions are caused by the prescription of drugs and another 23 percent by the purchasing sector. This also includes work clothes and bed linen. The Fair Wear Works project by FEMNET and the Global Nature Fund (GNF) starts right here and offers demand-oriented workshops for healthcare institutions.

Details: Category: Nachhaltiger Textileinkauf für den Privatsektor; Published: 30 November 2023

Joint press release by FEMNET, SÜDWIND Institute, INKOTA network and HEJSupport

The recently set minimum wage in Bangladesh for garment workers at 12,500 taka per month (106 euros) continues to lead to protests and riots. Workers are deliberately injured, abducted, wrongfully charged, imprisoned, imprisoned or even killed. However, there has been no concrete support for the trade unions' demands for a higher minimum wage from purchasing companies so far. Until 26.11.2023 is now the last opportunity to take an effective position.

Details: Category: Existenzlohn jetzt! Faire Löhne für Textilarbeiter*innen; Published: 21 November 2023

Joint press release from Global Nature Fund and FEMNET

Fair Wear Works and Sporthandel Fair call on sports clubs to turn Black Friday into Fair Friday and to discount only sustainably produced fan articles. FC St. Pauli leads by example and participates in Fair Friday. The ‘Fair Wear Works’ project supports sports clubs and regional sports associations in making their textile purchases sustainable.

Details: Category: Nachhaltiger Textileinkauf für den Privatsektor; Published: 21 November 2023

Joint press release by FEMNET and the Clean Clothes Campaign

Bonn/Berlin. The government of Bangladesh on Tuesday set the new minimum wage for the country's 4.4 million garment workers at 12,500 taka per month (106 euros). The amount is far below the 23,000 taka demanded by trade unions. According to studies, this amount is necessary for a decent life in Bangladesh. Although many fashion brands say they are committed to living wages, few support the unions' demand. For workers in the garment sector, the new minimum wage means that they will continue to struggle to survive and will be forced to work excessive overtime, take out loans, skip meals or even send their children to work instead of school.

Details: Category: Existenzlohn jetzt! Faire Löhne für Textilarbeiter*innen; Published: 09 November 2023

In February 2022, the European Commission presented its proposal for the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) to protect human rights and the environment. The position of the Council of Ministers followed in December 2022. In months of negotiations, the committees of the European Parliament have formulated a compromise, which was put to the vote and adopted on 1 June.

Details: Category: Lieferkettengesetz; Published: 01 June 2023

Joint press release by FEMNET, NGWF and ECCHR

"10 years after Rana Plaza, there are still factories in Bangladesh that produce clothing for international companies such as Amazon, IKEA or Tom Tailor, where there are hardly any security controls. We can no longer accept that," says Amirul Haque Amin, President and Co-Founder of the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF).

FEMNET, ECCHR and NGWF submit the first complaint against Amazon and IKEA to a German authority, the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA), on the basis of the Supply Chain Act, which entered into force in January 2023. This is based on a research carried out by the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) in Bangladesh in March 2023, which identified safety deficiencies such as lack of inspections, but also other labour rights violations such as lack of trade union freedom.

Details: Category: Lieferkettengesetz; Published: 24 April 2023

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Press Center

Despite German abstention: EU states vote for greatly weakened supply chain law

Because of the German government: Setback for European human rights project – Majority of the population in favour of EU supply chain law according to survey

German abstention on EU supply chain law: indictment of democracy and human rights protection

FDP sabotage of the EU supply chain law is an affront to those affected by human rights violations

U-turn of the FDP in the EU supply chain law puts credibility of Germany at risk

Supply Chain Act has an impact: Fashion brands respond to indications of labour rights violations

Sustainable textile purchasing as the key to a climate-neutral health sector

Ongoing violence in Bangladesh - Companies in the Textiles Partnership must finally show their colours

Fair Friday instead of Black Friday: "Fair Wear Works" and "Sport Handel Fair" call for commitment from sports clubs

New minimum wage in Bangladesh equals starvation wage

European Parliament votes in favour of supply chain law: Milestone for human rights, environment and climate protection

First complaint case filed under German Supply Chain Act

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