FEMNET Chairwoman Dr. Gisela Burckhardt comments: "With today's proposal to suspend the LkSG for two years, Habeck stabs all those who have been fighting for years for a legal regulation in the back. It unsettles companies, civil society feels fooled. This could have implications for the EU elections."
Berlin. In the future, large companies in the EU will have to work towards compliance with human rights and environmental standards in their supply chains. Der Rat der Europäischen Union hat die entsprechende Richtlinie, das sogenannte EU-Lieferkettengesetz, heute final beschlossen. This puts an end to months of political tug-of-war, in which the FDP in particular wanted to bring the project down on the German side. EU Member States now have two years to transpose the project into national law. The Federal Government must adapt the existing German Supply Chain Act accordingly.
© Initiative Lieferkettengesetz
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.
© Laila Sieber
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.
© Initiative Lieferkettengesetz
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.
© FEMNET
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.
Handover of the protest signatures in Hong Kong to Armani representatives on 09.01.2018. Photo: © CCC Hong Kong70,000 people are appealing to major clothing brands and retailers Armani, Primark, Urban Outfitters, Forever 21 and Walmart to make transparency their New Year's resolution and publish the factories that produce their clothes. Throughout January, activists from the luxury brand Armani and the low-cost manufacturer Primark will hand over golden gift boxes with signatures in major European cities. Other brands may also expect signatures on their doorsteps at any time.
