Good news! The European Union is introducing legislation which will make big companies in the European Union (EU) check their supply chains for slavery and exploitation and to act if they find it.

The technical term is “due diligence”, which means guaranteeing the workers’ rights of the people who produce the goods or services for the company.  Those workers could be in an office in your town or a factory on the other side of the world.

Millions of people behind the goods and services we buy actually have miserable lives because of dangerous and oppressive working conditions, poverty wages or human trafficking. This EU due diligence directive will transform lives.

When the European Parliament gave their opinion on the draft EU law, they added in some brilliant new demands, including saying more companies (not just the biggest) will have to follow the rules and to check further down their supply chain. The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) also agreed that workers must receive a living wage and have ways of getting justice.  

But if there’s no real punishment, why would some companies bother to do the right thing?

It’s vital that businesses face a big financial penalty if they clearly flout the EU rules.

And the risk of a big fine must be the same across the EU. Otherwise, an unethical company may simply move to the cheapest place.  That’s not fair on other businesses.

The European Parliament agreed that “…the maximum limit of pecuniary sanction shall be not less than 5% of the network worldwide turnover of the company…” (amendment 290).

5% of worldwide turnover would worry shareholders and directors. 5% would mean companies follow the new rules.

We want all of these extra things that the European Parliament asked for!

The European Parliament, Commission and Member States are now negotiating the final details. 

Will your Member State accept the Parliament’s more ambitious standards or weaken the rules? 

Our governments need to hear from the public, to hear that we want them to be bold.

If you’re over 18 and an EU citizen, please sign this petition to ask national governments across the EU to agree to the European Parliament’s demands on due diligence, especially the sanction of 5% of worldwide turnover.

Thank you!

European Freedom Network Members

European Freedom Network is a network of projects fighting human trafficking and exploitation. https://www.europeanfreedomnetwork.org/