EUROPEAN COALITION FOR CORPORATE JUSTICE, PUBLIC EYE
Press release
For immediate release: Tuesday May 11, 2010
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NEW RULES FOR BUSINESS NEEDED AT WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM MEETING
Campaign calls on European Commission to make companies accountable
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Brussels, May 11 – Business leaders and European lawmakers meeting today
at the 'World Economic Forum on Europe' in Brussels are being urged to
make companies accountable for the harm they cause people and the
environment around the world.
Delegates at the 'World Economic Forum' (WEF) meeting are discussing
whether and what European rules are needed for business. The European
Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ) and Public Eye [1] are asking the
European Commission for clearer rules to protect citizens and the
environment. A petition calling on the EU to hold companies accountable
is being launched today at www.rightsforpeople.org [2]
The global economic crisis has demonstrated the dangers of missing and
weak regulation, especially for the activities of transnational
corporations. Moreover, European consumers continuously express their
desire to buy goods that are produced in ethically acceptable ways. ECCJ
and Public Eye are gathering support from EU citizens for legislation
that ensures:
- companies operating in the EU are legally accountable for any harm
they cause to people and the environment around the world
- companies disclose accurate information about their impacts on people
and the environment
- non-EU citizens who suffer due to the operations of European companies
have access to justice in Europe.
Paul de Clerck of ECCJ says: "The European Commission claims it
supports human rights and sustainable development around the globe but
to be credible it must introduce rules to hold companies accountable for
the harm they cause beyond Europe's borders. Commission officials are
hearing from business leaders at the World Economic Forum on Europe they must also listen to the voices of concerned citizens and people
whose lives are affected by these companies."
Oliver Classen of Public Eye on Davos adds: "Human rights violations and
environmental abuses are still far too often side effects of business as
usual. The WEF offers no solution to this problem. On the contrary, as
the mother of all corporate lobbyists it is part of the problem. For the
sake of its credibility, the European Union shouldn’t cooperate with
this highly questionable institution."
Particularly in the global south, companies too often behave
unacceptably – from employing children to destroying rainforests. In
many places around the world where European companies cause harm, the
victims do not have any chance to get justice.
French oil company Total, as just one example, operates in Burma in
cooperation with the military government. The oil company's revenues are
used by the military to continue the suppression of the Burmese
population. Total has not been held accountable for this, despite EU
sanctions against Burma.
More cases of corporate misbehaviour will be denounced and illustrated
in the campaign 'Rights for People, Rules for Business' which starts
today and runs until the end of 2010 in at least 13 European countries.
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For more information please contact:
Paul de Clerck of ECCJ, +32 494 38 09 59, paul@milieudefensie.nl
Daniel Morrison of ECCJ, +32 (0) 2 893 1022, campaign@corporatejustice.org
Oliver Classen, Coordinator of the Public Eye on Davos, +41 44 277 70
06, oliver.classen@evb.ch
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Notes
[1] The European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ) is the largest
civil society network devoted to corporate accountability in the EU.
ECCJ represents more than 250 civil society organisations from all over
Europe. www.corporatejustice.org
Public Eye on Davos is the counter event to the Annual Meeting of the
World Economic Forum (WEF). Conferring 'worst of' awards to the most
irresponsible companies, it demands legally binding rules for
transnational corporations. Public Eye is a joint project of Berne
Declaration, a development policy organisation, and Greenpeace
Switzerland. www.publiceye.ch
[2] The campaign Rights for People, Rules for Business will collect
signatures from EU citizens in support of legislation to make European
companies accountable for their negative impacts. Citizens will have the
opportunity to read stories about corporate misconduct by visiting an online photo exhibition. In
November a speaker tour of witnesses of corporate violations will be organised in five European
countries and on November 10, 2010 a European-wide action day on corporate accountability will
take place.