The European Commission's
Approach to Responsible Business:
Towards a 2016-2020 strategy on
Corporate Social Responsibility
Giuseppe Cacciato, Senior Adviser,
DG for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship
and SMEs
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Policy areas (current):
CSR, Tourism, Service Industries;
Policy areas (past):
Completion of the Single Market;
Competition;
Consumer Protection;
Toy Safety;
Trade Agreements
Albert Einstein :
•'It' easier to break an
atom than a prejudice'
Why Corporate Social Responsibility?
• European citizens do not feel informed about what
companies do to manage their social and environmental
impacts
• Influential factor in strengthening the competitiveness
and growth of European companies
• Important for the European economy, CSR contributes to
sustainable long-term economic growth, job creation and
community engagement
The EC's Understanding of CSR
•EC definition of CSR: The responsibility of enterprises for
their impacts on society
• Definition consistent and designed according to global
instruments addressing responsible business
• Positive and negative influences on society; all enterprises
have impacts, all have a social responsibility
•Legal compliance is a pre-requisite to being responsible
• Process of integrating social, environmental, ethical, consumer
and human rights concerns into business strategy and
operations, in cooperation with stakeholders
Internationally Recognised CSR
Guidelines and Principles
Cooperation Across the
European Commission and EU
Institutions
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EEAS, Business and Human Rights
DG Trade
DG Employment and Social Affairs
DG Development and Cooperation
DG Justice
Several other DGs - CNCT, ENV, etc.
THE APPROACH OF THE
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
OUR 2011 – 2014 STRATEGY
EC Communication on
Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) , 2011-2014
AGENDA FOR ACTION
1.
Enhancing visibility (Multi-stakeholder sectorbased platforms, and award scheme for
enterprise-stakeholder partnerships)
2.
Improve and tracking levels of trust in
business (consider measures on green washing,
and surveys of citizen perceptions)
3.
Code of good practice for self- and coregulation
4.
Enhancing market reward for CSR
(consumption, investment, public procurement)
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Legislative proposal on company disclosure of
social and environmental information
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CSR in education, training and research
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Importance of national and sub-national CSR
policies
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Better alignment of European and global
approaches on CSR
Activities: Guiding Material for
Enterprises and the Public
 For SMEs (My Business
and Human Rights)
 Five SME case studies
 Sector guidance notes
(ICT, Oil & Gas,
Employment &
Recruitment Agencies)
 Corporate Social -
Responsibility National
Public Policies in the
European Union Compendium 2014
Activities: National Action Plans on
CSR / Business and Human Rights
 The EU has endorsed the UN Guiding Principles in its
2011 CSR strategy and has made a commitment to
support their implementation.
 National Action Plans are designed and driven by EU MS
themselves, according to individual needs and
specificities (NAP on CSR, B&HR, etc.)
2014
Reviewing our 2011 CSR strategy
A year of review, consultation, stocktaking, preparation
2016
Preparation of the Staff Working
Document on the UN Guiding
Principles on Business
and Human Rights (Dec. 2014)
Public consultation on the
Commission's CSR
achievements,
shortcoming and future
challenges
(29 April – 15 August)
Plenary meeting
of the MultiStakeholder
Forum – 450
participants,
Charlemagne (3
- 4 February
2015)
Technical
Report with
the results of
the Public
Consultation
(Nov. 2014)
Q3 2014
Q4 2014
Q1 2015
New
Commission
strategy on
Corporate
Social
Responsibility
(tbc., Q1 2016)
Q1 2016
CSR-RELATED
REGULATORY ACTIVITIES
Directive on Non-Financial
Information Reporting
 New disclosure rules for companies above
500 employees to report on non-financial
information in their management reports –
including human rights
 Companies concerned will need to disclose
information on policies, risks and outcomes
as regards environmental matters, social
and employee-related aspects
 Respect for human rights, anti-corruption.
bribery issues, and diversity key features of
the directive
Procurement – New Provisions Regarding
Social, Environmental Concerns
• New procurement rules were adopted in January 2014 by the EP
and Council
• Social, labour and environmental concerns were included in the
following areas:
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Award decisions (Art. 54 (2))
Exclusion grounds (Art. 55)
Rejection of a tender (Art. 69 (4))
Conditions for the performance of
contracts (Art. 70)