• This law will guarantee that Spanish companies and foreign companies that operate within our borders respect human and environmental rights in the exercise of their activities and throughout their value chain.
• This petition is part of the Directive that is being prepared by the European Commission and that is expected to be approved in 2021.
• France, Germany and Norway are pioneers in passing laws in this regard. There are also open political processes on this same matter in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
Madrid, July 23, 2021.- The Spanish Business Confederation of the Social Economy (CEPES) has adhered to the petition promoted by the Platform by Responsible Companies, requesting the adoption in Spain of a due diligence law on companies and human and environmental rights.
This law will guarantee that Spanish companies and foreign companies that operate within our borders, respect human and environmental rights in the exercise of their activities and throughout their value chain and would also guarantee access to justice for the victims of these abuses .
This Law is part of the European Directive that is about to be approved in 2021 and that will require companies to develop plans to identify, prevent, stop and mitigate the real and potential impacts on human and environmental rights caused by business activity.
At the European level, there are already precedents for the approval of laws in France that approved a Law in this regard in 2017 and Germany and Norway that just did so in June 2021. There are also open political processes on the same matter in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
About CEPES
The Spanish Business Confederation of the Social Economy (CEPES) is the highest representative institution of the Social Economy in Spain, becoming a platform for institutional dialogue with public powers. Its 29 partners represent the interests of more than 43,192 companies, representing 12.5% of employment and with a turnover of around 10% of GDP. Its partners, with more than 200 regional structures, are national or regional organizations and business groups, which represent the interests of Cooperatives, Labor Societies, Mutual Societies, Insertion Companies, Special Employment Centers, Associations of the disability sector and Fishermen's Guilds. .
About PER
The platform for Responsible Companies is made up of 13 civil society organizations: Alboan, Anesvad, Alianza por la Solidaridad-ActionAid, Amnesty International, NGO Coordinator (550 organizations), State Fair Trade Coordinator (26 organizations), Economists without borders , Enlázate por la Justicia (6 organizations), Entreculturas, Fundadeps, Greenpeace, Observatorio de la RSC (12 organizations) and USO.
