Brussels, 11/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - Corporate social responsibility is an indispensable component of responsible value chains at global level, the Council stressed in conclusions to be adopted without debate by the European development ministers, in Brussels on Thursday 12 May (see EUROPE 11548).
As models for sustainable production and consumption and for decent work are required by the universal sustainable development goals, the Council encourages the Commission and member states to ensure that their policies will help to support sustainability and global value chains and to promote the principles of corporate social responsibility (CSR) when creating political instruments of the EU and projects funded by it.
The Council welcomes the systematic inclusion in all trade and sustainable development agreements of provisions on the commitment of the parties to observe the key employment standards and other conventions of the ILO, as well as multilateral environmental agreements.
It urges the Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the member states to step up their work on CSR, which includes, amongst other things, national action plans and the launch of a new EU action plan by the Commission in 2016.
In its conclusions on the Commission's communication “Trade for All - Towards a More Responsible Trade and Investment Policy”, the Council stressed the potential contribution of the EU's trade policy instruments to sustainable development, human rights and good governance.
It reiterates that the EU and its member states will continue to promote a transparent, cooperative and fair international taxation environment which is compatible with the rules of good governance.
The Council considers that multinationals could play a constructive role by creating partnerships with micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge, skills and technologies, also for the implementation of environmental and social standards. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)