Brussels, 18/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, Anna Diamantopoulou and Erkki Liikanen presented the Green Paper on promoting a European Framework for Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe (see EUROPE of 16-17 July, p.10). The Green Paper floats a broad debate on the way the EU could promote at both European and international level the social responsibilities of companies (a concept that means companies may decide of their own initiative to contribute to improving society and making the environment cleaner). This is a direct contribution to the aim of the Lisbon Summit to make Europe the most competitive and the most dynamic knowledge economy in the world.
This idea of responsibility is based on a "triple bottom line" approach, namely social and environmental questions and economic concerns, three elements that may be adjusted to generate more productive and successful activity, said Anna Diamantopoulou in substance as she presented the text to the press. Referring to the very high number of restructurings, company mergers and dismissals over the past months, the Commissioner pointed out that the management of change is "one of the key aspects of corporate social responsibility that the Green Paper discusses. (…) Socially responsible - i.e. sustainable or vis-à-vis the society in general - human resource management, another key area highlighted in the paper, involves a commitment to aspects such as lifelong learning, health and safety, a better balance between work, family and leisure, greater workforce diversity, gender-blind pay and career prospects, profit-sharing and share ownership schemes".
Ms Diamantopoulou also stressed the importance for companies of good relations at local and regional level as this improves profitability. She insisted on the fact that they recruit most of their personnel from local labour markets, a local market that is, moreover, their main outlet. She also mentioned the fact that sustainable relations could be maintained with consumers by offering superior quality products or services. The Commissioner noted that a growing number of companies now have codes of conduct covering working conditions, human rights and protection of the environment. She specified that the "Green Paper also makes clear, however, that codes of conduct are no substitute for national and international laws, but can complement them. In addition, their effectiveness depends on proper implementation, which in turn requires greater transparency, improved monitoring and measures to assist companies in voluntary adoption". The Green Paper recommends wide consensus on the type of information that companies may agree to publish, more complete coverage of social accountancy, and the presentation of social reports and social audits. A call for proposals has been launched to establish mechanisms allowing assessment of efforts and results obtained by companies, added Ms Diamantopoulou. "The public debate - with employers, trade unions, NGOs, international organisations and any interested persons - launched by the green Paper will last six months. We shall then develop a White Paper on the subject", concluded the Commissioner, recalling that the Belgian EU Presidency had made such issues its top priority in social matters.
The Green Paper may be consulted on the Internet at: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/soc-dial/csr/csr_index.htm Comments must be sent to the European Commission before 31 December 2001: "Corporate Social Responsibility Green Paper Consultation", 200 rue de la Loi, B-1049 Brussels. E-mail: CSR@CEC.EU.INT