Brussels, 27/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - On 2 July, the European Commission should adopt a communication and action plan on the "social responsibility of companies", presented by Commissioners Erkki Liikanen and Anna Diamantopoulou. "The aim will be to ensure greater clarity and consensus around what we call business ethics in the social, economic and environmental fields", Andrew Fielding, spokesman for Ms. Diamantopoulou announced on Thursday.
The Commission should, notably, decide to create a Forum to provide a context to the debate, along the lines of the Green Paper entitled "promoting a European framework for the responsibility of companies in Europe" of last July (see EUROPE of 16/17 July, p.17). Managed by the Commission, the Forum should have precise objectives and deadlines, said Andrew Fielding.
The Commission should propose developing the concept of social labelling, as is done with the "Max Havelaar" label for fair trade in coffee, for example, as well as the drawing up of a code of conduct and the dissemination of best practice.
It does not, however, intend presenting new standards, as they already exist internationally, in the framework of the International Labour Organisation (trade union rights, child labour, etc.), the OECD (guidelines) and the United Nations. Nor does it have the means to proceed with assessments on implementation of these standards, said Andrew Fielding, while acknowledging that evaluation is a fundamental element of a "social responsibility" strategy. "Some 2,000 companies in the world have made voluntary undertakings on their economic, social and environmental performances, the problem being that information is generally inconsistent and unverifiable", he noted.
Responding to the concerns expressed in the framework of the debate on the Green Paper (see, notably, EUROPE of 3-4 June, p.16, for Parliament, and 27/28 May, p.18, for the Economic and Social Committee), Commissioners Liikanen and Diamantopoulou have no intention of legislating in an area that essentially requires a voluntary approach by companies, Andrew Fielding insisted. He recalled that "social responsibility" concerns all commitments made and practices implemented by companies beyond what is imposed on them by law, for example when a company alters its premises to employ the disabled beyond what will be imposed on them from 2006 by European legislation.