News article
FESI welcomes Europe’s bid to remedy abuses in supply chains
The Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) has welcomed this week’s vote in the European Parliament on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
Yesterday’s (April 24) vote in Strasbourg was to approve a proposed European law which would require large companies to prevent and remedy human rights and environmental abuses in their global supply chains. The vote fell on the 11th anniversary of an incident that saw the collapse of a building in Bangladesh which killed 1,138 garment workers, and injured more than 2,000 others.
Large companies are considered to be those with more than 1,000 employees on average and brought in more than €450m during its previous financial year. These companies will now have to conduct human rights and environment due diligence within their own operations, as well as their supply chains.
While FESI has commended the progress made in the final adopted text, it has urged for streamlined implementation.
"As we move forward with this new EU legislation, alignment with established international standards is paramount to ensure legal certainty and foster a fair playing field for all stakeholders.”
“As part of our diverse membership, FESI boasts companies with extensive expertise in managing supply chain compliance,” said FESI Secretary General Jérôme Pero in a statement.
“Engaged for several years in global multi-stakeholder platforms like ILO and OECD, these companies actively participate in initiatives aimed at enhancing supply chain conditions. As we move forward with this new EU legislation, alignment with established international standards is paramount to ensure legal certainty and foster a fair playing field for all stakeholders.”
FESI also called for the Directive to move beyond compliance “to become a practical tool for advancing human rights and environmental protection”.
The statement from the organisation added: “Implementation has to be harmonised and effective but should also, at all costs, avoid excessive regulatory burden for companies. FESI therefore stresses the need for alignment with international standards to ensure policy coherence and mitigate diverging expectations. Clear EU guidelines, developed in consultation with all stakeholders involved, are essential.”
The body represents roughly 1,800 sporting goods manufacturers in Europe through its National Sporting Goods Industry Federations, and directly affiliated member companies.
Image: Parker Burchfield on Unsplash