CSDDD: Back to the drawing board after EU Council rejects draft

The Belgian Presidency of the European Council failed to garner enough support to pass the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) this Wednesday. EU legislators now have a small window of time to agree on a new draft if they are to get the law over the line before June’s parliamentary elections.

“What happened today is very concerning,” said EU Parliament Rapporteur Lara Wolters. “The failure of member states to approve this agreement is an outrage to me. This law should be a global landmark to hold companies to account and incentivise responsible business conduct, and companies are already preparing to implement it. Now every effort has been made to reach a majority and there is significant public pressure from business and civil society to do so. Instead member states are listening to a minority of extreme business voices who have so far rejected every proposal and continue to do so.”