Political agreement within reach – core international labor standards and the Paris climate goal must be anchored
Vienna (OTS) – Since June, the EU Parliament, the Council and the Commission have been negotiating the EU Supply Chain Law in a so-called trialogue. Today's negotiations in Strasbourg are expected to bring progress. A political agreement is within reach, but whether it will actually be successful is still an open question.
Sarah Bruckner, AK EU expert: “AK demands a quick outcome in negotiations. We need EU supply chain law to be better yesterday than tomorrow. Taking into account the upcoming elections for the EU Parliament, there can now be no further delays.”
After the Commission presented its proposal at the beginning of the previous year in 2022, the Council defined its negotiating position in December 2022, followed by the EU Parliament in June 2023. ÖGB and AK support the EU Parliament's position, which has ambitious rules for the benefit of employees, environmental and climate protection throughout companies' global value chains.
Employee representatives must be involved
Aiming for a possible political agreement, according to negotiators, there is a risk that important points will be lost in the last meters. “If the EU Supply Chain Law is intended to improve working conditions, then the ILO core labor standards on health and safety at work must be included – these are fundamental international standards for the protection of workers,” explains Miriam Fuhrmann, ÖGB expert: “Unions and other interested parties should also be included in the company's due diligence process. These essential requirements for EU supply chain legislation must not be lost in the final stages of negotiations.”
The Paris Climate Agreement should also be included, Bruckner and Fuhrmann said. Companies must be obliged to exercise due diligence with regard to climate protection, as well as with regard to labor law and human rights violations.
The ÖGB and the Chamber of Labor together with NGOs support the European campaign “Justice is everyone's business” (Justice is everyone's business https://justice-business.org/de/startseite/) for an effective supply chain in EU law.
Questions and contact:
Vienna Chamber of Labor
Katharina Nagele
(+43-1) 501 65 12678
[email protected]
http://wien.arbeiterkammer.at