The EU supply chain law has once again failed to achieve the required qualified majority among EU states. The Belgian Presidency announced this today on X (Twitter). The brief statement said that we are now examining how reservations from several Member States can be addressed together with the EU Parliament.
The EU member states (Council), together with the European Parliament, have already agreed on a common compromise text. However, both institutions have yet to give their final approval. This was not possible at a meeting of EU ambassadors in mid-February, which is why the vote in the Council was postponed.
Berlin turned sideways
Due to differences of opinion in the coalition government in Berlin, Germany announced that it would abstain. ÖVP Economy Minister Martin Kocher also announced that Vienna would abstain from the vote. Furthermore, other countries, including Italy, are also likely to have changed course.
For the text to be adopted in the Council (in which EU states are represented), a qualified majority (55 percent, i.e. 15 of the 27 member states representing at least 65 percent of the population) in the EU Committee of Ambassadors EU would be necessary.
Zadic: “Bitter result”
Justice Minister Alma Zadic (Greens) described the result as “bittersweet” in a press release. Unlike Kocher, she had asked for Austria's approval in the past. “This meant a historic opportunity was lost to protect millions of children from exploitation and to protect our environment from further destruction,” said Zadic. But she emphasized that she did not want to give up despite the setback.
The EU Supply Chain Law aims to hold large companies – with more than 500 employees or in risky sectors with more than 250 – accountable if they profit from child or forced labor outside the EU. Large companies must also create a plan to ensure their business model and strategy are compatible with meeting the Paris climate goals to limit global warming.