Activities of Catherine GRÈZE related to 2012/2098(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Corporate social responsibility: accountable, transparent and responsible business behaviour and sustainable growth - Corporate social responsibility: promoting society's interests and a route to sustainable and inclusive recovery (debate)
Amendments (12)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Agrees with the Commission that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) must cover human rights, labour and employment practices, environmental issues (such as biodiversity, climate change, resource efficiency) and combating bribery and corruption, i.e. through good tax governance (namely transparency, exchange of information and fair tax competition);
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points out that CSR is essential to achieving the objective of policy coherence for development (PCD); welcomes the Commission’s commitment to promote CSR in full consistency with current international guidelines, inter alia the recently updated OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact, the ISO 26000 Guidance Standard on Social Responsibility, the ILO Tri-partite Declaration of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human rights; regrets, however, that the language of CSR is mostly voluntary;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses that investment by the petroleum industry in Nigeria is a good example of the limitations of CSR as currently implemented, where companies have failed to take CSR initiatives to create sustainable business practices, or contribute to the development of their host states;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Calls on the Commission to take further initiatives that aim to unlock and strengthen the potential of CSR in tackling climate change (by linking it to resource and energy efficiency), e.g. in companies' raw materials purchasing process;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Takes the view that, in order to have a real impact on poverty reduction, the CSR agenda shall also put focus on SMEs as their cumulative social and environmental impacts are significant;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that EU companies should be legally liable in their home countries for violations committed abroad by their subsidiaries and entities they control; points out that the US Alien Tort Claims Act provides the option of suing a corporation or natural person for violating the law of nations or a Treaty of the US irrespective of the nationality of the accused or place in which the crime was committed; calls on the Commission to consider initiatives along this line;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Stresses that better implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights will contribute to EU objectives regarding specific human rights issues and core labour standards; hence, calls on the EU to strive for a clear international legal framework over the responsibilities and obligations of business with regard to human rights;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Welcomes the fact that the number of companies disclosing information on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance has grown significantly in recent years; points out, however, that reporting companies still constitute only a small share of global business; notes that, while the EU Accounts Modernisation Directive 2003/51 ensures a minimum level of disclosure of both financial and non- financial key performance indicators, it does not stipulate any requirements in relation to the type of indicators to be included in annual reports; calls on the Commission to investigate further possible measures to strengthen disclosure of ESG information at the European level, e.g. by complementing the Modernisation Directive through a comply or explain mechanism, instead of permitting companies the option of not reporting;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Reiterates its call for the inclusion of CSR clause in EU trade and investment agreements; in particular recommends the implementation of the CSR principle inter alia by export credit and development finance agencies and other institutions involved in foreign direct investment;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 d (new)
Paragraph 8 d (new)
8d. Stresses that EU assistance to governments of third countries in implementing social and environmental regulation together with effective inspection regimes, is a necessary complement to advancing the CSR of European business worldwide;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 e (new)
Paragraph 8 e (new)
8e. Stresses that Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) is part of the implementation process of CRS in investment decisions; notes that there is currently no universal definition of SRI but it usually combines investors' financial objectives with their concerns about social, environmental, ethical (SEE) and corporate governance issues;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 f (new)
Paragraph 8 f (new)
8f. Urges the EU and its Member States to take further policy initiatives that aim to raise awareness and strengthen the development of SRI, inter alia by considering legal formulation of an SRI minimum standards setting, especially within the scope of its investment and trade agreements with developing countries;