Political figure Manon Aubry, MEP, accuses President Emmanuel Macron of favoring business tycoons over those exploited by them.
France's Emmanuel Macron Proposes to Abolish Duty of Vigilance for Multinationals
In an unexpected move, French President Emmanuel Macron has called for the elimination of the duty of vigilance for multinational corporations, one of the few environmental and social advancements achieved under the previous European mandate. This proposal, criticized by NGOs and businesses alike, could have devastating societal implications.
Facing mounting climate disasters and human tragedies traced back to multinational corporations, European leaders are instead becoming increasingly preoccupied with deregulation. Their argument revolves around competitiveness, as they prepare to discard safeguards that protect the planet and workers from exploitation by major companies. Is this a return to the Reagan and Thatcher era?
A simplistic assessment drives this trend, according to which European regulations are overly complex and inhibit productivity. This stance echoes industry lobbies and presents a narrow-minded and dangerous vision, as seen in the European Commission's latest "simplification" project and the frequent calls by heads of state for the postponement, weakening, or abolition of laws governing multinational corporations. Macron's endorsement of this stance further solidifies his reputation for championing corporate interests over those he exploits.
Espousing the same ideology, Macron argues that Europe would suffer penalties due to its high ethical standards. However, this outdated perspective overlooks the potential consequences of abolishing the Duty of Vigilance Law.
The directive aims to hold companies liable for human rights violations and environmental damage throughout their production chain. By abolishing this law, French companies like Shein, Lactalis, and Nike might evade accountability for exploitative labor practices, environmental pollution, and reliance on forced labor.
Several European leaders, however, are advocating for stronger regulations, such as the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). They are driven by a commitment to sustainability and climate goals, civil society pressure, and the ineffectiveness of past voluntary measures in preventing corporate complicity in human rights abuses.
After Macron's proposal to scrap the Duty of Vigilance for multinationals, concerns arise about the potential weakening of social and environmental safeguards in business-related policy-and-legislation. This trend toward deregulation, evident in the latest European Commission simplification project and calls for postponing, weakening, or abolishing laws, might expose multinational corporations like Shein, Lactalis, and Nike to less accountability for human rights violations, environmental damage, and exploitative labor practices. Paradoxically, proponents of tighter regulations, like the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), argue that stronger business regulations are crucial for meeting sustainability and climate goals, preventing corporate complicity in human rights abuses, and addressing general-news issues such as climate disasters and societal tragedies.
