An Alliance of Responsible Garment Industry Representatives Calls Upon the European Parliament to Develop More Mandatory Human Rights

A comprehensive group of business and multi-stakeholder initiatives and manufacturer associations present their joint recommendations on the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.

Business and multi-stakeholder initiatives from the garment and textile industry, namely amfori, Ethical Trading Initiative, Fair Wear Foundation, Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Transformers Foundation, and manufacturer associations from the Sustainable Terms of Trade Initiative, are allying to advance effective mandatory human rights due diligence at the EU level. Together, these organisations represent the majority of brands and retailers from EU market countries and represent garment manufacturers that make up around 50 % of extra-EU imports of garments and textiles. Coming from a sector classified as high-risk by the OECD, their knowledge and experience is critical in developing effective due diligence mandates in the garment industry.

In their joint recommendations on the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (EU CSDD) Directive, the organisations emphasise the necessity for a comprehensive due diligence approach that is risk-based. They argue that, when well-designed, mandatory due diligence positively affects all parties across the supply chain: responsible businesses will profit from an EU-wide level playing field, and suppliers, including their workers, will benefit from the responsible purchasing practices of their customers.

The organisations, therefore, offer guidance to EU decision makers on how to further develop the EU CSDD Directive. The directive must capture the responsibility of companies to respect human rights and the environment in their supply chain as formulated in the UNGPs and OECD guidelines. Most importantly, it must offer clarity and legal certainty.