The Dutch People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) has sent a clear signal towards Brussels.
The MPs Thom van Campen and Claire Martens-America brought in an application to parliament on June 12, which is faced with two central European sustainability guidelines: the corporate sustainability reporting directive (CSRD) and the corporate sustainability directive (CSDDD). The MPs are calling for the Dutch government to work to withdraw these requirements at EU level. First, the Finance Medium Het Financieele Dagblad (FD) reported about it.
The CSRD obliges large companies to report comprehensively on the sustainability of their business. The CSDDD – often also referred to as the supply chain law – takes companies responsible for grievances in their global supply chains. Both guidelines should promote stronger entrepreneurial social responsibility. According to the applicants: Inside, however, the specifications affect the competitiveness of European companies compared to international competition – especially companies from China and the United States – and put them under unnecessary pressure.
FD points out that the application is a clear turnaround in the position of the VVD, which previously presented itself as supporters of European sustainability goals. Critics: Inside, including civil society organizations, warn of the possible consequences: A softening of the guidelines could encourage companies to ignore problems such as child labor, environmental destruction or poor working conditions in their supply chains.
With the application, the Netherlands follow a growing number of EU member states that oppose sustainability legislation. In the past month, France President Emmanuel Macron had already joined the claim of CDU chairman Friedrich Merz that the EU should move away from the directive on entrepreneurial sustainability.
Whether the application of the VVD in the Dutch Parliament will find enough support to influence the government’s official attitude towards Brussels, will be shown in the vote on Tuesday, June 17th. One thing is already clear: the debate about the relationship between entrepreneurial responsibility and economic competitiveness is again at the center of European politics.
This article was used with digital tools translated.
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