Publication
Cover of publication on EU regulatory initiatives related to business and human rghts. Background is dark blue with a blue jigsaw puzzle piece

How do the pieces fit in the puzzle? Making sense of EU regulatory initiatives related to business and human rights

This publication aims to give an overview of the various EU regulatory initiatives of relevance to business and human rights in force or under development by the EU, how they align with international frameworks, such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and how the various pieces fit in the puzzle.
This publication was updated on 30 August 2023 to include:
  • Updates on existing EU regulatory initiatives, including the European Sustainability Reporting Standards, the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation and the AI Act;

  • The Critical Raw Materials Act

(Please note that the full document was only updated in English; the overview table was updated in Spanish)

This publication:

  • Provides a short summary of each of the EU regulatory initiatives;
  • Considers if and how each initiative aligns with international frameworks on business and human rights and contributes to fostering respect for human rights by business both within and outside the EU; and
  • Considers how the initiatives fit together or where this is not the case, highlighting the need for policy coherence.

The initiatives considered in this publication take a range of approaches, from placing hard bans on the importation of goods which are assessed to have been produced in a way that causes particular kinds of harm to people and planet, to softer measures designed to generate market based approaches, whether by improving company disclosures, or incentivising investment in sustainable economic activities. If crafted well, the range of initiatives in force and under development could make up an EU level “smart mix” of measures aimed at fostering business respect for human rights as envisaged in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

The publication will be revised periodically to capture updates as the various measures develop.

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