European CSR Alliance launched to NGO catcalls

Date: 24 Mar 2006

The European Commission has announced the launch of a new European Alliance for Corporate Social Responsibility which will act as an umbrella organisation for new or existing CSR initiatives by large or small companies. The move has been criticised by NGOs who have argued for more regulation.

The move follows the work of the European Multi-stakeholder Forum on CSR which presented its final report in 2004. The Commission has said that it will reconvene the forum later this year to review progress.

Commission Vice-President Gunter Verheugen said: "Since CSR is about voluntary business behaviour, we can only encourage it if we work with business. Europe needs a public climate in which entrepreneurs are appreciated not just for making good profits but also for making a fair contribution to addressing societal challenges."

However, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Amnesty International joined other NGOs in attacking the statement on the grounds that it did not make reference to more regulation. The campaigns said that demands made by NGOs and trade unions during the multi-stakeholder forum had been discounted leaving a business-only approach.

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