mr president i would point out to the commissioner that the concept and practice of corporate social responsibility has spread rapidly through the business sector during the last decade
who can object to such basic values as companies treating their employees well and respecting human rights and the environment
yet up till now the link between trade and corporate social responsibility has been tenuous at best and arguments abound
international trade is governed by agreements between states but should csr be a binding commitment to which those undertakings must sign up
or may they comply on a voluntary basis
european citizens are becoming more aware
so many recent disasters not least the bp oil spill have shown that the standards and ethics under which our european companies operate abroad must be monitored
ordinary europeans are no longer willing to welcome and support an expansion in international trade purely on economic grounds
when trade destroys the natural environment and lowers the living standards of local populations we say enough is enough
only governments can set standards which ensure that those who behave in an ethical and transparent way are not undercut by those who do not
the european union must encourage businesses to adopt and to report on csr obligations in all their business activities both at home and abroad
without this csr risks remaining little more than an exercise in public relations for a few multinational companies
i welcome this own-initiative report which calls on the commission to bring csr into the heart of the eu's international trade agreements
we must guarantee that respect for sustainable development and labour rights remains equally important in the pursuit of the european union's commercial interests abroad
