Laura Otýpková
Lawyer and Head of the Responsible Energy Team
In December Frank Bold team co-organised a meeting of NGOs and representatives of the Member States of the European Union. The all-day meeting in Brussels was prepared in cooperation with our colleagues from European Environmental Bureau and Client Earth.
Our lawyer Laura Otýpková discussed the possible ways of improvement of the culture of regulating industrial activities with experts from Sweden, Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. This topic is very relevant because of the ongoing industrial emissions directive review process which is being carried out by the European Commission.
We shared our insight into the topics of setting of conditions in integrated permits, derogations from emission limits or public participation and access to information with the experts. We discussed also the good practice, which was presented by the representatives of European member states.
After several months of delay, today, the European Commission presented its proposal for a Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive in Brussels. The main objective of this new legislation is to integrate into European law international standards such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights - adopted globally over a decade ago - and standards developed and approved by the OECD.
What is the content of sustainability due diligence standards, how can companies effectively implement due diligence, and what challenges and benefits does it bring to businesses? These and other questions were answered by speakers at the webinar organised by Frank Bold.
On 23 February 2022, the European Commission released its proposal for a directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence. This directive could represent a landmark step forward in minimising the negative impacts of businesses on workers, communities and the environment worldwide. In response, over 220 NGOs and trade unions from around the world welcome the proposal as an essential and long-awaited step toward corporate accountability, responsible business conduct and access to justice.
