Companies could be in danger of failing to comply with a raft of social responsibility-minded legislation at the European Union and national level because they might mistakenly think duties on corporates overlap when they do not.

Germany’s Supply Chain Act and France’s Vigilance Law have put fresh obligations on companies to monitor their supply chains for human rights abuses and environmental damages and risks. Meanwhile, the European Union has made environmental, social, and governance (ESG) monitoring and disclosure central to some of its impending legislation.

Neil Hodge is a freelance business journalist and photographer based in Nottingham, United Kingdom. He writes on insurance and risk management, corporate governance, internal audit, compliance, and legal...