EU due diligence directive back on track, despite concession concerns

The future of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) was thrown into doubt when the European Council failed to endorse proposals last month. The directive is back on track after being agreed upon Friday, albeit a weaker version.

Environmental campaigner ClientEarth warned in a press release the late negotiations led to significant concessions. The directive will now apply to organizations with more than 1,000 employees, rather than 500, and with a turnover of 450 million euros (U.S. $490 million), instead of €150 million (U.S. $163 million), meaning only a third of the businesses that would have been impacted will now be in scope.

Anaïs Berthier, head of ClientEarth’s Brussels office, said the agreement had come “at a high price.”