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Please note:
About CSR issues related to the following European countries and regions see special pages:
CSR in United Kingdom
CSR in German speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
CSR in CEE/SEE countries (Central Eastern & South Eastern European countries, with focus on Croatia)
CSR in Slovenia
· Europa >> European Commission >>
o Enterprise and Industry > Our policies in depth >
§ Corporate Social Responsibility > e.g.
· Key Policy Documents >
o Communication on CSR titled »Implementing the Partnership for Growth and Jobs: Making Europe a pole of excellence on CSR« (Published: 22 March 2006; Related Press Release; At PreLex)
§ In this communication, the Commission announces backing for a European Alliance for CSR. This is an open alliance of European enterprises to further promote and encourage CSR. The alliance is a political umbrella for CSR initiatives by large companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, and their stakeholders. It is not a legal instrument to be signed by enterprises, but rather a vehicle for mobilising the resources and capacities of European enterprises and their stakeholders in the interests of sustainable development, economic growth and job creation.
§ The communication underlines the potential of CSR to contribute to sustainable development and to the European Growth and Jobs Strategy. The Commission suggests that CSR practices, while not a substitute for public policy, can nevertheless contribute to a number of public policy objectives, such as: skills development, more rational use of natural resources, better innovation performance, poverty reduction, and greater respect for human rights.
§ See also:
· critical Briefing Paper (22 March 2006) on this Communication by Richard Howitt (MEP, European Parliament Rapporteur on the CSR Green Paper and MEP representative on the European Commission Multi-Stakeholder Forum)
· related articles at EurActiv:
o Open dispute between Commission and NGOs on CSR (23 March 2006)
o CSR initiative provokes NGO protests (21 March 2006)
o Friends of the Earth Europe: Commissioner Verheugen hijacks EU process on CSR (13 March 2006)
o Communication of July 2002
o Green Paper of July 2001
o Forum review meeting 2006 = European Multistakeholder Forum on CSR: Review Meeting (7 December 2006) >
§ Review of recommendations by stakeholders:
· Compendium of actions by stakeholders (.pdf has 154 pp.)
· Detailed descriptions of actions taken by different organisations (= Initiative descriptions submitted by):
o Business Social Compliance Initiative (.pdf has 12 pp.)
o Cooperatives Europe (.pdf has 8 pp.)
o CSR Europe (.pdf has 148 pp.)
o EABIS (.pdf has 75 pp.)
o Eurocadres/CEC (.pdf has 3 pp.)
o EUROCHAMBRES (.pdf has 46 pp.)
o EuroCommerce (.pdf has 6 pp.)
o European Savings Banks Group (.pdf has 12 pp.)
o EUROSIF (.pdf has 11 pp.)
o Industrial Minerals Association – Europe (.pdf has 5 pp.)
o UEAPME (.pdf has 16 pp.)
o UNICE (.pdf has 31 pp.)
· Review of recommendations by European Commission (.pdf has 65 pp.)
o = Compendium of actions by European Commission
· Update on CSR policies of EU Member States
§ see also
· related press release (8 December 2006)
§ Next review meeting of the Forum will be held in the autumn of 2008.
o Final report and roundtable reports, July 2004
o Forum meetings 2002- 2004
· European Alliance for CSR
· Latest News >
o More Corporate Social Responsibility News
· Related Commission websites
§ Small and medium-sized Enterprises = Promoting entrepreneurship and SMEs, Crafts, Social Economy > e.g.
· SME portal > e.g.
o Making SMEs more competitive
· Corporate Social Responsibility
o (same content as at: Enterprise and Industry > All policies in depth > Corporate Social Responsibility)
· European Enterprise Awards > e.g.
o Award categories > also
§ Responsible Entrepreneurship Award
o Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities > e.g. Corporate Social Responsibility >
§ Policies > e.g.
· New Communication on Corporate Social Responsibility: Implementing the Partnership for Growth and Jobs: Making Europe a pole of excellence on CSR (22 March 2006)
· Communication on Corporate Social Responsibility: A business contribution to Sustainable Development (2 July 2002)
· Council Resolution on CSR (3 December 2002)
· European Parliament Report on CSR (13 May 2003)
· Green Paper: Promoting a European framework for Corporate Social Responsibility (18 July 2001)
o Over 250 responses were received to this paper.
· Political milestones at the EU level (1998-2003)
· Commission documents of public interest
· Speeches
· PowerPoint Slides
§ CSR at national level > e.g.
· Compendium on national public policies on CSR in the European Union
o Information can be extracted by clicking on the
§ country name (columns)
· Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, UK
§ title of a policy area (rows)
· Promoting CSR (Awareness raising, Research, Public-private partnerships, Business incentives, Management tools)
· Ensuring transparency (Codes, Reporting, Labels, SRI, Advertising, Other)
· Developing CSR-supportive policies (Sustainable development, Social policies, Environmental policies, Public procurement, Trade and export policies, Other)
§ or intersecting ticks (cells).
· See also:
o RIMAS Research Institute for Managing Sustainability (Vienna, Austria; also here) > Projects > EU projects >
§ CSR policies in Europe = Analysis of national public policies on CSR, in support of a structured exchange of information on national CSR policies and initiatives > e.g.
· Study 3: Socially Responsible Investment (SRI)
o Starts in September 2007
· Study 2: Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP)
o final report in autumn/winter 2007
· Study 1: CSR Awareness Raising > e.g.
o Final report on “Raising Awareness for CSR in EU Member States” (.pdf, May 2007; 53 pp.)
§ We have conducted 24 telephone interviews with public administrators from 20 EU Member States between August and October 2006 (Austria, Belgium, (Cyprus), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK)
§ The telephone survey revealed 85 CSR awareness raising initiatives originating in the public sector.
§ More information > e.g.
· Other Commission webpages on CSR >
o DG Enterprise
o DG Trade > Trade Issues > EU and Global Trade > e.g.
§ Corporate Social Responsibility
· Reference documents (EU Sectoral Dialogue Agreements related to CSR)
· Key CSR resources (Inventory of Key CSR Publications and Articles)
o Codes of Conduct
o Labels
o SRI Socially Responsible Investment
o Standards
o Opinion Surveys
· ABC of CSR instruments (2004) >
o Socially responsible management >
§ Codes of conduct
§ Management standards
o Socially responsible consumption
o SRI Socially responsible investment
o International Organisations, EU Institutions, Public Initiatives, Business-Driven Organisations, NGO-Driven Organisations, CSR Management Tools & Governance, Codes of Conduct, Social Labels & Certification Schemes, Social Reporting, SRI
§ Conferences (Presentations and Audio Recordings available) > e.g.
· Announcement: CSR at the global level: what role for the EU? (7 December 2007)
· Responsible Reporting – Recent Trends Towards CSR Accountability (3 April 2006, Brussels)
· CSR in Enlarged Europe (20 February 2006)
· UK Presidency CSR Conference (1-2 December 2005, London)
· Responsible Sourcing (18 November 2005, Brussels)
· Responsible Consumption (26 September 2005, Brussels)
· Responsible Competitiveness – CSR driving EU competitiveness in a global economy (19 April 2005, Brussels)
§ Other initiatives > e.g.
· Review meeting of the EU multi-stakeholders forum 7.12.2006
· CSR EMS Forum = EU Multi-Stakeholder Forum on CSR > e.g.
o Final Report (June 2004; .pdf has 131 pp.)
o Round Tables (February 2003 – March 2004)
§ Funding, contracts & employment > e.g.
· CSR-related funding sources (Calls for Tender/Proposals)
· >??>
o DG Employment-funded CSR related projects (??):
§ Improving knowledge about CSR & facilitating exchange of experience & good practice:
· Developing CSR management skills
· Developing the exchange of experience & good practices on CSR between Member States
· Developing the exchange of experience & good practices on CSR between businesses
· Fostering CSR among SMEs
· Increasing knowledge about the impact of CSR on business & society
· Management standards
§ Promoting convergence & transparency of CSR practices & tools:
· Codes of conduct
· Measurement, reporting & assurance
· Responsible consumption (social labelling)
· Responsible investment (SRI)
§ Publications
· ABC of CSR Instruments (2004; .pdf has 64 pp.)
· EU CSR Forum final report (29 June 2004; .pdf has 131 pp.)
· National CSR policies (January 2004; .pdf has 46 pp.)
· EU CSR Forum (August 2003; .pdf has 37 pp.)
· Mapping instruments for CSR (April 2003; .pdf has 29 pp.)
o Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities > Employment > e.g.
§ Local development > e.g.
· Topics > e.g.
o LED and CSR (= Local Development and Corporate Social Responsibility)
o Information Society > e.g.
§ Activities >
· @Work > e.g.
o Validation > e.g.
§ Sustainable CSR = Sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility@Work
o Projects >> e.g.
§ NESKEY »New Partnerships for Sustainable Development and Knowledge Economy«
§ i2010 - A European Information Society for growth and employment
§ >?>
· IST Sustainability Forum (ICT & Sustainability Forum)
o Gathers a group of companies jointly discussing CSR and Sustainability topics and how they affect the ICT sector. Provide a vehicle for multi-stakeholder discussions focusing on various CSR related challenges like digital divide, sustainable development and e-inclusion among others.
o >?>
§ Studies
o Environment >
§ Policies >
o European Sustainable Development Strategy (= European Portal on Sustainable Development) > e.g.
§ Civil partners for Sustainable Development >
· European Parliament >>
o EMPL Committee on Employment and Social Affairs > e.g.
§ Meetings > e.g.
· Meeting documents
§ Activities > e.g.
· Adopted reports > e.g.
o Richard Howitt: 21 December 2006
§ Report on corporate social responsibility: a new partnership
· See also, e.g.:
o related article at EurActiv: Parliament criticises Commission on CSR (13 March 2007)
o Procedure file at Legislative Observatory
o related article at Norwich Union Risk Services: 'Time to test' corporate social responsibility claims (13 March 2007)
o Philip Bushill-Matthews: 28 April 2003
o Richard Howitt: 30 April 2002
· Europa > Documents > European law > Summaries of legislation > e.g.
o Employment and Social Policy
o Enterprise > e.g.
§ Business environment > Improving the business environment >
· Corporate social responsibility (CSR) > e.g.
o Promoting corporate social responsibility
· EurActiv > e.g.
o Policy Sections > e.g.
§ Social Europe > e.g.
· CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility
· LinksDossiers >> also
o Reporting & Auditing (archived ??)
§ Sustainable Development > e.g.
· EESC European Economic and Social Committee »A bridge between Europe and organised civil society« > e.g.
o Sections > e.g.
§ INT (Section for the Single Market, Production and Consumption)
§ SOC Section (Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship) > e.g.
· Areas of Activity > e.g.
§ CCMI (Consultative Commission on Industrial Change)
o Documents > e.g.
§ Opinions > e.g.
· Section: SOC - Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship > e.g.
o SOC/244: Social Responsibility of Business COM(2006) 136 final (14 December 2006; Rapporteur: Pichenot)
o SOC/192: Opinion of the EESC on Information and measurement instruments for corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a globalised economy (8 June 2005; Rapporteur: Pichenot)
o SOC/083: Opinion on the Green Paper: Promoting a European framework for Corporate Social Responsibility (March 2002)
· ETUC European Trade Union Confederation > e.g.
o Our Activities > Social dialogue and industrial relations >
§ Corporate Social Responsibility
· CSR Europe »The European business network for CSR«
o CSR Europe is the leading European business network for corporate social responsibility with around 70 multinational corporations and