Realising responsible business conduct
The EU proposal on mandatory due diligence

Why

Denmark has for years been regarded as a frontrunner when it comes to responsible business conduct. In 2009, Denmark was among the first countries to legislate for mandatory non-financial reporting requirements, which paved the way for the EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive. However, it is clear that reporting is not enough to aspire action. A 2019 study of EU company sustainability reporting, including 34 Danish companies, showed that only 22,2 % of companies disclosed information about their human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD) processes. Recognising the need for mandatory measures, the EU Commission has put forward an EU level legislative proposal introducing a mandatory HREDD (mHREDD) law. There is considerable momentum behind the mHREDD agenda as a number of European countries including France, Germany, Finland, Netherlands as well as Norway, have in the past years adopted or started to consider their own HREDD laws.

This conference will explore the legislative proposal from the EU-Commission and the role it can play in the ‘smart mix’ of measures that the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights call on governments to design and implement. The conference will also explore what other measures need to be put in place in Denmark and other EU member states to ensure responsible business conduct and respect for human rights by business. The conference is organised in a collaboration between Global Compact Network Denmark, DIEH, Amnesty International Denmark, DanChurchAid, The Danish Institute for Human Rights and The Danish 92 Group.
The objective of the event is to facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogue on what constitutes a proper ‘smart mix’ of regulatory and voluntary measures in the Danish and EU context.

How

The discussion will kick off by focusing on the legislative proposal from the EU-Commission and the reactions to it from different stakeholders. Experiences from countries of particular relevance for Denmark will also be included. The conference will bring into play reflections, experiences and viewpoints from a diverse range of relevant stakeholders as well as enable a debate among Danish members of parliament on the role of Denmark in advancing human rights and environmental due diligence including through regulatory and voluntary measures.