Supply Chain Act

All news and posts of our editorial team on the topic

Supply Chain Act: expert opinion on design
Yesterday, the Scientific Advisory Board of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action presented a report in Berlin in which it makes recommendations for the design of the European Supply Chain Act. In particular, it advocates the creation of a list of safe countries of origin. In addition, the Advisory Council does […] continue reading →
Supply Chain Act: the Xinjiang problem
The EU Due Diligence Directive is still being negotiated, while the German Supply Chain Act will take effect from next year. It will be particularly tricky for affected companies that rely on solar modules, electrical components or cotton from the Chinese province of Xinjiang. continue reading →
Supply chains: a directive with loopholes
Yesterday, the European Commission presented the long-awaited supply chain law. The directive goes further than German law. It relates to the entire value chain. Thanks to a liability clause, victims have easier access to EU courts. Nevertheless, the text contains some weaknesses. For example, EU states can determine their own sanctions, which could lead to fragmentation of the internal market. An overview. continue reading →
New EU rules as an opportunity for cleaned-up supply chains
An estimated 25m people are working in conditions that fall under the definition of forced labor: working against their will and under threat, intimidation, or coercion. According to ILO, 16m work in the private sector, often at the bottom of long supply chains. continue reading →
Bernd Lange: ‘Ursula von der Leyen bit off more than she could chew’
The EU Commission will present its long-awaited supply chain law on Wednesday – without an import ban on items produced with forced labor. The Chair of the Trade Committee in the European Parliament, Bernd Lange (SPD), is not happy about this. He now expects a separate EU law to ban such imports, which then simply has to be accepted by the Chinese. Lange speaks with Amelie Richter about the impact the supply chain law will have on trade with China. continue reading →
Regulatory Scrutiny Board: the big black box
The Regulatory Scrutiny Board examines the impact assessments of draft legislation from the EU Commission. Members of the European Parliament criticize the RSB for not acting in a transparent manner – they suspect hidden political influence in the case of the Supply Chain Act. Von der Leyen now wants to strengthen the committee. continue reading →
Delara Burkhardt: ‘This law is a big game changer’
More rainforest was cleared in the Amazon last month than ever before. With a new law on deforestation-free supply chains, the EU wants to stop deforestation. Delara Burkhardt (SPD) was rapporteur for the Parliament's own-initiative report on halting EU-induced deforestation and is now shadow rapporteur for the Socialists. In an interview with Timo Landenberger, she emphasizes the importance of the regulation for climate protection. She accuses the EPP of "delaying tactics". continue reading →
What to expect from the EU supply chain law
After several delays, the Commission plans to present the directive on sustainable corporate governance in two weeks. Although Didier Reynders was unable to get his way on many points, the regulation will go well beyond German law. Here's an overview. continue reading →
No US model for EU forced labor product import ban
The European Commission continues to look for ways to ban imports of products made from forced labor. Sabine Weyand, Director-General for Trade from the EU Commission, rejects the approach by US authorities. The US model, which combines product-specific bans with origin bans, is “not effective,” Weyand told the European Parliament’s trade committee Tuesday. In China’s […] continue reading →