Over 75 organizations, collectives and academics in Europe express their support to the corporate law of vigilance in France

Indago joins the statement signed by more than 75 collectives and academics calling on the French Constitutional Council to stand by the law that will require big French companies to prevent their human rights impacts.

Last 21 February, the French Parliament adopted a corporate law of vigilance, that will require the French largest enterprises to adopt annual plans whereby they must identify and adopt measures to prevent human rights and environmental risks linked to their activities, to those of their controlled companies, and to the activities of those business partners with whom they have an established relationship.

Despite its limitations, the law was welcome by decision-makers and civil society organisations that have long been demanding legislative changes to protect the rights of the people affected by operations of the big transnational corporations throughout the world. The bill was furthermore considered a legislative landmark that could inspire further reforms in the European States and in the European Union itself.

Immediately after its adoption, a number of Members of the French Parliament and Senate challenged the law before the French Constitutional Council (the body charged with supervising the conformity of the law with the French constitution). In reaction, more than 75 civil society organisations, academics and other individuals from 16 countries have signed a joint statement. The document calls on the Constitutional Court to decide in favour of a legal text that was adopted as a result of a legitimate democratic process, and to reject the opposing arguments that, according to the signatories, echo the position of the corporate lobby against any legal step towards regulating corporate activities for human rights protection.

Indago has joined this statement. The text in English can be consulted in the European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ) website.