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In September 2022, the European Commission has proposed a draft regulation to prohibit products made with forced labour in the EU market. Are you wondering what this guideline entails? And what it could mean for your company? In this article we will answers some frequently asked questions.

The Open Supply Hub is an free, accessible, collaborative, supply chain mapping platform, used and populated by stakeholders across multiple sectors and supply chains. Their goal: opening up supply chain data for the benefit of all. Fleur Meerman, Senior Policy Officer IRBC at the SER, has joined the board of the platform.

The Committee for Consumer Affairs (CCA) of the SER is of the opinion that measures promoting product repairs, for example, by making available repair-related information (such as technical information for the benefit of repairers and/or repair instructions for consumers) as well as spare parts, can serve the sustainability ambitions of the European Commission and the Netherlands.

Companies which conduct business responsibly take into account the interests and well-being of all stakeholders. The SER project 'meaningful dialogue', made possible in part by the Goldschmeding Foundation, helps companies to engage in dialogue with stakeholders.

Business, trade unions and NGOs have started negotiations on a new agreement to further human rights, international labour rights, the environment and animal welfare in the garments and textile sector. Parties jointly seek to drive leadership on responsible business conduct due diligence, aligned with the OECD Guidelines and the UNGPs on business and human rights.

The Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands (SER) has advised the Dutch government on how to shape EU legislation on international Responsible Business Conduct (RBC). A European approach should focus on improving the conditions for people and the environment across supply chains. To have maximum impact on international supply chains outside the EU, the legislation should incentivise European cooperation at sector level.

Reshoring – the practice of returning a business activity to the country in which it was originally located – is a strategic consideration that is largely up to companies themselves. When faced with shortages in an emergency, however, government can promote reshoring to help ensure the supply of critical goods (such as face masks). In such cases, it makes sense to cooperate as closely as possible within the European Union. These are the conclusions of the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands (SER) in its advisory letter on reshoring.