BUILDING THE UN BINDING TREATY ON TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS

This report includes a collection of case studies written by experts and civil society organisations from across Europe, as well as by Global South organisations directly involved with affected communities. The cases show that no matter what European politicians and business leaders say about their “leading by example” on corporate responsibility, European transnational corporations are involved in human rights and environmental violations across the planet and largely succeed in escaping ac-countability.

The emphasis put on the old continent’s “respectability” leads to a disturbing pattern of outsourcing the worse environmental and social impacts of European multinationals and European consumption of resources in the Global South. A pattern that is facilitated if not encouraged by key EU policies such as the pursuit of trade and investment agreements or the focus on carbon permit trading.