Moment of Truth: How a new EU law could protect people and the planet

“This year the European Union published its draft of a potentially ground-breaking law that could oblige companies operating in the EU to take responsibility for human rights and environmental harms in their global value chains.

This framework for due diligence – officially called the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive – has the potential to impact the lives of local communities, many whom have confronted corporate abuse such as violent land grabs and environmental destruction.

On May 30th, join [Global Witness] for an online event exploring how this legislation could potentially impact Brazil, a country that has long been involved in producing goods such as leather and beef for the EU market – many of which are linked to environmental and human rights crimes. To this day, our legal systems have failed to stop this or hold those responsible to account.

[Global Witness] will be speaking to European Union representatives and activists from Brazil campaigning for justice, to discuss how MEPs and governments can negotiate a final law that will help protect communities and hold companies to account for the harms caused through their supply chains.”

Speakers:

– Lucrezia Busa, Cabinet Member of Commissioner Reynders, EU Commission

– Lara Wolters MEP, Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s JURI Committee

– José Batista Afonso, activist and lawyer for the Pastoral Land Commission (CPT), Brazil

– Polliane Barbosa Santos Reis, representative of the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST), Brazil

– Barbara Bijelic, Regulatory and Financial Sector Lead, Responsible Business Conduct Centre

The talk will be moderated by Rachel Owens, Head of EU Office & Advocacy for Global Witness