Commenting on the vote in the European Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee on the EU Value Chain Directive (CSDD), BDA Managing Director Steffen Kampeter said:

European Parliament overburdens German companies

Berlin, April 25, 2023: "Sustainability and fairness also determine the supply chains of our companies. However, the proposal for an EU Value Chain Directive threatens overregulation that is out of touch with reality. The compromise proposal of the EU Legal Affairs Committee is bureaucratic madness. Instead of focusing on far-reaching standardization and simplification, the Parliament is making the Commission's already complex proposal even more complicated.

Our criticism: unclear due diligence requirements, disproportionate bureaucracy and an incalculable liability risk. Companies are expected to exercise control that is generally beyond their actual ability to influence. SMEs in particular - the backbone of the German economy - need lean and practicable regulations more than ever to ensure fairness and sustainability in international competition, including in supply chains."