Background:
The Multi-Stakeholder Forum on CSR is coming to the end of
its summer 2004 mandate. Its co-ordination committee, which
includes representatives of trade unions, employers' organisations,
business networks and civil society, is in the process of drafting
the final conclusions, which will be agreed by 29th June.
The stakeholder forum was set up following
the
Commission's Communicationof
2 July. The forum was given the mandate to explore whether there is
a need to establish common guiding principles for CSR practices and
instruments in addition to the initiatives which already exist in
the EU and internationally.
The conclusions of the forum will be drawn on
the basis of three rounds of stakeholder meetings which focussed on
four aspects of dealing with CSR: improving knowledge about CSR;
transparency of CSR practices; CSR and development, and spreading
CSR among SMEs.
The Commission is expected to issue a follow-up
communication later this year after taking into consideration the
recommendations of the forum.