Our research team follows the progress North American and European regulators are making to require companies to monitor their supply chains for violations of human rights and environmental regulations. The United States led the way with the Dodd–Frank Act in 2010 The EU will have legislation by 2021 Businesses can prepare by embracing digital tools […]
What will post-Covid global sourcing look like?
Unprecedented levels of global trade disruption and uncertainty triggered by COVID-19 make reliable forecasting all but impossible. Nevertheless, observations of trends point to several probable outcomes of this still unfolding global crisis. The near-shoring trend of 2019 can be expected to continue and accelerate. With the current crisis further underscoring the risk of supply chains keeping […]
In kaart gebracht: de Wet Zorgplicht Kinderarbeid
Op 14 mei 2019 heeft de Eerste Kamer het initiatiefvoorstel Wet Zorgplicht Kinderarbeid van PvdA Tweede Kamerlid Attje Kuiken aangenomen. Met deze wet is de eerste Nederlandse wetgeving op het gebied van Business and Human Rights een feit. In dit blog bespreken we wat Business and Human Rights is en nemen we deze nieuwe wet […]
Jailed for a Facebook post: garment workers’ rights at risk during Covid-19
Global fashion brands urged to speak out after arrest of factory employee fuels fears that rights are eroded during pandemic On the evening of 31 March, at the height of the Covid-19 epidemic, Soy Sros, a young Cambodian garment worker, took out her phone and posted a message on Facebook. The Cambodian garment sector was in […]
More than half of EU consumers have environmental impact in mind when shopping, new survey reveals
On November 28th the European Commission released its 2019 edition of the Consumer Conditions Scoreboard. It shows that the overall gap in consumer conditions is narrowing between the different regions of the EU; that consumers are more aware about their environmental footprint; and that consumer rules enable trust in the marketplace. Věra Jourová, EU Commissioner for […]
Risks from bio-based FCM need monitoring – UK research
Additional sources of migration possible from agri-food, processing Food contact materials made from animal or plant biomass can perform as well as plastic FCM, but there may be additional risks to consumers from chemicals and allergens migrating into food, according to a UK study. These include heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), natural toxins and […]
EU Launches Mobile App To Check SVHC Info On Consumer Products
Patrokles QA Manager recommends that importers and retailers start to collect and manage SVHC Information to meet REACH obligations and avoid penalties – now. Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals, or REACH, is a European Union legislation that aims to improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can […]
EU Member State authorities notify a large number of ROHS and POPs violations
Since late 2018, the EU Rapid Alert System for dangerous non-food products (RAPEX) has issued multiple notifications of non-conformities against the Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substance (RoHS) and the Regulation on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) in electrical and electronic equipment. Many types of electrical and electronic product have been found to exceed RoHS […]
Potentially dangerous Microplastics rain down on remote French Mountains
Microplastics can accumulate heavy metals like mercury and persistent organic pollutants. These materials have known health impacts. Scientists reported that worryingly high amounts of microplastic particles are raining down on a remote area in France’s Pyrenees Mountains, according to National Geographic. The study is the first of its kind ever conducted. Only two other studies […]
European Union introduces new energy labels and an obligation to register products in the European product database for energy labelling (EPREL)
On January 1, 2019 the European Union revised its energy labels for household appliances, lamps and luminaries, to make them easier to understand and more clearly reflect current market conditions. Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 setting a framework for energy labelling Passed in July 2017, this regulation repealed the previous energy labeling regulation, Directive 2010/30/EU. From January […]