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George Kell
Executive Director UN Global Compact Share; 
 
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European Global CitizenshipThe European Commission has been taking several initiatives in the realm of CSR that back to as far as mid 90s and which galvanized in 2000, when in the conclusions of the European Lisbon Summit, 15 Heads of State and Governments made an appeal on the business case for responsibility, placing CSR at the heart of the Lisbon Strategy 2010, as a tool to enhance competitiveness and dynamic. In response to this initiative, in 2002, the European Commission the European Commission released its first Communication on CSR, highlighting its definition and vision. After that, Multi-Stakeholder initiatives and engagements were taken on a continuous basis, by different actors, coming from the private sector, Trade Unions and Industry federations. In 2006 Second European Commission Communication on CSR and the European Alliance for CSR the European Commission re-launched its commitment on CSR through a communication to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee. The communication entitled "Implementing the partnership for growth and jobs: making Europe a pole of excellence on corporate social responsibility on CSR" represents the most recent Communication on CSR and it emphasizes the importance of CSR and challenges business to take leadership in this field. It also outlines ways in which the Commission intends to continue to promote CSR as a voluntary concept, with an emphasis on dialogue between stakeholders. In March 2010 the European Commission made a commitment to “renew the EU strategy to promote Corporate Social Responsibility as a key element in ensuring long term employee and consumer trust”. The Commission takes action in promoting sustainable business practices in different domains and throughout the supply chain, while targeting players in a diversified international context. For more information: |
"Dialogue and knowledge-sharing have always been central to the Global Compact’s mission. Tangible progress can only be achieved if challenges are addressed collectively and if good practices are shared widely across industry sectors, and across borders. I applaud the European Local Networks in the Global Compact for this effort to advance regional cooperation in the spirit of our shared objectives."