EU Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility

The European Commission recognizes that the EU success in promoting CSR ultimately depends on widespread ‘ownership’ of the principles of CSR by businesses, social partners, civil society, and public authorities, which should be based on comprehensive partnership with representatives of society at large and that the involvement of all affected stakeholders is key to ensure acceptance and credibility of CSR and better compliance with its principles. On this basis, the Commission proposed in its Communication on “Corporate Social Responsibility". A business contribution to sustainable development”(2) the setting up of a EU Multi-Stakeholder Forum on CSR with the aim to promote transparency and convergence of CSR practices and instruments through:

1. The exchange of experience and good practice between actors at EU level;
2. Bringing together existing initiatives within the EU, and seeking to establish common EU approach and guiding principles; including as a basis for dialogue in international fora and with third countries;
3. Identifying and exploring areas where additional action is needed at European level;

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European Multistakeholder Forum on CSR – Final results & recommendations

The EU CSR Forum, which is part of the Commission strategy promoting CSR, is an innovative initiative gathering at the same table representative organisations of employers, trade unions and civil society as well as other business organisations. At the Lisbon Summit in 2000, when setting the strategic goals for Europe, the European Council made, for the first time, an appeal on CSR, seeking contributions from businesses in meeting those goals. This was complemented by the European Council in 2001 in Gothenburg, when it decided that the EU sustainable development strategy should complete and build on the Lisbon commitment by including an environmental dimension. This recognizes that in the long term, economic growth, social cohesion and environmental protection must go hand in hand.

The deliberations of the Forum and its Round Tables took place in this context, and in a context of EU enlargement. There was also an important international echo: in 2002, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, which resulted in the Plan for Implementation and its particular reference to the concept of CSR.

The Forum came at a time when there were also many other multi-sector dialogues and debates taking place at other levels, developing an understanding of how society can move forward, through new partnerships and ways of working together. The contribution, which businesses and stakeholders can make through CSR, to these aspirations, and what the factors are, which determine this contribution, are the subject of the Forum's report.

The starting point for the Forum's discussion was the definition of CSR provided by the European Commission.

"CSR is a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interactions with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis"

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CSR in Enlarged Europe

The face of Europe in 2006 is a vastly different one from that of 1989. The speed of change in the new Member States would have been inconceivable less than two decades ago.
For the new Member States, EU accession has been the culmination of their successful transition towards democracy and free market economy. The advent of the market economy has meant a spontaneous growth of entrepreneurship but has however not led to instant prosperity. Creating a market economy out of a command economy has been and is still a huge endeavour.

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EU funded projects that support CSR amongst SMEs

This section describes 16 CSR projects which were funded by European Commission in order to promote and mainstream CSR among SMEs.

1. CSR – Code to Smart Reality for SMEs
   CSR resource centre, training for small business advisers, good practice exchange and handbook, code of conduct, award
    
2. CSR and competitiveness – European SMEs good practice
   Better baseline data (survey), dissemination of information and good practices (workshops, brochure, website)
3. Corporate Social Responsibility for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (CSR-SME)
   Research (analyses and comparisons), awareness raising and training events (seminars, questionnaires)
    
4. CSR in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania: measurement, dissemination, awareness
   Research, prize, best practice collection, three linked web portals, SME tool (manual), PR campaign
    
5. CEASAR: CSR relays in Chambers of Commerce 
   Training for business advisors (training forum, company visits, practical guidelines manual, web portal)
    
6. CO-OPERATE – COmpanies OPErating in a Responsible Area and with Transparent Ethics
   Identification and dissemination of best practices and tools (training initiatives, sets of indicators, etc.), cluster sustainability report
    
7. Mainstreaming CSR among SMEs
   Training for business advisors, publication of case studies, tools on the internet
    
8. Small suppliers in global supply chains – Partnerships for sustainable competitiveness
   Action research on supply chain, promotion of buyer-supplier partnerships
    
9. Supporting enterprises in their CSR orientation through business development and qualification
   Survey, advice to SMEs, technical training, good practice exchange, curriculum
    
10. Utilising business support organisations to mainstream CSR in SMEs in two European regions
    Awareness raising seminars and training events for business support staff, cluster/sector work, measuring regional CSR performance, scoping study on Cyprus
     
11. Evaluation tools and strategies to implement CSR within micro-enterprises and business start-ups
    SME evaluation tool, awareness raising module, CSR strategies to support SMEs
     
12. Responsible and sustainable innovation for European SMEs: RESPONSE
    CSR Innovation model (best practices, tools), training workbook, teaching materials, website, academic papers and literature report
     
13. Responsible business management in German SMEs – Raising awareness, technical training and practical support of SMEs in respect of CSR
    Awareness raising, virtual competence centre, collection of available tools, SME guide, self-assessment tool
     
14. Integration of social responsibility principles and practices in SMEs
    Research, training material for intermediaries/SMEs, training workshops, conference, fair, regional events, info portal, including self-diagnostic tools, SME guide
     
15. Corporate Social Responsibility – Communicating to SMEs
    Best practice research, workshops for SMEs, company visits, conference, website/resource pack, curriculum
     
16. Responsible Entrepreneurship in SMEs
    Dissemination of handbook/toolkit in 10 languages, interactive business game, virtual resource centre, VET curriculum, seminars (train-the-trainer)
     

Conference: CSR at the Global Level: What role for the EU?
Brussel December 7th, 2007

The international dimension of Corporate Social Responsibility is a main pillar of the CSR strategy of the European Commission, with the ambition to make Europe a pole of excellence in CSR. The European Social and Economic Committee and the European Parliament recently emphasized the need for European value-added in CSR, the necessity to shift from process to outcomes in Europe and outside and to assess the impacts of CSR.

In this context, this conference, "CSR at the global level: what role for the European Union?” aimed to: 

1. Contribute at the European level to the current debate on CSR principles and instruments at the global level. Several international processes are ongoing, such as the work of the UN Special Representative on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and many sectoral initiatives.
2. Outline the achievements and challenges in promoting sustainable production/consumption and decent work. Consumers and environmental pressures are increasing. Is this evolution a threat or an opportunity for the objective of a decent work for all?
3. Consider perspectives which would ensure the value added of European action in CSR at the global level. The main question is: what are the levers which would make Europe a pole of excellence for CSR at international level?

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