Sustainable and clean under antitrust law? Companies are required by the supply chain law – right

In February 2022, the European Commission presented a first draft for a directive on corporate sustainability due diligence, or “Supply Chain Directive” for short. This defines certain minimum requirements and codes of conduct for companies, which are to be implemented by the member states in national law. The aim is to strengthen sustainability along the value chains of large companies. In this sense, the draft directive covers European companies that meet certain size criteria or are active in particularly risky areas such as the textile industry, agriculture and mining of mineral raw materials. Companies from third countries are also included if their turnover within the EU exceeds certain thresholds.