As reported, the EU supply chain law remains suspended after several states – including Austria – expressed reservations about the compromise negotiated with the EU Parliament. Minister of Economic Affairs Martin Kocher (ÖVP) is also skeptical about the new proposal from the Belgian presidency.
According to media reports, it stipulates that only companies with more than 1,000 employees (previously: 500) and a turnover of more than 300 million euros (previously: 150 million) should be covered by the directive.
Kocher: “There must be sensible regulations”
“I believe there is also a need for positive and negative lists, the ‘safe harbor clauses’, that reduce the bureaucratic burden on companies,” Kocher explained on Thursday. The idea behind this is that, for example, certain countries or suppliers are officially certified as safe and companies are thus exempted from the associated duties of care.
“We all want there to be no slave labor, we all want to see no child labor, we all want no destruction of the environment in countries outside the European Union,” the minister emphasized. “But there must also be sensible regulations.”
No consistent line in Vienna and Berlin
Kocher shares responsibility for EU supply chain law with Justice Minister Alma Zadić (Greens). In the past she had campaigned for approval from Vienna. Due to Kocher’s rejection, there is no government position and that is why Austria has so far abstained from voting in Brussels (which legally amounts to a no).
A similar situation exists in Germany, where the liberal FDP is blocking Berlin’s approval. German State Secretary Sven Giegold (Greens) welcomed the new proposal, but emphasized that it does not speak for the entire government. German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) had already announced on Wednesday that he would also reject the latest compromise proposal.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
