European Coalition for Corporate Justice

The European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ) promotes corporate accountability (CA) by bringing together national platforms of civil society organizations (CSOs) including NGOs, trade unions, consumer advocacy groups and academic institutions from all over Europe. ECCJ represents over 250 CSOs present in 15 European countries such as FIDH and national chapters of Oxfam, Greenpeace, Amnesty International and Friends of the Earth.

ECCJ believes CA and also Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mechanisms should be based on international legal frameworks and principles, serving as the foundation for and of corporate justice.

Overall, ECCJ aims to increase European co-operation among NGOs working on CA. The coalition seeks to raise public awareness about the role of the European Union (EU) in regulating companies both in and outside the EU.

The coalition has three concrete objectives:

• To increase European co-operation among NGOs working on CA and to influence policies within the EU and its member states.

• To raise public awareness about corporate justice and policies of the EU and to promote a consistent viewpoint from civil society.

• To build capacity and knowledge among NGOs in Europe with regard to corporate justice and accountability policies.

Given the global reach of European companies, it is crucial to ensure that they are held legally accountable for the impacts their operations have on people and the environment. This can be achieved though not exclusively through the endorsement and implementation of European and international standards. Legal standards provide the potential to better ensure global social justice, poverty alleviation and environmental conservation. ECCJ is convinced that turning the EU into a leading actor on CA would, in turn, greatly influence discussions on CA and CSR at the global level.

ECCJ is convinced that a regulatory approach towards CA is needed. The EU should establish legal measures to hold EU-based companies accountable for the costs and impacts their operations have on people’s human rights and the environment worldwide.