Another month, another EU milestone! Yepppp, we’re back with another update on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and the Forced Labor Regulation (FLR). In March, the EU Council officially passed both laws. And earlier this afternoon, the EU Parliament did the very same. A choc-tastic day for human rights. 

Even though both the CSDDD + FLR have been severely watered down, we’re still (very) happy that both laws have been adopted and that big corporations – including Big Choco! – will finally be held accountable for any human rights + environmental violations. Both pieces of legislation are set up to eradicate human right violations in global supply chains, while the CSDDD also requires EU companies to prove they’re doing the work needed to protect the environment. 

Tony’s has been advocating for corporate sustainability legislation since day 1, gathering 66k signatures from   chocolate lovers to offer to EU Commissioner Reinders back in 2021, makin’ noise in Brussels earlier this year and voicing our support as a member of the Cocoa Coalition. Psst.. The Cocoa Coalition is an informal group of companies, certification organizations and multi-stakeholder organizations that works together to support relevant policy measures within the EU.

The Harkin-Engel Protocol showed us that voluntary agreements don’t pave the way for structural change – we need strong legislation. And here we are; the EU has finally raised the floor on human rights. And turning a blind eye is no longer possible.
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A definite win, but there’s more ground to cover as we work to end exploitation in cocoa together. And so we’ll keep raising the bar to lead the way with Tony’s Open Chain, showing all choco players how to source cocoa sustainably + responsibly.  
 
Thank you for helping us every step of the way, by signing our petition, sharing our story and enjoying our chocolate. And a big choco cheers to our Serious Friend Lara Wolters, who initiated the CSDDD. 

Together, we will end exploitation in cocoa. So let’s keep raising the bar.