New obligation to consult the Social and Economic Committee on sustainability issues

Written by Laetitia Tombarello and Alexandra Lereau

Published in La Semaine Juridique Entreprise et Affaires

Since 1 January 2025 in France, certain companies must consult their employees’ representative body, the Social and Economic Committee (CSE), on sustainability issues. This new consultation obligation results from the transposition into French law of EU Directive known as the “CSRD” (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), and reflects, as in the case of existing French domestic rules on due diligence, the move to increased transparency in environmental, social and governance performance. However, this move could ultimately be compromised due to concerns regarding the competitiveness of European companies, recently expressed by the French President, who has spoken out in favour of repealing the so-called “CS3D” Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence, considering its provisions too costly in the current economic context. Read more