Justice

Business and human rights

EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

Highlights

  • Report / Paper / Summary
    7
    March
    2024

    Enforcing consumer rights to combat greenwashing

    Tackling greenwashing is an issue where human rights, consumer rights and climate goals align. Companies use greenwashing to convince people to buy products that are not always as environmentally friendly as they claim to be. They mislead consumers and harm the environment. This report shows how a human rights approach can combat greenwashing. It is based on consultations with experts in 10 Member States. The report identifies gaps in existing laws and enforcement. It includes case studies of consumers seeking remedies for misleading environmental claims. The EU and Member States should enforce rules that make it harder for companies to make misleading environmental claims. They should strengthen rules that make it easier for consumers to prove that companies are greenwashing. Consumer and environmental organisations already hold governments and business to account. Governments should make it easier to use collective action for the protection of consumer rights and the environment.
  • Report / Paper / Summary
    6
    October
    2020

    Business and human rights – access to remedy

    Business activity affects not just customers, employees, and contractors along supply chains, but often entire communities and the environment. This makes it vital that every business complies with human rights. This comparative report looks at the realities victims face when they seek redress for business-related human rights abuses. It presents the findings of fieldwork research on the views of professionals regarding the different ways people can pursue complaints. The findings highlight that obstacles to achieving justice are often multi-layered.
    Read news item
  • Report / Paper / Summary
    5
    August
    2015

    Freedom to conduct a business: exploring the dimensions of a fundamental right

    This report seeks to demonstrate that the fulfilment of fundamental rights can help to improve the situation and achieve the strategic goals set out in the Europe 2020 growth strategy, which aims to establish a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy.
  • Opinion
    10
    April
    2017

    Improving access to remedy in the area of business and human rights at the EU level

    The Council of the EU requested this FRA Opinion in its Conclusions on business and human rights. The expert opinion sought from FRA was to look at “possible avenues to lower barriers for access to remedy at the EU level” – the third of three pillars of the UN Guiding Principles.
Products
Towards a fundamental rights-compliant European Green Deal
Report / Paper / Summary
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Business and human rights
15
January
2025

Towards a fundamental rights-compliant European Green Deal

Climate change affects the daily lives of everyone in the EU and has significant environmental, economic, social and health impacts. To tackle this, the European Green Deal was adopted in 2019. This report examines the Green Deal from a fundamental rights perspective, with the aim of protecting the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment for all. It highlights the lack of fundamental rights in EU climate policy and the need to incorporate these rights into future legislation. It also considers how applying a human-rights-based approach to climate policy could support a fair and inclusive transition.
Read news item
Handbook / Guide / Manual
Trafficking and labour exploitation
Asylum, migration and borders
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
Business and human rights
1
August
2024

​Six points for workplace inspectors – EU law safeguards for non-EU workers ​

Migrant workers are particularly at risk of labour exploitation. Workplace inspectors play a role in protecting non-EU workers' rights. This report guides inspectors to identify abuse and protect migrant workers. In autumn 2024, FRA will publish a manual with extensive resources to support workplace inspectors.
Read news item
Download training manual
Report / Paper / Summary
Business and human rights
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
7
March
2024

Enforcing consumer rights to combat greenwashing

Tackling greenwashing is an issue where human rights, consumer rights and climate goals align. Companies use greenwashing to convince people to buy products that are not always as environmentally friendly as they claim to be. They mislead consumers and harm the environment. This report shows how a human rights approach can combat greenwashing. It is based on consultations with experts in 10 Member States. The report identifies gaps in existing laws and enforcement. It includes case studies of consumers seeking remedies for misleading environmental claims. The EU and Member States should enforce rules that make it harder for companies to make misleading environmental claims. They should strengthen rules that make it easier for consumers to prove that companies are greenwashing. Consumer and environmental organisations already hold governments and business to account. Governments should make it easier to use collective action for the protection of consumer rights and the environment.
Agricultural workers pickings leaves
Report / Paper / Summary
Trafficking and labour exploitation
Asylum, migration and borders
Business and human rights
24
June
2021

Protecting migrants in an irregular situation from labour exploitation – Role of the Employers Sanctions Directive

The Employers Sanctions Directive was primarily enacted to dissuade employers from recruiting migrants in an irregular situation, but it also contains provisions to protect workers. It facilitates access to justice for exploited workers and sets out workers’ rights to claim back payment of outstanding wages. The directive also contains provisions to enhance the effectiveness of labour inspections. This report describes how the 25 Member States bound by the directive have been implementing its protective provisions, focusing on the impact these provisions have on migrant workers in an irregular situation who are victims of exploitation and other labour
law violations.
Read press release
Report / Paper / Summary
Business and human rights
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
6
October
2020

Business and human rights – access to remedy

Business activity affects not just customers, employees, and contractors along supply chains, but often entire communities and the environment. This makes it vital that every business complies with human rights. This comparative report looks at the realities victims face when they seek redress for business-related human rights abuses. It presents the findings of fieldwork research on the views of professionals regarding the different ways people can pursue complaints. The findings highlight that obstacles to achieving justice are often multi-layered.
Read news item
Report / Paper / Summary
Business and human rights
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
2
December
2019

Business-related human rights abuse reported in the EU and available remedies

Growing global efforts to encourage responsible business conduct that respects human rights include steps to ensure access to effective remedies when breaches occur. In 2017, the European Commission asked the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) to collect evidence on such access in the EU Member States, with the ultimate goal of identifying the EU actions most needed in this field. FRA’s resulting research involved two phases: desk research on different incidents of abuse; and interview-based fieldwork on professionals’ views on the availability and effectiveness of different complaint avenues.
Video
Asylum, migration and borders
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
Victims’ rights
Business and human rights
Trafficking and labour exploitation

Rights holders perspectives of severe labour exploitation

A short documentary related to labour exploitation in some sectors of the agricultural and transport industries.
Report / Paper / Summary
Business and human rights
Asylum, migration and borders
Trafficking and labour exploitation
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
Victims’ rights
5
September
2018

Protecting migrant workers from exploitation in the EU: boosting workplace inspections

Severe labour exploitation is widespread across the European Union. While workplace inspections can help counter this phenomenon, they need to be strengthened to do so effectively. Based on interviews and focus group discussions with almost 240 exploited workers active in diverse economic sectors, this report provides important evidence on how unscrupulous employers manipulate and undermine inspections, and on what can be done to counteract such efforts.
In brief / Factsheet
Trafficking and labour exploitation
Asylum, migration and borders
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
Business and human rights
6
September
2018

In Brief - Protecting workers from exploitation: boosting inspections

Workers are being severely exploited for their labour across the EU, and
inspections are not effective at stopping this reality. Based on interviews with
almost 240 workers – including non-EU citizens who came to the EU and
EU nationals who moved to another EU country to work – a new FRA report
outlines the problem and identifies ways to bolster inspections.
Opinion
Business and human rights
10
April
2017

Improving access to remedy in the area of business and human rights at the EU level

The Council of the EU requested this FRA Opinion in its Conclusions on business and human rights. The expert opinion sought from FRA was to look at “possible avenues to lower barriers for access to remedy at the EU level” – the third of three pillars of the UN Guiding Principles.
Infographic
Civil justice
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
Business and human rights

The freedom to conduct a business

The freedom to conduct a business, one of the lesser-known rights of the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, can help boost growth and jobs across the EU.
Report / Paper / Summary
Business and human rights
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
5
August
2015

Freedom to conduct a business: exploring the dimensions of a fundamental right

This report seeks to demonstrate that the fulfilment of fundamental rights can help to improve the situation and achieve the strategic goals set out in the Europe 2020 growth strategy, which aims to establish a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy.