A second potentially controversial opinion on this morning’s plenary session agenda further illustrated the Committee’s inate capacity to build consensus. The opinion was in response to a European Commission proposal for a renewed 2011-2014 strategy for corporate social responsibility. The rapporteur was Madi Sharma (in the picture, Employers’ Group, United Kingdom) and the Co-rapporteur Sir Stuart Etherington (Various Interests’ Group, United Kingdom). The EESC opinion supports the voluntary nature of CSR, but criticises the lack of plans to encourage and help enterprises to take responsibility for their impact on society. The Committee proposes that companies that make CSR a central feature of their organisation should report on their social and environmental impact using transparent methods. The same should be done by public administrations and large civil society organisations. The EESC also calls for specific measures for SMEs and greater attention to the sector of social enterprise, which has been neglected in the CSR policy initiative. Once again, the opinion was adopted by a large majority.
The sounds like the latest fad in the US, let’s call it philantropy capitalism. I recently sat through a meeting where a stinking rich speaker (the founder of Home Depot) lectured his stinking rich audience about the virtues of letting the stinking rich get even richer (and smellier), so that they can give back more to society. All this of course in opposition to Obama’s health care, social security and safety net policies.
That had to be ‘This sounds…..etc.’