81321585_Outreach, publicity, and communications for the EU-Navigator for Partner Countries

The Team Europe Initiative (TEI) "Sustainability in Global Value Chains" is an initiative co-financed by the European Commission (EC) that supports stakeholders in partner countries of EU development cooperation - governments, businesses, civil society organizations, trade unions and workers, and multi-stakeholder initiatives - in navigating and identifying relevant information related to the requirements and opportunities presented by the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). GIZ is implementing the TEI on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) as part of the sector programme "Corporate and Public Responsibility for Sustainable Supply Chains."

Background and Objective:
The CSDDD entered into force on 25 July 2024 and requires large EU companies (with more than 1,000 employees and an annual turnover exceeding EUR 450 million) as well as non-EU companies with significant activities in the EU market (over EUR 450 million in EU turnover) to uphold human rights standards and carry out environmental due diligence throughout their entire value chains.
Due to the strong external dimension of this Directive, numerous actors in partner countries (recipients of EU development cooperation assistance) will be affected - including governments, companies, civil society organizations, and social partners. Many of these stakeholders are either unfamiliar with the concept of corporate due diligence or view the CSDDD as a trade barrier. Furthermore, the potential benefits of the CSDDD - such as improved access to legal remedies for affected parties or competitive advantages for sustainable companies - are often not well understood.
To ensure that the CSDDD is implemented in a development-oriented and collaborative manner, companies and their partner countries require specific support. In particular, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in these countries need accompanying measures to turn the implementation of the CSDDD into an opportunity.

Coordination through the Team Europe Initiative
The EC and several EU Member States (Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Sweden) launched the TEI to improve the coordination and transparency of various existing EU support measures. This broad array of funding initiatives often makes it challenging for stakeholders in partner countries to locate appropriate support services. By aggregating the support available, the TEI consolidates these measures and ensures more efficient collaboration.

Key Measure: EU Helpdesk "European Due Diligence Navigator"
The main aim of the TEI is to establish and run the "EU Due Diligence Navigator", an EU Helpdesk.
The Navigator consists of:
- An online platform that presents general information on the CSDDD itself, as well as various associated support measures aimed at the target groups (key stakeholders in partner countries).
- Personalized advisory services provided by a specialized team of advisors
This measure is jointly financed by the EC and BMZ and is implemented by GIZ. The Navigator has the specific goal of informing stakeholders in partner countries about the requirements associated with the CSDDD and the opportunities arising from it. This is done by providing general information on the CSDDD and directing users of the Navigator to where they can find suitable support. Coordination is carried out closely with the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) of the European Commission.

In summary, the TEI promotes a sustainable and equitable implementation of the CSDDD in partner countries. By providing coordinated information and support services, it aims to ensure that companies and other stakeholders can leverage the requirements of the CSDDD as an opportunity for development.