Sustainable and responsible business

Sustainable development has economic, environmental and social dimensions, and is an overarching goal of the European Union. Competitiveness and sustainability are mutually reinforcing concepts. DG Enterprise and Industry aims to create the conditions in which European enterprises can thrive, so helping to maximise their contribution to sustainable development.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a necessary and natural counterpart to the drive for a more competitive Europe. Responsible business behaviour is crucial for building trust towards the market economy, trade openness and globalisation.

Sustainable consumption and production and sustainable industrial policy action plan

The Sustainable Consumption and Production and Sustainable Industrial Policy Action Plan aims at turning current environmental challenge into economic opportunities for the EU. A concrete set of actions is proposed to improve EU industry's competitiveness while raising its overall environmental performance. Where possible, the Commission encourages voluntary approaches to develop Environmental Agreements between parties which want to tackle specific environmental problems.

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