#FairTrade: Five Star Movement's Corrao calls for 'abuse free' product labelling

Italian MEP Ignazio Corrao from the Five Star Movement is calling for European Action on product labeling. Corrao wants companies to add an "abuse free" label to their products, showing that no serious human rights abuses have been committed at any stage of production. The measure aims to improve corporate responsibility for human rights abuses in non-EU countries.  

The Five Star Movement in Italy is an unlikely stable mate of UKIP in the European of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) Grouping in the European Parliament. Indeed UKIP's default reaction to any European project is 'whatever it is, I'm against it!'

Corrao said: "We know from NGOs that there are big transnational corporations from Europe that are responsible for human rights abuses in third countries. As the European Union always claims to be a champion of human rights, having legislation ensuring that European companies respect human rights abroad would send a great signal to the world."

The own-initiative report is based on the "Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights:Implementing the United Nations ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ Framework", focusing on the respect of human rights in the chain of distribution and exploitation of the natural resources on non-EU countries, especially developing countries. Corrao has gone a step further recommending the creation of an “abuse free label” for products, certifying that our companies are not violating human rights.

The label will not be a binding instrument, it would be impossible for the European Parliament to impose this. However, if approved the report calls on the European Commission to work on a mandatory instrument. Corroa says that the report could be a tool to start a new way of approaching the exploitation of resources all over the world.

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