Pesticides. Arms secrecy. Lighthouses of resistance.
Newsletter
2025
"Supply chain law? Can be tossed!" was the populist slogan circulating during the German election campaign. Now, the coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD actually states that the law will be abolished. Yet, a closer look reveals that it's not quite that simple. The EU rules continue to apply, and the German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control remains responsible – which means it is still possible to lodge complaints. Nevertheless, the political attack on the law was successful. Business associations in particular maligned it as a “bureaucratic monster,” in order to prevent binding due diligence obligations – a clever distraction from the real bureaucracy that those affected within global supply chains have to face if they want to claim their rights.
In this newsletter, you will read about business and human rights cases that have been stalled, ignored or blocked by influential actors. Here, bureaucracy tends to favor the powerful: by withholding information or dragging out proceedings. The real victims of bureaucracy are those – in mines, factories, plantations or war zones – who hardly have a chance to defend themselves against their exploitation.
