On 5 November 2025, the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights and the EU Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on Corporate Sustainability and Human Rights Law held the webinar “The EU Corporate Sustainability Framework – Key Issues and Latest Developments”, gathering participants from Serbia interested in the latest developments in corporate sustainability and human rights.
The webinar featured two distinguished speakers: Dr Nadia Bernaz, Associate Professor at Wageningen University in Netherlands and Director of the EU Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, and Dr Olena Uvarova, Associate Professor at Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University in Ukraine and Global Business and Human Rights Specialist at UNDP. The discussion was moderated by Sonja Tošković, Executive Director of the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights.
The speakers presented the main components of the EU corporate sustainability framework, including the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and other sector-specific regulations such as those on minerals, deforestation, and forced labour.
A special focus was placed on the concept of due diligence, which requires companies to identify, prevent, and mitigate adverse human rights and environmental impacts across their operations and value chains. Dr Bernaz and Dr Uvarova explained that, despite the current delays in the CSDDD’s implementation and the ongoing Omnibus reform negotiations, due diligence obligations are already embedded in other EU laws and national legislations in France, Germany, and Norway.
The discussion also addressed the implications for Serbian companies, which are part of EU supply chains and increasingly required to align with sustainability and ESG standards. The speakers highlighted that adopting responsible and sustainable business practices brings legal, reputational, and strategic advantages, with many European companies viewing due diligence as a competitive advantage rather than a additional burden.
The recording is available here:
