The Consumer as an Actor in Supply Chain Regulation: A Consumer's View of Human Rights Risks in the Supply Chain

For the first time, in Germany, the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz - LkSG) has legally regulated environmental and human rights due diligence obligations of business enterprises for their supply chains. An even more ambitious Due Diligence Act is being drafted at the European level. However, many questions remain open as to whether and with which instruments sufficiently effective control and enforcement of these obligations is feasible. Meanwhile, current discussions on consumer policy are shifting away from a perspective that focuses narrowly on the protection of consumers' interests. Instead, as the EU's new consumer agenda demonstrates, consumer protection is increasingly being seen as an enabler of sustainable production and consumption.

The project investigates synergies between consumer protection and corporate due diligence. On the one hand, it examines the preconditions and obstacles to consumption in accordance with human rights and the environment. On the other hand, it examines the extent to which the application and further development of consumer protection law and policy instruments can contribute to effective implementation and enforcement of corporate due diligence.