Anthea McIntyre, on behalf of the ECR Group. – Mr President, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been defined as the responsibility of companies for their impact upon society. It refers to companies voluntarily going beyond what the law requires to achieve social and environmental objectives during the course of its business activities.

The Commissioner has told us how well companies of all sizes across the EU are leading the way in the development of CSR policies. Many companies are progressively integrating CSR into their company strategies on a voluntary basis, and businesses which acknowledge that they are a part of the community where they employ people are to be welcomed and encouraged.

In my own region of the West Midlands we have a brilliant example of CSR: Cadbury’s, the well-known chocolate company developed Bourneville, a model village on the south side of Birmingham for its factory workers to live. It was described as one of the nicest places to live in Britain. They put social responsibility at the heart of their company’s ethos. CSR is not just a benefit to society, it benefits the company too, often helping them to compete in the labour market and to become an employer of choice.

I would like to see the Commission and Member States continue to promote the voluntary take-up of CSR initiatives. But let’s ensure that companies always retain the flexibility and the freedom to shape their own CSR policy according to their specific circumstances and the needs of their employees.