Press Releases
The European MarketPlace on Corporate Social Responsibility 2007
Brussels, 26 November 2007 - Around 600 select participants from the world's leading companies and stakeholder organisations have registered for the European MarketPlace on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), organised by CSR Europe, on 29 November at Tour & Taxis in Brussels. The event offers a unique opportunity for businesses to exchange best practice and innovation in an inspiring, interactive environment.
"For the first time, 50 percent of the company representatives come from operational business units such as procurement, finance/audit, human resources, marketing and business development - this proves that the integration of CSR within company strategy is becoming reality", highlights Kerstin Born, Executive Director of CSR Europe, the leading European business network for CSR.
This year's MarketPlace will feature nearly 90 corporate solution stands and 16 innovative CSR Laboratories, which contribute to the European Alliance for CSR launched in 2006. These sessions highlight how companies are, among other themes:
- innovatively reducing the environmental impact of their products (Toyota, STMicroelectronics, Suez...)
- proactively using demographic change in Europe by supporting the employability of ageing workers, migrants, women and people with disabilities (BASF, IBM, Novozymes...)
- promoting health and wellbeing among employees and customers (Danone, Johnson & Johnson, Casino...)
"For the European Commission the joint approach of businesses and stakeholders to CSR is important, as only such a joint approach strengthens the economic and social competitiveness of the communities and regions companies operate in", comments Vladimir Spidla, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. He and his colleague Günter Verheugen, Vice-President, Enterprise and Industry, will open the Market at 9:30.
An international stakeholder panel has the opportunity to present awards in an afternoon ceremony to those Laboratories and individual solutions deemed to be the most inspiring at the MarketPlace. These awards will be handed out in the presence of Richard Howitt and Philip Bushill-Matthews, both Members of the European Parliament, and who will also participate in the interactive exchanges on the day itself.
At the MarketPlace, CSR Europe will also relaunch its website with a special section on the European Alliance for CSR. The website will also feature a publicly available database of more than 600 company CSR solutions.
A press briefing with the two European Commissioners and a company representative will be held at 10:30. CSR Europe will also assist in arranging interviews and follow-up visits to participating companies. For more information and registrations, please contact Laura Maanavilja, Communications Coordinator, lm@csreurope.org, tel. +32 2 541 1618.
More information: www.csreurope.org/ourevents/marketplace2007/press
About CSR Europe
CSR Europe is the leading European business network for corporate social responsibility (CSR), with nearly 70 multinational corporations and 24 national partner organisations as members. Originally founded in 1995 by leading global corporations and the European Commission, CSR Europe's mission today is to provide a platform for exchange among companies and their stakeholders, and to support companies in integrating CSR into the way they do business, every day. For more information, please visit http://www.csreurope.org/.
About the European Alliance for CSR
The European Alliance for CSR is an open partnership for enterprises committed to innovative and responsible business practices. The Alliance was launched in March 2006 as a joint initiative of the European Commission and the business community. During the first year, more than 150 companies and 30 business organisations have expressed their support to the Alliance. CSR Europe is a key partner of the Alliance. For more information, please visit www.csreurope.org/whatwedo/alliance.
Press contacts
- Laura Maanavilja, Communications Coordinator, lm@csreurope.org
- Davina Goldammer, Communications Intern, dg@csreurope.org
CSR Europe
Rue Defacqz 78-80
1060 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 541 1618
Fax: +32 2 502 8458
26 November 2007
