Updated: July 8, 2024 (Initial publication: Dec. 15, 2023)

Publications

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► Full Reference: M.-A. Frison-Roche, Duty of vigilance: the way forward, Working Paper, December 2023/July 2024.

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🎤 This working paper has been drawn up to serve as a basis for the conclusions of the colloquium Le devoir de vigilance: l'âge de la maturité? ("The duty of vigilance: the age of maturity?") organised by the University of Montpellier on 25 May 2023.

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📝 Updated and developed, it serves as the basis for the article that concludes the book Le devoir de vigilance des entreprises : l'âge de la maturité? ("The duty of vigilance: the age of maturity?"), Editions Bruylant, 2024.

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► Working Paper summary: In 2017 in France the so-called Vigilance law expressed great ambition. So did the draft directive. But in 2024 the European institutions moderated this ambition by refusing to increase either the type of companies subject and the constraints to which the duty of vigilance is associated. The directive has essentially halted what was for some the "march of progress". Does the ambition no longer exist? Does the future lie in an extension of the philosophy of the duty of vigilance, i.e. companies that should always be more concerned about others? This would undoubtedly be reaching the "age of maturity", where others see the age of madness, because it would be a contradiction in terms to ask a company to be concerned about anything other than its own development.

It is therefore appropriate to consider this very hypothesis of an "age of maturity" as being an ambition maintained despite a European directive which, in its adopted version, is weakened and while the oppositions are intact (I). First of all, it must be admitted that the notion of "maturity" most often conceals a value judgment when applied to a legal concept (I.A.) and that this is blatantly obvious with regard to the duty of vigilance, which is considered by some and by nature by some as a good and by others as an evil (I.B).

In order not to remain in what appears to be trench warfare, we must not get too bogged down in the reference French legislation of 2017 and what appears to be a European stutter in 2024, arguing so loudly that we can hear them reasoning in print, by paying attention to less visible and now more promising avenues of progress (II). In fact, the duty of vigilance can progress simply by the passage of time (II.A), by a better definition of the vocabulary (II.B), by the consolidation of the principles of Responsibility and Dialogue (II.C), by the uniqueness of the jurisdictional route (II.D).

This last perspective of the progress that will be made possible in France by the uniqueness of the judicial route leads to a final avenue of progress. By their very nature, laws are jolts, all the more violent for being disputed. At the moment, if we want to make progress, these two other sources - the contract and the judge - must be favoured (III). The European directive is rightly concerned with access to the courts and takes a measured view of the effectiveness of contracts as a means of making the duty of vigilance effective, with the courts having to ensure that the contract does not destroy the spirit of the system. This is what the law already organises about the relationship between the contract, the judge and the duty of compliance (III.A). What is new in Europe in 2024 is the introduction of a Supervisor (III.B). Here again, vigilance is the "cutting edge" of Compliance Law, as it is an extension of Regulatory Law.

The result is that, through interpretation and the handling of principles, and to formulate a more general conclusion, it is the judge who holds and will hold the balance of the duty of vigilance.

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🔓read the Working Paper below⤵️

Regulation and economic law

May 29, 2024

Editorial responsibilities : Direction of the collection Compliance & Regulation, JoRC and Bruylant

Publication of :🕴️ M.-A. Frison-Roche (ed.),📘 Compliance Obligation

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► Full Reference: M.-A. Frison-Roche (ed.), Compliance Obligation, Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) and Bruylant, "Compliance & Regulation" Serie, to be published

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📕In parallel, a book in French L'Obligation de compliance, is published in the collection "Régulations & Compliance" co-published by the Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) and Dalloz.

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📚This book is inserted in this series created by Marie-Anne Frison-Roche for developing Compliance Law.

read the presentations of the other books of this Compliance Series:

further books:

🕴️M.A. Frison-Roche (dir.), 📘Le système probatoire de la compliance, 2025

previous books:

🕴️M.A. Frison-Roche (ed), 📘Compliance Juridictionnalisation, 2023

🕴️M.A. Frison-Roche (ed), 📘Compliance Monumental Goals, 2022

🕴️M.-A. Frison-Roche (ed.), 📘Compliance Tools, 2021

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► go to the general presentation of this 📚Series Compliance & Regulation, conceived, founded et managed by Marie-Anne Frison-Roche, co-published par the Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) and Bruylant.

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🧮the book follows the cycle of colloquia 2023 organised by the Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) and its Universities partners.

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► general presentation of the book: Compliance is sometimes presented as something that cannot be avoided, which is tantamount to seeing it as the legal obligation par excellence, Criminal Law being its most appropriate mode of expression. However, this is not so evident. Moreover, it is becoming difficult to find a unity to the set of compliance tools, encompassing what refers to a moral representation of the world, or even to the cultures specific to each company, Compliance Law only having to produce incentives or translate this ethical movement. The obligation of compliance is therefore difficult to define.

This difficulty to define affecting the obligation of compliance reflects the uncertainty that still affects Compliance Law in which this obligation develops. Indeed, if we were to limit this branch of law to the obligation to "be conform" with the applicable regulations, the obligation would then be located more in these "regulations", the classical branches of Law which are Contract Law and Tort Law organising "Obligations" paradoxically remaining distant from it. In practice, however, it is on the one hand Liability actions that give life to legal requirements, while companies make themselves responsible through commitments, often unilateral, while contracts multiply, the articulation between legal requirements and corporate and contractual organisations ultimately creating a new way of "governing" not only companies but also what is external to them, so that the Monumental Goals, that Compliance Law substantially aims at, are achieved.

The various Compliance Tools illustrate this spectrum of the Compliance Obligation which varies in its intensity and takes many forms, either as an extension of the classic legal instruments, as in the field of information, or in a more novel way through specific instruments, such as whistleblowing or vigilance. The contract, in that it is by nature an Ex-Ante instrument and not very constrained by borders, can then appear as a natural instrument in the compliance system, as is the Judge who is the guarantor of the proper execution of Contract and Tort laws. The relationship between companies, stakeholders and political authorities is thus renewed.

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🏗️general construction of the book

The book opens with a double Introduction. The first, which is freely accessible, is a summary of the book, while the second, which is substantial, deals with the future development of the compliance obligation in a borderless economic system.

The first part is devoted to the definition of the Compliance Obligation.

The second part presents commitments and contracts, in certain new or classic categories, in particular public contracts, and compliance stipulations, analysed and qualified regarding Compliance Law and the various relevant branches of Law.

The third part develops the responsibilities attached to the compliance obligation.

The fourth part refers to the institutions that are responsible for the effectiveness, efficiency, and efficacy of the compliance obligation, including the judge and the international arbitrator.

The fifth part takes the Obligation or Duty of Vigilance as an illustration of all these considerations.

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► Présentation générale du colloque : Pour accroître le respect des droits humains et de l’environnement dans le cadre de la responsabilité sociale des entreprises et de la compliance, les pouvoirs publics et les entreprises mettent en œuvre depuis plusieurs années des instruments et processus de dialogue entre l’entreprise d’une part et les parties prenantes internes et externes à l’entreprise d’autre part. Parmi eux la médiation est régulièrement mise en avant comme étant un processus nécessaire et fécond pour trouver des accords bénéfiques tant pour les salariés et les acteurs de la société civile que pour l’environnement et la société globale.

John Ruggie, Représentant spécial du Secrétaire général chargé de la question des droits de l’Homme et des sociétés transnationales et autres entreprises, dans son rapport du 21 mars 2011, Principes directeurs relatifs aux entreprises et aux droits de l'homme, recommande la médiation comme mécanisme de réclamation non judiciaire efficace et approprié. La norme ISO 26000 sur la responsabilité sociétale vise aussi explicitement le recours à la médiation au point « Actions et attentes associées » (6.3.2.6) en ces termes : « il convient qu’une organisation établisse des mécanismes de recours pour son propre usage et pour celui des parties prenantes, ou qu’elle en assure la disponibilité. Pour que ces mécanismes soient efficaces, il convient qu’ils soient […] fondés sur le dialogue et la médiation : il convient que le processus vise à remédier aux atteintes à l’aide de solutions mutuellement acceptées, obtenues par un dialogue entre les parties. Lorsqu’un jugement est souhaitable, il convient que les parties conservent le droit d’y parvenir au moyen de mécanismes distincts, indépendants ».

De la même façon, la loi n°2017-399 du 21 mars 2017 relative au devoir de vigilance des sociétés mères et des entreprises donneuses d’ordre suscite des contentieux relatifs à la conception et à l’application de plans de vigilances de certaines entreprises assujetties. Le recours à la médiation a été proposé par le juge, parfois accepté et l’on sait que certaines ont réussi.

Parallèlement, le projet de directive européenne sur le devoir de vigilance des entreprises en matière de durabilité (dite CS3D pour Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive) est de nature, à faire peser ou à étendre pour un grand nombre d’entreprises de l’Union Européenne des obligations au titre du devoir de vigilance pour le respect des droits de l’homme et l’environnement par les entreprises dans les chaînes de valeur mondiales.

Il résulte de tout cela que lee respect des droits de l’Homme au sein des organisations et entreprises repose le recours aux juridictions, sur des processus de coopération comme peut l’être la médiation, tant celle de projet que celle spécifique à la résolution des différends, dans le même temps que le recours juridictionnel ne suffira pas à rendre rapidement efficace le respect de ces obligations.

Le législateur et les parties concernées en sont conscientes et elles évoquent le recours à la médiation comme nécessaire pour aider tant les acteurs de la société civile engagés pour le respect des droits humains et de l’environnement que les entreprises à trouver des accords pour le respect de ces obligations.

Les avocats, médiateurs, personnes assistant les parties prenantes et les entreprises, ont un rôle important à jouer pour le succès de ces médiations.

Le Conseil national des barreaux organise, en collaboration avec le Journal of Regulation and Compliance (JoRC), un colloque d’une demi-journée « Compliance, vigilance et médiation » pour former les avocats à cette activité qui va se développer soit en prolongement d’une activité soit en activité propre et qui a des implications importantes tant pour les droits de chacun, la société que pour l’environnement.

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► Interviennent :

🎤Matthieu Boissavy, avocat au Barreau de Paris, vice-président de la Commission Liberté et droits de l'homme du CNB

🎤Matthieu Brochier, avocat au Barreau de Paris

🎤Stéphanie Brunengo, avocate au Barreau d'Aix-en-Provence, médiatrice

🎤Malik Chapuis, juge à la 3ième chambre civile du Tribunal judiciaire de Paris

🎤Lucie Chatelain, responsable contentieux et plaidoyer SHERPA

🎤Bruno Deffains, professeur à l'Université Paris Panthéon-Assas

🎤Hirbod Dehghani-Azar, avocat au Barreau de Paris, président de la Commission Modes alternatifs de règlements des Règlements (MARD) du CNB

🎤Marie-Anne Frison-Roche, professeure de Droit de la Régulation et de la Compliance, directrice du Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC)

🎤Jérôme Gavaudan, président du CNB

🎤Thibault Goujon-Bethan, professeur à l'Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3

🎤Céline Haye Kioussis, directrice juridique du Groupe BPCE

🎤Laurence Joly, avocate au Barreau de Thonon-les-Bains

🎤Stéphane de Navacelle, avocat au Barreau de Paris

🎤Lori Roussey, Data Protection Officer, fondatrice et Directrice de Data Rights

🎤Stephanie Smatt Pinelli, directrice juridique Contentieux, groupe Orano

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Lire une présentation détaillée de la manifestation ci-dessous⤵️

Nov. 6, 2023

Newsletter MAFR - Law, Compliance, Regulation

📧Compliance, Vigilance et Médiation (🧮30 novembre 2023)

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► Référence complète : M.-A. Frison-Roche, "Compliance, Vigilance et Médiation (🧮30 novembre 2023)", Newsletter MAFR Law, Compliance, Regulation, 6 novembre 2023

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📧Lire par abonnement gratuit d'autres news de la Newsletter MAFR - Law, Compliance, Regulation

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🧱La médiation, un outil efficace et déjà éprouvé en matière de Vigilance

Le devoir de vigilance est la pointe avancée du droit de la compliance. La médiation commence déjà à montrer son efficacité pour la mise en oeuvre délicate voir controversée de la technique nouvelle de Vigilance.

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📧voilà le programme détaillé du colloque que le Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) et le Conseil national des barreaux (CNB) organisent le 30 novembre 2023 sur le sujet, incluant les modalités d'inscription ⤵️

Regulation and economic law

Oct. 6, 2023

Conferences

🎤La rencontre des MARD/PRD avec les Buts Monumentaux de la Compliance

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► Full Reference: M.-A. Frison-Roche, "La rencontre des MARD/PRD avec les Buts Monumentaux de la Compliance" ("The meeting of the alternative dispute resolution mechanisms with Compliance Monumental Goals"), in A. Albarian, S. Brunengo, D. Labrèche et N. Vermeys (dir.), Regards croisés France/Québec: l'essor et l'adaptation des PRD/MARD dans un contexte de crise, Aix-Marseille University, 6 and 7 October 2023.

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🧮see the full programme of this event

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