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CCC Reference Guide on Code Implementation & Verification
Section 5. Code-Related Activities in a Global Context
Belgian Social label
In January 2002 the Belgian Parliament approved a law aiming promoting
socially accountable production by introducing a voluntary social label.
This law offers companies the possibility to acquire a label, which is
granted to products whose whole chain of production respects the 8 fundamental
ILO conventions. The label is given by the Ministry of Economic Affairs
after a positive and binding opinion of a stakeholder committee (composed
of government officials, social partners, business federations consumers
and NGOs representatives) for a maximum of three years. The Committee
for Socially Responsible Production establishes a programme of control
for the company and monitors its progress on compliance. Certification
is carried out by inspection bodies accredited by the Minister of Economic
Affairs.
Companies applying for the label for one of its products are obliged
to give all information on the suppliers and subcontractors directly
involved with the realisation of the product and provide evidence that,
just like itself, its suppliers and sub-contractors also respect the
ILO core Conventions. The inspection body will have to make a report
(among other things, on the basis of interviews with workers and responsible
persons, the visits of companies, information from local organisations,
etc.) which will be submitted to the stakeholders committee.
Every year, the Ministry of Economic Affairs will present to Parliament
a report on this implementation of the label.
For more information see http://www.social-label.be
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