Sri Lanka’s Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) has partnered with global civil society organisation, Solidaridad to help local companies align with the European Union's supply chain rules on human rights and sustainability.
As a part of this initiative, JAAF organised a workshop to address the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). The event provided local businesses with insights into risk assessment, sustainability metrics, and due diligence reporting to meet the stringent requirements of the directive.
This collaboration helps Sri Lanka’s apparel industries adapt to evolving global trade norms, says Yohan Lawrence, Secretary General.
Introduced in 2023, the CSDDD mandates companies within EU-bound supply chains to adhere to high environmental and human rights standards. While Sri Lanka’s suppliers are not directly obligated to comply, aligning with these regulations helps them remain competitive in the EU market, which accounts for 30 per cent of the country's apparel exports.
Around 80 per cent of Sri Lanka’s apparel exports to the EU are targeted to countries such as Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and France, which makes compliance a strategic necessity. The workshop also resulting in the signing of an agreement between JAAF and Solidaridad to formalise their partnership to help Sri Lanka’s suppliers meet CSDDD standards.
The event was attended by notable dignitaries, including Lars Bredal, Deputy Head, Delegation for the EU to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and Iwan Rutjens, Deputy Head, Mission for the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
JAAF hailed Shahid Sangani, Secretary, Free Trade Zone and Apparel Manufacturers' Association (FAAMA), for his behind-the-scenes contributions to the program.