Mandatory stance ‘may gain ground’

Tougher regulation on corporate responsibility is likely to follow in the wake of the financial crisis, a new analysis has concluded.

A study of the CSR regulatory environment in eight European countries by the Spanish research consultancy Foretica concludes that ‘the debate on the voluntary/compulsory nature of CSR is set to re-open’. This means it will ‘only be a matter of time’ before some countries introduce mandatory CSR reporting.

The study says Denmark has the most stringent CSR regulations, while Belgium and Spain have the most voluntary measures.