Business and human rights in EU external relations: Making the EU a leader at home and internationally

As an important political and economic actor on the international stage, as well as a self-declared leader in the human rights field, the European Union has the potential to globally make a difference on the issue of business and human rights, most importantly through its tight network of external policies. This briefing paper, commissioned by the European Parliament, (i) takes stock of the current global debate, (ii) reviews and analyses the current state of the political process at EU level, (iii) evaluates EU external policies with respect to business and human rights, and (iv) formulates policy recommendations in this respect.