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Paper short abstract:

By deepening their voluntary approach, companies run the risk of having their own commitments imposed to them, even when they go beyond the legal requirements: in this sense, regulation is reinforced. This approach appears to be essential in view of the environmental objectives.

Paper long abstract:

CSR is thus at the origin of a number of codes and charters of conduct. It appears that CSR brings together in a single legal category the wishes of private and public partners in ethical, social and environmental matters, and by a knock-on effect, tends to bring these partners together whenever ethical, social and environmental issues arise. Through this systematic association, the content of the obligations tends to be reinforced. The development of the concept and mechanisms of Corporate Social Responsibility corresponds to the progressive entanglement of public regulation and voluntary approaches and steps. However, it does not limit the voluntary nature of companies' ethical and environmental approaches, but rather imposes an informal constraint on them that is intended to reinforce the content and scope of these voluntary approaches. In reality, this idea is, in our view, too weak. It is not a simple evolution of regulation that is expected and permitted: it is a development of the latter through an evolution of regulation. By noting that the subject of CSR touches on areas that are new to ISO, this organisation concludes that it should review its operating methods in order to ensure that the various interested parties are truly represented. Led by national delegations in which companies are in the majority, ISO should therefore open up to associations and trade unions, experts and scientists as well as to the public sector: international organisations, states or local authorities.