For companies seeking a formal approach to CSR, especially large companies, authoritative guidance is provided by internationally recognised principles and guidelines, in particular the recently updated OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact, the ISO 26000 Guidance Standard on Social Responsibility, the ILO Tri-partite Declaration of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

To make future regulation fit with the ”Think Small First” principle, the Commission: is strengthening the assessment of the respect of the Protocol on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality in forthcoming legislative and administrative initiatives will, wherever practical, use common commencement dates for regulations and decisions affecting business and publish an annual statement of such legislation entering into force the Commission will, and the Member States are invited to: ensure that policy results are delivered while minimising costs and burdens for business, including by using a smart mix of tools ...[+++] such as mutual recognition and self- or co-regulation, to achieve policy outcomes rigorously assess the impact of forthcoming legislative and administrative initiatives on SMEs (“SME test”) and take relevant results into account when designing proposals consult stakeholders, including SME organisations for at least 8 weeks prior to making any legislative or administrative proposal that has an impact on businesses use specific measures for small and micro-enterprises, such as derogations, transition periods and exemptions, in particular from information or reporting requirements, and other tailor-made approaches, wherever appropriate, and the Member States are invited to: consider the usefulness of introducing common commencement dates and annual statements of legislation entering into force make use of flexibility provisions aimed at SMEs when implementing EU legislation and avoid “gold-plating” To improve the regulatory environment in view of the “Think Small First” principle, the Commission: will come forward with all the proposals to reduce the administrative burden on business which are necessary to achieve the EU reduction target of 25% by 2012 will complete by the end of 2008 a complete screening of the acquis and include the results in the updated simplification rolling programme to be presented in early 2009.

2. As the Implementing Agency in the context of the Broader Approach Agreement with Japan, the Joint Undertaking shall discharge Euratom obligations for the implementation of Broader Approach Activities.

2. As the Implementing Agency in the context of the Broader Approach Agreement with Japan, the Joint Undertaking shall discharge Euratom obligations for the implementation of Broader Approach Activities.

2. As the Implementing Agency in the context of the Broader Approach Agreement with Japan, the Joint Undertaking shall discharge Euratom obligations for the implementation of Broader Approach Activities.

The underlying approach should be that, at global level, just as at European, the implementation of CSR principles should also go over and above the legal requirements that businesses need to comply with, and approaches should involve consultation with local stakeholders.