(Picture from CSR Europe)

*In a version of an article for Ethical Corporation, my compatriot at Euro-correspondent.com, Stephen Gardner, looks at the launch of the European Alliance for CSR. No surprises here:

The lukewarm response was a consequence of the leaking of the Commission's new communication, entitled Implementing the partnership for growth and jobs, make Europe a pole of excellence on corporate social responsibility. Even before the March 22 launch it was clear that the new initiative, in fact, contains little that is new.

Speaking at the press conference, Verheugen, Commission vice-president and Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry, made it clear that CSR in Europe will remain business-led and entirely voluntary. "A controversial discussion has been finished," he said. "At its heart: does CSR require a legal framework or should it be purely voluntary? We're not going to create any new bureaucracy but we will rather pursue a partnership approach."

His colleague, Employment Commissioner Vladimír Špidla, commented that the initiative resulted from an alliance between the European Commission and EU companies, adding, "Today's initiative is voluntary and open-ended. I hope it will lead to specific projects leading to benefits for workers and companies equally."

At the centre of the communication is a European Alliance for CSR. This will be a "political umbrella for new and existing CSR initiatives," according to a Commission statement.

Read the rest of the story.

In other CSR news ...

*From Women's Wear Daily, news that major apparel brands and retailers are looking to go beyond their codes of conduct and cursory on-site factory audits to bring about a new era in corporate social responsibility.

*Nestlé: Corporate Citizenship and the Value Chain at GreenBiz.

*In blogs, at Another Limited Rebellion, the author asks 'Can Greed be Green?' Credo Advisors wonders what a lot of people are wondering, if CSR is just for show. Citizen Brand has more on the '100 best corporate citizens.' New Millennium PR also weighs in.