Italian CSOs vs. Stellantis NV and Stellantis Italy

Allegations

On 21 July 2022, 21 Italian NGOs and 1 newspaper filed a specific instance against Stellantis NV (as a parent company) and FCA Italy (as a subsidiary) at NCP Netherlands. The complaint concerns the disclosure of transparent and detailed information on their suppliers’ operation in the cobalt and other minerals mining sites in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The complaint had previously been submitted to the NCP Italy, which declared that it lacked jurisdiction.

The complainants raised the issue of uncertainty and lack of transparency around the companies’ implementation of an effective risk assessment in relation to their supply chain and to the traceability of critical materials.

The complainants are seeking mediation from NCP Netherlands to push the companies to disclose material in order to be able to verify:

1. The effective system, if any, that is in place in order to identify and correct potential human rights violations within its supply chain for cobalt or other minerals originally sourced from the DRC;
2. The specific risk assessment measures, if any, taken to mitigate and prevent potential human rights violations within their supply chain in the DRC;
3. The appropriate action, if any, taken by the companies against those suppliers who were unable to categorically rule out fundamental human rights violations in the process of extracting and processing the minerals;
4. The necessary steps taken, if any, to compensate local communities and eventual victims in the occasion of damages caused;
5. The information, if any, on the potential risks of human rights violations within their supply chains for cobalt or other minerals originated from the DRC, in a transparent and detailed manner;
6. The thorough investigations, if any, made into their  cobalt suppliers and/or suppliers of other minerals sourced from the DRC – with specific reference to Huayou Cobalt;
7. The correspondence, if any, exchanged between FCA Italy/Stellantis and their suppliers registering their commitment to stop trading untraced cobalt and other minerals originated from the DRC.

Relevant OECD Guidelines

• Chapter III
• Chapter III Paragraph 1
• Chapter III Paragraph 2
• Chapter III Paragraph 3

Outcome

On 13 February 2023, NCP Netherlands published its initial assessment accepting the complaint.

More details

Related complaints

• Italian CSOs vs. Stellantis Italy and Stellantis NV

Documents

• Initial assessment

  13 February 2023

  Initial assessment

  NCP Netherlands
• File

  21 July 2022

  Initial complaint

  Complainants

Links

• FOCSIV and others vs. Stellantis Italy (NCP Italy)