German Supply Chain Act: If anyone does not want to obey the law, we will take firm action.

In a recent interview posted in the Wirtschaftswoche, the president of the BAFA (Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control ), Torsten Safarik, answered questions concerning the German Supply Chain Act / German Due Diligence Law (LkSG).

He stated that his agency is ramping up the number of employees and that they will be well prepared to start checking and monitoring the requirements German companies have to fulfil. 

He mentioned that in the law, many legal terms are deliberately undefined, which on the one side, some companies regret. But for the BAFA, it is an opportunity to decide with a sense of proportion whether the efforts done by the companies are appropriate or not. A company with 3000 employees cannot do the same as, for example, a corporation with 100,000 employees. Torsten Safarik, however, also clearly said that if someone does not want to obey the law or chooses any excuses, the BAFA will take firm action.

As a tip for the companies to prepare for the new supply chain act, he said that they should prioritise the issue of human rights and look at how to improve them as a company.