Article 1 Subject matter

This Directive lays down rules on:

This Directive shall not constitute grounds for reducing the level of protection of human, employment and social rights, or of protection of the environment or of protection of the climate provided for by the national law of the Member States or by the collective agreements applicable at the time of the adoption of this Directive. However, the first sentence of this paragraph shall not prevent Member States from adjusting any national corporate sustainability due diligence laws applicable at the time of the adoption of this Directive, in particular their scope, with a view to aligning them with this Directive.

This Directive shall be without prejudice to obligations in the areas of human, employment and social rights, and of protection of the environment and climate change under other Union legislative acts. If a provision of this Directive conflicts with a provision of another Union legislative act pursuing the same objectives and providing for more extensive or more specific obligations, the provision of that other Union legislative act shall prevail to the extent of the conflict and shall apply as regards those specific obligations.

This Directive does not affect Union or national law relating to matters other than those set out in paragraph 1. In particular, the rules referred to in point (a) of paragraph 1 do not affect Union or national law concerning human, employment or social rights, or the protection of the environment and climate change other than general due diligence obligations.