The general conditions for admission as a member by the Board of Directors are set out in the Bylaws (see Articles 4 to 6 of the Bylaws).

The minimum criteria for admission as a member of the Association are set out below.

A. General

All members of the Association fully endorse the Association’s mission and vision for the entire term of their membership and always undertake to comply with the CSR Europe Charter.

B. Specific for National Partner Organisations

The National Partner Organisations shall be business-led non-profit organisations that undertake at all times to:

• share the mission and vision of CSR Europe;

• provide best practice sharing & learning to Corporate Members;

• reactive at the national level in at least one of the areas defined by the UN Sustainable Development Goals;

• display CSR Europe membership on their website and/or social media, and share key messages of the CSR Europe network on their website, social media and/or with public relations activities when relevant;

• promote engagement opportunities for Corporate Members on the CSR Europe collaborative platforms; and

• engage in best practice sharing, mentoring, and learning in the CSR Europe network.

For the remainder, the Board of Directors may decide on the application of candidate members in a sovereign and discretionary manner. The Board will inform every General Assembly about these decisions.

In accordance with article 7 of the Bylaws, the membership fees are decided by the General Assembly.

The membership fee covers the membership from 1st January of each year until 31 December of the year. If a company or association becomes a member after 1st July of the year, then 50% of the membership fee will apply for the remainder of the year.

A. Corporate Members

• Starting from 2024 the membership fees for Corporate Members will be calculated on an annual basis based on their annual turnover in the previous year.

• A company that joins the Association as a Corporate Member must contribute a one-off joining fee of EUR 5.000. If the respective company is already a member of one of the National Partner Organisations, this one-off joining fee shall be waived.

B. National Partner Organisations

• Membership fees for National Partner Organisations are calculated on an annual basis based on their annual turnover in the previous year.

In accordance with articles 14 and 16 of the Bylaws, the management of the Association shall be organized in accordance with the approval matrix set out below.

Without prejudice to the approval matrix set out above, the Board of Directors may further clarify the powers of daily management delegated to the Executive Director and/or delegate specific powers to the Executive Director by means of a special delegation of powers.

Moreover, the Board of Directors may delegate specific powers to one or more other persons by means of a power of attorney. In case of discrepancy between any such special delegation of powers/power of attorney and the approval matrix, then the approval matrix shall prevail.

Mission

1. Increase the integration of sustainability into business models and management of companies

2. Be a platform for collaboration with stakeholders and a catalyst for innovation to build a sustainable and inclusive society in Europe and beyond 

3. Engage with the European institutions about policy to drive the global sustainability agenda 

4. Be a business network that is recognised as a global leader.

Vision

Business is key in providing innovative solutions for today’s challenges.

In Europe, business is uniquely placed to help create a world in which everyone can thrive through social, environmental, and economic progress.

CSR Europe, a pan-European network of leading international companies and National Partners, is a unique private sector movement whose aim is to drive the SDG/climate change agenda within Europe. While the urgency of this challenge is well understood by leading companies, CSR Europe’s role is to be a key enabler for responsible and sustainable business, bringing industry together to deliver effective action on a European scale.

CSR Europe’s vision is that business is key in providing innovative solutions for today’s sustainability challenges. In Europe, companies are uniquely placed to help to create a world in which everyone can thrive through social, environmental, and economic progress. Sustainability is one of the key drivers for sound and successful business development.

As members of this network, we commit to driving practical change within our company/organisation and in collaboration with other companies, National Partners, and stakeholders.

In addition, we recognise that progress in adopting sustainable business behaviour is a joint effort that transcends the bounds of our own businesses and must be safeguarded against business behaviours that do not move in that direction.

Through our membership, we support CSR Europe in its mission to:

• Increase the integration of sustainability into business models and corporate management

• Be a platform for collaboration with stakeholders and a catalyst for transformation towards a more sustainable and inclusive society in Europe and beyond

• Engage with the European institutions about policy to drive the global sustainability agenda

• Be a business network that is recognised as a global sustainability leader.

That is why, as members of CSR Europe, we further commit to:

• Strive towards continuous improvement of our own sustainability pathway and report on our performance in line with stakeholder expectations

• Incorporate sustainability into our business strategy and work within our value chains and with our industry peers to scale up solutions and create positive impacts on climate and society

• Have an open approach to policy dialogue at all levels, based on a common recognition of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.