CYIL vol. 15 (2024)

RADKA MacGREGOR PELIKÁNOVÁ (CSR) of European businesses 17 towards the creation of common (shared) economic and societal values (CSV) 18 should be induced and pushed by direct and indirect instruments and tools in various industries 19 and in the hands of various stakeholders and even generations of them. 20 The updating and harmonizing of the consumer protection regime is one of these instruments. This is clearly implied by the endeavors of the European Commission of Ursula von der Leyen, with its Guidelines for the next European Commission 2019–2024: A Union that strives for more (Political Guidelines), 21 in particular regarding the first of these six priorities, the European Green Deal. 22 This drive was materialized via the consumer policy strategy called “New Consumer Agenda” 23 with the famous “Fitness Check of EU consumer law” to evaluate the pillars of the EU consumer protection law, especially the Unfair Contract Terms Directive, UCPD, and Consumer Rights Directive. Consumer protection and the European Green Deal are especially reflected by strategies of start-up businesses. 24 The new Political Guidelines for the next European Commission 2024−2029 declared by Ursula von der Leyen on 18 July 2024 continue this trend, see the Europe´s Choice – A new plan for Europe’s sustainable prosperity and competitiveness with A Clean Industrial Deal. These endeavors and their outcomes, even if not yet final, suggest that the European Commission wants to both protect and transform the famous average European consumer from the homo economicus into homo responsabilus, armed and equipped with various rights to boost sustainability (as opposed to waste and negative life cycle impacts), competitiveness and, generally, a proper functioning of the internal single market. 25 In order to achieve it, 17 MATUSZEWSKA-PIERZYNKA, A. Relationship between corporate sustainability performance and corporate financial performance: evidence from U.S. companies. Equilibrium [online]. 2021, 16(4), 885–906 [viewed 15 September 2023]. https://doi.org/10.24136/eq.2021.033. 18 KRAMER, M.R., and PFITZER, M.W. The Ecosystem of Shared Value. Business and society. Harvard Business Review , 2016. 19 MacGREGOR PELIKÁNOVÁ, R., and SANI, M. Luxury, Slow and Fast Fashion – A Case study on the (Un) sustainable Creating of Shared Values. Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy , 2023, 18(3), 813–851. https://doi.org/10.24136/eq.2023.026. 20 MacGREGOR PELIKÁNOVÁ, R., SANI, M., and RUBÁČEK, F. Sustainable and responsible creation of shared values in the fast fashion industry – I will believe it when I see it . Visions for Sustainability , 2024, 21, 8873, 1–29. https://doi.org/10.13135/2384-8677/8873. 21 VON DER LEYEN, U. Political Guidelines for the next European Commission 2019-2024: A Union that strives for more. My agenda for Europe. Available from: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/resources/library/med ia/20190716RES57231/20190716RES57231.pdf. 22 Communication from the Commission COM/2019/640 final The European Green Deal [online]. In EUR-Lex. Available from: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52019DC0640&qid=1694 878065652. 23 EUROPEAN COMMISSION. PRESS RELEASE. New Consumer Agenda: European Commission to empower consumers to become the driver of transition. 13 November 2020. Brussels [online]. Available from: https:// ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_2069. 24 BOČKOVÁ, N. The Role of the Green Deal in Start-ups’ Approach to Innovation. In STANÍČKOVÁ, M. and L. MELECKÝ (eds.). Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on European Integration 2022. Ostrava: VSB – Technical University of Ostrava, 2022. ISBN 978-80-248-4604-0 (print). 25 GALLARDO-VÁZQUEZ, D., VALDEZ-JUÁREZ, L.E., and CASTUERA-DÍAZ, A.M. Corporate Social Responsibility as an Antecedent of Innovation, Reputation, Performance, and Competitive Success: A Multiple Mediation Analysis. Sustainability [online]. 2019, 11(20), 5614 [viewed 16 September 2023]. https://doi. org/10.3390/su11205614.

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