On 17 June 2025, the Paris Court of Appeal issued its first ruling under France's Duty of Vigilance Law, marking a significant moment for corporate accountability. The judgment upheld the lower court's decision requiring La Poste to revise its vigilance plan, offering key clarifications on what companies must do to meet legal standards.
La Poste's 2021 vigilance plan was challenged for failing to meet the law's requirements. The court found the plan to be inadequate in four key areas:
- Risk mapping too vague: the plan was held to lack specificity and failed to prioritise serious risks. The court emphasised that companies must clearly identify and prioritise risks based on severity.
- Inadequate third-party assessments based on risk-mapping La Poste's system for evaluating suppliers did not adequately align with the risk-mapping that had been undertaken.
- Insufficient trade union consultation: The Court held that the whistleblowing report mechanism was not established with sufficient consultation with trade unions, and that such consultation must be genuine and occur before implementation.
- Lack of transparency and follow-up: The plan didn't adequately explain how risks would be monitored or mitigated over time.
This ruling is important and sets a precedent for how French courts will interpret the Duty of Vigilance Law. It reinforces that companies must go beyond generic statements and show real, risk-based planning and stakeholder engagement. This case signals stricter scrutiny of corporate human rights and environmental due diligence.
With appreciation to Amineh Farasatmand for her contribution in preparing this blog.
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