The Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) is a European industry controlled auditing initiative which was launched in Brussels on 30 November 2004. Under the aegis of some of Europe's largest retailers, this initiative sets out to audit and monitor the social performance of their suppliers world-wide by utilizing one common system.

The BSCI code refers to International Labour Organisation conventions and United Nations declarations. However, in the view of the Clean Clothes Campaign -- the BSCI's most outspoken critic -- the BSCI code has a major flaw: it is ambiguous on freedom of association and does not explicitly state that the employer must respect workers' right to form or join unions of their choice and to bargain collectively. It only encourages members to strive to provide workers with a living wage.

The BSCI monitors for compliance with its own code of conduct, and does an analysis of the gap between compliance with its code standards and those of the (stronger) SA8000 standard of Social Accountability International (SAI).

Monitors are hired directly by the company, although they must be accredited by Social Accountability International. The company also selects which factories are audited.

There is no worker or third-party complaints mechanism under the BSCI. No NGOs or trade unions sit on its executive board.

For more information on the BSCI, please visit: www.bsci-eu.org

For a critique of the BSCI, please see "What is the BSCI and how does it measure up"