The NCP published its Final Statement on 22 April 2026 regarding the notification submitted by two lawyers on behalf of 22 Italian organisations against Stellantis N.V. and FCA Italy S.p.A. The notification concerns alleged breaches of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises in the cobalt supply chain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
According to the notifying party, Stellantis does not provide sufficiently transparent and detailed information about the business activities of its suppliers operating in cobalt mines in the DRC. There is also said to be a lack of clarity regarding risk assessment in the supply chain and the traceability of critical materials.
In 2023 and 2024, mediation between the parties took place under the auspices of the NCP. This mediation did not lead to an agreement. The NCP then closed the dialogue phase and issued a Final Statement.
In the Final Statement, the NCP concludes that Stellantis acted in line with the 2011 OECD Guidelines, which were applicable at the time the notification was submitted. At the same time, the NCP finds that there is a systemic issue in the cobalt supply chain in the DRC, with heightened risks of human rights abuses, such as child labour.
The NCP makes the following recommendations to Stellantis:
- Conduct extensive supply chain due diligence (extended due diligence), in cooperation with other sectors and by joining relevant initiatives.
- Strengthen stakeholder engagement in line with the expectations of the 2023 OECD Guidelines. Engage with stakeholders in a meaningful way and provide substantive responses to their questions and concerns.
- Involve local stakeholders by, in consultation with the notifying party, adding one or more relevant local stakeholders in the DRC (such as NGOs) as stakeholders, and jointly defining criteria and forms of engagement.
- Investigate whether mines in the DRC where human rights abuses are suspected to have occurred are part of Stellantis’ supply chain.