This well-researched book examines how the European Union could do more to ensure that EU-based multinational enterprises (MNEs) respect human rights when operating in third world countries. Alexandra Gatto identifies the primary obligations of MNEs as developed by international law, and investigates how the EU has promoted the respect of human rights obligations by the MNEs to date. The significant gap between the EU's commitment to the respect and promotion of human rights, the potential to regulate the conduct of MNEs, and the EU's reluctance to impose human rights obligations on MNEs, is t