Yves Rocher Group found liable under the French Duty of Vigilance law
In 2012, the French cosmetic multinational Yves Rocher acquired the majority of Kosan Kozmetik Sanayi, a subsidiary operating a factory in Gebze, Türkiye. Between 2018 and 2019, this subsidiary dismissed more than 130 workers.
According to the claimants, these employees had joined the Petrol-İş trade union to protest poor working conditions, systematic discrimination against women, and instances of gender-based violence . In response to the dismissals and subsequent lawsuits in Turkey, the parent company conducted an internal audit which led to a settlement agreement with a portion of the employees.
In April 2020, NGOs and the trade union issued a formal notice to LBYR, urging the group to enhance its risk-mapping processes and specifically include violations of trade union freedoms in its scope of potential serious harms. Legal proceedings were formally initiated in March 2022.
On March 12, 2026, the Paris Judicial Court ruled against the parent company, finding that it had failed to comply with its obligations under the Duty of Vigilance Law.
The judgment provides a rare judicial articulation of how civil liability operates within mandatory HREDD regimes, moving the focus from mere formal compliance to substantive adequacy.
Yves Rocher argued that they shouldn't be held responsible because their official corporate "vigilance plans" were focused on external supply chain risks, not their internal subsidiaries. They also argued that Turkish law, not French law, should apply to events happening in Turkey.
The court rejected these arguments, building a major new legal precedent based on three points:
Following the court's decision the French news service Le Parisien reported that, the Yves Rocher Group stated that it "has taken note of the ruling" and is "waiting for the decision to be formally notified to decide whether to appeal it," whilst reaffirming "its commitment to the principles of the duty of vigilance." (Original quote in French)
Referenced
The pioneering 2017 framework for mandatory vigilance, this law legally compels large French companies to actively prevent global human rights and environmental harms, backed by strict civil liability and a growing history of extraterritorial enforcement.
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