What is EICC? Historical background and the RBA today

EICC became the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) in October 2017. This article retains EICC terminology for its original context; current projects should apply the appropriate RBA Code and programme requirements. RBA Code of Conduct 8.0 took effect on 1 January 2024.

RBA — Code of Conduct

Introduction to EICC

EICC stood for Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition, a group of electronics companies working to improve social, ethical and environmental performance in their supply chains. EICC became the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) in October 2017. The Code and associated assessment programmes should not be described as a generic EICC certification.

The EICC Code of Conduct established expectations for safe working conditions, respectful treatment of workers, environmental responsibility and ethical business practices in electronics supply chains.

Scope and application of the Code

The original scope covered organizations designing, marketing, manufacturing or supplying goods and services used to make electronics. Businesses could voluntarily adopt the Code and apply it across their supply chains and subcontractors, including contract-labour providers.

A participating business was expected to declare support for the Code, actively pursue compliance and establish an appropriate management system.

The Code was intended as a supply-chain-wide initiative. Participants were expected, at a minimum, to ask next-tier suppliers to acknowledge and implement it.

Businesses must comply with applicable laws and regulations wherever they operate. The Code encouraged progress beyond basic legal compliance, drawing on internationally recognized social, environmental and ethical principles, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The coalition sought continuing stakeholder input into the development and implementation of its Code.

Five parts of the Code

• A. Labour
• B. Health and safety
• C. Environment
• D. Business ethics
• E. Management systems

Part E identifies management-system elements that support implementation of the Code.

Reference documents

EICC Code of Conduct 5.0 — Vietnamese, historical document

RBA Code of Conduct — current source