In a Green Paper published in 2001, CSR was defined as a "concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with stakeholders on a voluntary basis (European Commission, 2001)." And in a Communication issued in 2002 it was said that "CSR is behaviour by businesses over and above legal requirements, voluntarily adopted because businesses deem it to be in their long-term interest (European Commission, 2002)."
This definition has become a standard in Europe and a reference worldwide. The international framework for CSR continues to change via initiatives by international organizations including:
- The United Nations,
- The International Labour Organization,
- The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development,
- The European Union.