Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors
Budget
€100 — €0
EP Access
0
accredited persons
Staff
4
1.45 FTE
EU Grants
None
Mission & Goals
The Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors (APSCA) is the global professional body for social compliance auditors. Our remit is to enhance the credibility and consistency of social audits by strengthening auditor competency, ethical standards, and accountability systems. APSCA develops and administers independent certification pathways for auditors, oversees professional conduct and disciplinary processes, and works with audit firms, industry schemes, brands, and regulators to advance best practices in social compliance auditing. While APSCA is not a certification scheme or audit firm, we serve as a governance backbone for the auditing profession, supporting the integration of social audits as structured risk data within UNGP/ OECD-aligned due diligence systems. Our work contributes to responsible business conduct in global supply chains and informs emerging regulatory initiatives, including the EU CSDDD and the Forced Labor Regulation.
EU Legislative Interests
EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD/Omnibus) and EU Forced Labour Regulation. APSCA provides practical input on the role of social compliance audits in risk identification, remediation tracking, and due diligence implementation. We also contribute to discussions on the fitness criteria and oversight mechanisms for third-party verifiers to support credible, rights-based supply chain due diligence.
Communication Activities
APSCA participates in multi-stakeholder dialogues and technical consultations related to the EU CSDDD and Forced Labour Regulation, including engagement with EU institutions, Member States, and industry schemes. Key activities include: - Presentations at European forums and conferences (e.g. amfori Europe Sustainability Summit 2025) - Policy briefings and technical papers on audit reliability, auditor competency, and third-party verifier criteria with partners (brands, schemes, audit firms). - Co-authored publications (e.g. “Beyond the Checklist”, Dow Jones Risk & Compliance Journal, 2025). - Planned: bilateral exchanges with DG TRADE, DG GROW, and EU-funded platforms. - Planned: technical briefings on audit praxis and verification models, in collaboration with the European Commission/ European Parliament, Member States and interested stakeholders.
Interests Represented
Promotes their own interests or the collective interests of their members
Member Of
APSCA is a member of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE). We work closely with various social compliance schemes under so-called Collaborative Program Working Group, which involved but not limited to amfori, Sedex, WRAP, SAI and others.
Organisation Members
The link of APSCA member firms can be found here: https://www.theapsca.org/apsca-member-firms/.
Commissioner Meetings
No recorded meetings with EU commissioners.