EU bans products made with forced labour across markets

Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The EU regulation bans products made with forced labour, requiring national authorities to cooperate and enforce the law across member states.

The European Council has approved a regulation banning products in the European Union market that are made utilising forced labour. The text prohibits the placing and making available on the Union market, or the export from the Union market, of any product made using forced labour. 

What does the EU regulation ban on forced labour entail?

As reported by the EU Council, this regulation forms the necessary framework on which to base lawful action targeting products produced with forced labour on the internal market. The Commission will make a database of forced labour risk areas or products to keep the work of competent authorities in assessing possible violations of this law. 

What role do national authorities play in enforcement?

European Council stated that state authorities should communicate information with other member states if they doubt that violations of the regulation emerge in other parts of the European Union, or share data with the Commission if they suspect the service of forced labour in a third country. The final judgment will be taken by the authority that led the analysis. The decision taken by a national authority will apply in all other member states, based on the principle of mutual recognition.

In the next steps, following the Council’s approval the legislative action has been adopted.

After being inscribed by the President of the European Parliament and the President of the Council, the regulation will be issued in the Official Journal of the European Union and will take into force on the day following its publication.

How many people globally work in forced labour conditions?

According to sources, around 27.6 million people operate in forced labour conditions around the world, in many industries and on every mainland. Most forced labour takes place in the private sector, while some is set by public authorities. The Commission proposed the rule to prohibit products made using forced labour in the EU on 14 September 2022. The Council assumed its negotiating position on 26 January 2024.