Proposal for a Regulation on prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market

Summary:

Legislative initiative tabled by the European Commission on 14 September 2022, aimed at prohibiting products made with forced labour on the market in the European Union (EU). This is a text with EEA relevance.

Further information:

The aim of this proposal is to effectively prohibit the placing and making available on the EU market and the export from the EU of products made with forced labour, including forced child labour. The prohibition covers domestically produced and imported products. Building on international standards and complementing existing horizontal and sectoral EU initiatives, the proposal lays down a prohibition supported by a robust, risk-based enforcement framework.

The initiative was announced by the President of the European Commission during her State of the European Union (SOTEU) address on 14 September 2022. The general elements of this draft Regulation were laid down in February 2022 in the Communication on decent work worldwide and in the draft Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence.

Official

S&D EP Group: Newsroom, 13/09/2022: S&Ds’ call finally heard – Commission to propose an EU-wide ban on products made with forced labour https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/newsroom/sds-call-finally-heard-commission-propose-eu-wide-ban-products-made-forced-labour

European Commission: Press Release, 14/09/2022: Commission moves to ban products made with forced labour on the EU market https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_5415

European Commission: Questions and Answers: Prohibition of products made by forced labour in the Union Market (14 September 2022) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_22_5416

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News

Kathimerini, 10/09/2022: EU aims to ban products, imports made with forced labour https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1193021/eu-aims-to-ban-products-imports-made-with-forced-labour/

The Brussels Times, 11/09/2022: EU needs to 'get tough' on widespread slave labour goods, say experts https://www.brusselstimes.com/285593/eu-needs-to-get-tough-on-widespread-slave-labour-goods-say-experts

EurActiv, 13/09/2022: EU set to ban forced labour products from the bloc’s market https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/eu-set-to-ban-forced-labour-products-from-the-blocs-market/

France24: Business Daily, 13/09/2022: European Commission proposes new rules to ban forced labour products https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/business-daily/20220913-european-commission-proposes-new-rules-to-ban-forced-labour-products

Euronews, 13/09/2022: Brussels to unveil plans to ban products made using forced labour https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/09/13/brussels-to-unveil-plans-to-ban-products-made-using-forced-labour

Le Monde, 13/09/2022: European Commission to unveil plan against forced labor https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2022/09/13/european-commission-will-unveil-plan-to-combat-forced-labor_5996800_19.html

Reuters, 14/09/2022: EU proposes banning products made with forced labour https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/eu-proposes-banning-products-made-with-forced-labour-2022-09-14/

Politico, 14/09/2022: European Commission releases forced labor ban proposal https://www.politico.eu/article/european-commission-releases-forced-labor-ban-proposal/

Deutsche Welle, 14/09/2022: EU ban too feeble to fight forced labor, groups say https://p.dw.com/p/4Gphw

Associated Press (AP News), 14/09/2022: EU moves to ban products made with forced labor https://apnews.com/article/global-trade-slavery-forced-labor-4344b365a89b1ee39de58db2ba5d56f5

Swissinfo.ch, 14/09/2022: EU proposes banning products made with forced labour https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/eu-proposes-banning-products-made-with-forced-labour/47899852

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Commentary and Analysis

Euronews, 14/09/2022: How would the EU's proposed ban on products made with forced labour work? https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/09/14/how-would-the-eus-proposed-ban-on-products-made-with-forced-labour-work

European Coalition for Corporate Justice: News, 14/09/2022: European Commission announces new tool banning forced labour goods https://corporatejustice.org/news/european-commission-announces-new-tool-banning-forced-labour-goods/

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