Products made with forced labour: Council adopts ban

The Council has today adopted a regulation prohibiting products in the Union market that are made using forced labour. The text forbids the placing and making available on the Union market, or the export from the Union market, of any product made using forced labour. This is the last step in the decision-making procedure.

Investigating and combating forced labour

This regulation creates the necessary framework on which to base legal action targeting products made with forced labour on the internal market. The Commission will create a database of forced labour risk areas or products to support the work of competent authorities in assessing possible violations of this regulation. Based on an assessment of possible risks, the Commission (in the case of the use of forced labour outside the EU) or member state authorities (in the case of the use of forced labour within their territory) may initiate an investigation.

Member state authorities should share information with other member states if they suspect that violations of the regulation occur in other parts of the European Union, or share information with the Commission, if they suspect the use of forced labour in a third country. The final decision (i.e. to ban, withdraw and dispose of a product made using forced labour) will be taken by the authority that led the investigation. The decision taken by a national authority will apply in all other member states, based on the principle of mutual recognition.

Next steps

Following the Council’s approval today, the legislative act has been adopted.

After being signed by the President of the European Parliament and the President of the Council, the regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will enter into force on the day following its publication. It will apply 3 years after the date of entry into force.

Background

Approximately 27.6 million people work in forced labour conditions around the world, in many industries and in every continent. Most forced labour takes place in the private sector, while some is imposed by public authorities.

The Commission proposed the regulation to prohibit products made using forced labour in the EU on 14 September 2022. The Council adopted its negotiating position on 26 January 2024. The two co-legislators (Council and Parliament) reached a provisional agreement on 5 March 2024.

More information: Council of the European Union.