Prohibition for products made with forced labour on the EU market proposed

On 26 January 2024, the Council adopted its position on the proposed Regulation on prohibiting products made with forced labour on the European Union (EU) market and has a mandate to conduct interinstitutional negotiations.

In 2022, the EU Commission proposed a Regulation which would prohibit placing and making available on the EU market or exporting from the EU market products made with forced labour. If adopted, competent authorities from the Member States would be required to conduct investigations to determine if products are manufactured using forced labour, which may include conducting checks and inspections.

Companies would be required to disclose any required information and, upon authorities’ decision, remove or prohibit the sale and export of implicated products. The Union Network against Forced Labour Practices would be established to coordinate the measures taken by the Member States and EU.

Following the mandate by the Council, negotiations with the European Parliament will start shortly. If adopted, the Regulation would apply after 24 months from its entry into force (one day following the publication in the Official Journal).