EU to ban products made with forced labor

BRUSSELS

The European Commission presented on Wednesday a legal draft to eliminate products made with forced labor from the bloc’s market.

“The proposal covers all products, namely those made in the EU for domestic consumption and exports, and imported goods, without targeting specific companies or industries,” the EU executive body explained in a statement.

“This proposal will make a real difference in tackling modern-day slavery, which affects millions of people around the globe,” EU Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis said announcing the draft.

Under the new rules, national authorities could remove items produced in the EU or outside the bloc from the market, as well as prevent their import or export if an investigation proves they had been made with forced labor.

The proposal tasks customs authorities with an extra responsibility to identify and stop such products before entering the EU market.

The investigations could be launched based on reports from civil society and international databases.

The EU would also require private companies to act with “due diligence” to cut out suppliers who apply forced labor.

If adopted by EU member states and the European Parliament, the new measures will enter into force with a 24-month grace period.

According to European Commission’s estimates, over 27.6 million people work worldwide in forced labor.