The regulation, which still needs to be formally approved by the Council at ministerial level, forsees that in the entire EU the sale, import, and export of goods made using forced labour will be forbidden.

According to the envisaged rules:

• EU and national level authorities will be able to investigate suspicious goods, supply chains, and manufacturers.
• Producers of banned goods need to withdraw them from the EU single market and donate, recycle or destroy them.
• Non-compliant manufacturers will be fined. They will only be allowed back with their products in question on the EU market once the involved forced labour has been abolished.

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: “I am particularly pleased about the broad support that the new regulation received in the European Parliament plenary. 555 votes in favor and only 6 votes against show that the EU does not want to tolerate forced labour products any longer. This is an important sign to authoritarian third countries that still make systematic use of forced labour, including by political prisoners.”

He added: “The Council at ambassadors’ level in Coreper has already approved the regulation. We hope the Council at ministerial level will soon follow suit so that the new law can enter into force without delay. This new law constitute a significant deliverable of the EU’s employment and social agenda ahead of the EU elections in June.”

The full text of the new regulation is available here.