The EU Forced Labour Regulation has been published today in the EU Official Journal and will enter into force tomorrow. This landmark legislation represents a comprehensive approach to eliminating forced labour and forced child labour throughout global supply chains, introducing strict measures that prohibit the placement and sale in the EU or the export from the EU market of products made using forced labour or forced child labour, regardless of their geographic origin.

The regulation extends its reach across all industries, ensuring that any product—from textiles and electronics to agricultural goods and mining products—must be free from forced labour or forced child labour at every stage of production, manufacture, harvest or extraction, as a whole or in part. The scale of the problem underscores the critical nature of this intervention. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), approximately 27.6 million people worldwide are trapped in forced labour, including 3.3 million children, making this EU regulation a crucial step towards addressing this severe violation of human rights that affects children worldwide.

The legislation establishes a robust framework for investigating forced labour cases in supply chains. National authorities in EU member states will conduct comprehensive investigations, with decisions to ban or withdraw products recognised across all EU member states. This approach provides a balanced mechanism that not only protects workers’ rights but also offers companies an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to ethical practices.

When national authorities determine that forced labour, including forced child labour, has been used in a product’s production, they can ban and withdraw the product from EU market and online platforms. However, the regulation also provides a pathway for companies to present evidence of preventive and remedial measures, potentially allowing them to lift the ban and return their products to the EU market.
Lavinia Liardo, Head of EU Policy and Advocacy at Terre des Hommes International Federation, praised the legislation as “ground-breaking and powerful.” She emphasized, “We are glad to see that the protection of workers and children’s rights, including the right to remedy, are now at the core of the EU’s trade and supply chains policies. The new European Commission should ensure that the EU Forced Labour Regulation will be fully implemented within and outside the EU.”

The significance of this regulation extends far beyond market protection. It complements the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, which entered into force in July 2024, and represents a transformative approach to international trade, holding companies accountable for their supply chain practices while providing a mechanism to protect vulnerable workers. Moreover, the regulation boosts consumer confidence by guaranteeing human rights standards in products, creating a new paradigm of ethical consumption.

The European Union has taken a significant stride in transforming global labour practices, setting a powerful precedent for protecting human rights in international trade. By implementing this comprehensive approach, the EU demonstrates its commitment to addressing forced labour worldwide, potentially influencing global standards for labour rights and ethical production.