Modern slavery | Regulatory Outlook October 2023

EU Parliament Joint Committees adopt report on prohibiting products made with forced labour

On 16 October 2023, the European Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) and Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) adopted a report on the proposal for a regulation on prohibiting products made with forced labour on the EU market.

The report, which was first presented in May 2023, seeks to improve the proposed regulation by strengthening of the role of the EU Commission in investigations, improving information exchange, and aims to help economic operators, in particular small and medium enterprises, to comply with the regulation.

It also seeks to protect individuals who have shared information about forced labour products and addresses forced labour imposed by state authorities.

The EU Parliament (in its plenary session) will now have to confirm it as their negotiating mandate, and once the EU Council also adopts its position, talks will begin on the final shape of the regulation. See more here.