Modern slavery | UK Regulatory Outlook October 2024

Modern Slavery Act 2015: UK select committee calls for urgent reforms

A House of Lords select committee has published a report evaluating the impact and effectiveness of the Modern Slavery Act (MSA) 2015 following the UK Parliament's request for a review.

The committee's report, "The Modern Slavery Act 2015: becoming world-leading again", published on 16 October is generally critical of the existing legislation, with the committee stating that the UK's response to modern slavery "has not kept up with the advances of other nations".

The House of Lords Select Committee on the Modern Slavery Act 2015 has highlighted areas where the UK has fallen behind in its approach to tackling modern slavery and offers a series of recommendations for improvement. Read more in our Insight.

European Parliament approves Regulation on forced labour products

The European Parliament has approved the final text of the Regulation on forced labour products which will prohibit products made with forced labour going on the EU market. The Council is expected to formally adopt the text without further amendments.

After this, the regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will enter into force on the day following its publication. The regulation will apply three years after its date of entry into force.