Council adopts position on ban on products from forced labour on Eu market

Written By Josephine Norris

Back in September 2022, the Commission proposed a Regulation to ban products made from forced labour on the EU market. The proposal covers all products made available on the EU market, whether made in the EU for domestic consumption and for export, or imported.

Today, the Council has published its position - an important step in the inter-institutional legislative process. Seeing as the Parliament adopted a position for the trilogue negotiations last November, this paves the way for discussions to begin.

So what does the Council’s negotiating mandate tell us?

  • distance sales are in: broadening the scope of products that the Council wants to see covered by the rules

  • the Commission’s role is reinforced - as it has been in other recent legislative initiatives looking at supply chains - both in administration and enforcement

  • The Council wants to see specific administrative structures, among them a ‘forced labour single portal’ and a Union Network against Forced Labour Products

This file is one of the 2023-2024 legislative priorities for the EU.

Josephine Norris
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