EU to Propose Forced Labor Import Ban, Indicating Legal Action, Law Firm Says
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's recent announcement that the EC intends to propose a ban on products made using forced labor indicates a further step toward forced labor prevention, international law firm Mayer Brown said. In her Sept. 15 annual State of the Union speech, von der Leyen said that “doing business around the world ... can never be done at the expense of people’s dignity and freedom” and that the EU “can never accept that [25 million globally] are forced to make products -- and that these products then end up for sale in shops here in Europe.”
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The announcement follows calls from the European Parliament for a legislative mechanism for traceability of goods made with forced and child labor, Mayer Brown said. Such a mechanism “could pave the way for a complete ban on the importation into the EU of goods produced through modern forms of slavery or forced labour, especially forced work of vulnerable groups extorted in violation of basic human rights standards,” the EP said. The forced labor import ban is expected to be part of the commission's Work Programme for 2022, meaning it could surface early next year, Mayer Brown said.