On 14 September 2022, as part of a suite of regulatory changes targeting cross-border supply chains, the European Commission presented its proposal for a Forced Labour Regulation.

In November 2023, the European Parliament adopted its position on the Commission’s proposal, followed by the Council of the EU adopting its General Approach in January 2024. After intensive inter-institutional negotiations, EU co-legislators (the Council of the EU and the European Parliament) reached a provisional agreement on the text of the Forced Labour Regulation on 5 March 2024. On 23 April 2024, it was adopted by the Parliament and will be formally endorsed by the Council in the coming weeks.

The Forced Labour Regulation prohibits the sale or export of products made with forced labour, including child labour, within the EU. Our lawyers delve into the details of this new regulation and its link with the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive in their latest client alert.