Assessment and recommendations
Verity McCullagh,
Ben Vanpeperstraete,
Chloé Bailey
Report
2025
The European Union’s Regulation on prohibiting products made with forced labour on the EU market (otherwise known as the Forced Labour Regulation) entered into force on 13 December 2024. It bans the sale, import and export of goods made using forced labour.
Targeted action is needed to eliminate forced labour, protect the most vulnerable groups and effectively address the root causes of forced labour. Import controls can be a powerful tool to encourage compa- nies to carry out due diligence to prevent forced labour at both direct and indirect business partners, as well as to end and remediate identified cases of forced labour. Seizing products suspected of being made with forced labour can act as a strong incentive for companies to act swiftly, and cutting off market access can be a strong driver of meaningful action.
Since 2021, Anti-Slavery International and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) have been advocating for the EU to introduce import controls to block or seize goods made or transported in whole or in part with forced labour, including forced labour of children. As part of our advocacy in this area, we published a model law with the key elements that would create a worker-cen- tred Regulation, analysis on evidentiary standards, an initial position paper, as well as a submission of evidence to the European Commission.
