EU Forced Labour Regulation

The EU Forced Labour Regulation bans products made with forced labour from the EU market. Unlike the CSDDD, which focuses on company process obligations, this regulation targets products themselves. Any product where a competent authority finds that forced labour was used in production can be prohibited from sale and must be withdrawn from the market.

The regulation creates a two-track enforcement system: the European Commission handles investigations into forced labour linked to state-imposed practices or affecting supply chains across multiple member states, while national authorities handle cases within their jurisdictions.

For most Global South suppliers, the regulation is most immediately relevant if you supply into sectors or geographies that have been identified as high risk. The first investigations, expected to focus on products linked to state-imposed forced labour programmes, will establish the template for how the regulation is enforced.