Official publication of the EU ban on products made with forced labour

12/12/24

Following the vote of the European Parliament earlier in 2024 and the approval of the council in November 2024, the Forced Labour Regulation has officially been published on 12 December 2024.

On 12 December 2024 the EU Regulation prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market (i.e. the Forced Labour Regulation) was published in the Official Journal of the EU. This Regulation will ban the sale of products made with forced labour and mandates the removal of goods linked to forced labour from the EU market. Additionally, customs authorities will be carrying out controls on products entering and leaving the EU to ensure that products made or suspected to have been made with forced labour will not be imported or exported.

Although the publication of the Forced Labour Regulation means it will now enter into effect, companies are given three years to prepare for the obligations of this Regulation. As of 14 December 2027 the ban on products made with forced labour will apply, meaning companies must then be able to demonstrate that their goods are not the result of focred labour to avoid products being banned from the EU market.

For more information what the Forced Labour Regulation means for your company and how PwC can help prepare for this Regulation, please see our earlier publication on the Forced Labour Regulation linked below.