EU to ban forced-labour products in move mostly targeted at China

The European Parliament has approved sweeping new rules designed to stamp out products tainted with forced labour from the EU market.

Transcript

00:00 The EU is attempting to eradicate forced labour from European markets.

00:06 Under new rules backed by a majority of lawmakers,

00:10 products made using forced labour will be banned.

00:14 That includes goods made in the bloc with materials produced abroad.

00:19 The new regulation allows national authorities or the European Commission

00:24 to investigate products with suspected links to forced labour

00:28 and seize them at the borders.

00:30 If you take into account that around 27.6 million people

00:35 are a victim of forced labour in the world,

00:38 then this really means that we need to fight forced labour.

00:41 These are serious human rights violations.

00:43 And what happened today is that also the European Parliament said

00:47 we will stop allowing products made out of forced labour on the internal market.

00:53 This will strengthen our market.

00:55 This will protect companies. This will protect consumers.

00:58 But mainly it will protect human lives.

01:01 Products involving forced labour will be donated, recycled or destroyed.

01:08 The International Labour Organization says at least 28 million people

01:14 are involved in modern day slavery, including 3 million children.

01:18 The rules apply to products manufactured anywhere in the world.

01:22 However, China appears to be the main target.

01:25 There will be a list of high risk areas and sectors.

01:30 And indeed an indicator is the state imposed forced labour.

01:34 This is what we find in China. This is what we find in Xinjiang,

01:38 where we find so many Uyghur people being violated in their rights.

01:44 And this is exactly what needs to stop.

01:46 A recent report found links between dozens of major European clothing brands

01:51 and forced labour in detention camps in China.

01:55 If approved by all 27 member states, the changes will begin in 2027.

02:02 [Whoosh]