In December 2027, the EU’s new Forced Labour Ban Regulation will come into force. The new regulation prohibits products made with forced labour from being sold or placed on the EU internal market. It also applies to exports from the EU. The legislation affects all companies, regardless of size, and covers all sectors.
Today, similar regulations with bans on selling products made with forced labour are already in place in several countries, and many jurisdictions are strengthening their legislation in this area. The United States is one of the countries that has had forced labour legislation in place for several years. US now also increasingly requiring its trading partners to implement effective legislation.
In this webinar, Max Jürgens from Cattwyk, will explain what the EU’s new legislation means in practice for businesses and how it differs from, for example, US regulation. Max will also share experiences from Germany and its “German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act”.
Topics will include:
- A brief introduction to what forced labour is.
- What the EU Forced Labour legislation will mean for companies. Max will also share outcomes from the consultation that the EU Commission carried out in spring 2026.
- What happens if your products become subject to an investigation concerning forced labour?
- What can companies do now to prepare? How can risks of forced labour in supply chains be identified?
- How does the EU’s new legislation differ from, for example, the US framework?
- The US has proposed increased tariffs on countries without effective forced labour legislation. What is the development of similar legislation in other countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom?
Max will conclude by sharing information on the development of practical guidance documents and other tools that the EU is developing to support companies, including the EU database on areas and products with an increased risk of forced labour.
Feel free to recommend this webinar to your colleagues!
Speaker: Max Jürgens, Lawyer – Trade Compliance and Sustainability, Cattwyk
Max Jürgens, Lawyer – Trade Compliance and Sustainability, Cattwyk. Max’s legal practice focuses on advising on sanctions and embargoes, EU and US export control law, customs law matters, and international human rights protection in supply chains, including deforestation-free supply chains and the EU Forced Labour Ban.
Background information on forced labour and the EU Forced Labour Ban
Approximately 27.6 million people worldwide are in forced labour, of whom 3.3 million are children. It occurs in most industries and on all continents. Sectors identified as particularly high-risk include textiles, mining, agriculture, and certain services.
The EU Forced Labour Regulation was adopted on 13 December 2024 and will apply from 14 December 2027. The legislation prohibits the sale of goods made with forced labour on the EU internal market and also covers exports from the EU.
If there is a suspicion of forced labour linked to a product, an investigation is initiated. If forced labour is confirmed, the product is banned and must be removed from the EU internal market.
To support companies, the EU will, among other things, provide:
- the Forced Labour Single Portal to display relevant information for implementing the regulation
- guidelines to better understand and comply with the regulation
- a public database providing indicative information on forced labour risks in specific geographic areas or products
- SME support measures for small and medium-sized enterprises
- a single information submission point for reporting suspected forced labour violations
Source: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/goods/forced-labour-regulation_en
