EU Recent Initiatives on "Decent Work for All": The Regulation on forced labour-free products

Forced labour constitutes a serious violation of human dignity and fundamental human rights, stands in the way of the achievement of decent work for all and, regrettably, remains prevalent in the global economy. The EU has adopted dedicated policies and legislative initiatives aimed at eradicate the use of forced labour and promote decent work and labour rights worldwide. However, there is currently no EU legislation that would eliminate forced-labour products from the Union market. The heightened risk that products made with forced labour might not only (directly) exported but also re exported to the Union market explains the recent legislative process undertaken by the EU institutions finalised to adopt a new EU regulatory initiative aimed at prohibiting the placing and making available on the EU market as well as exporting from the EU market forced-labour products, named (simply) the EU Forced Labour Regulation (FLR). This article will analyse the text of the forthcoming FLR in its final version at the time of writing, that is as adopted by the European Parliament in April 2024. In particular, it will – first of all – extensively examine the rich content of the new EU trade instrument addressing forced labour by focusing on its aims and legal basis, wide ranging material and personal scope of application, enforcement and governance framework and (future) evaluation and review. Secondly, it will assess the main strengths and shortcomings of this ambitious EU initiative intended to eliminate forced-labour products from the Union market and, hence, further contribute to the fight against forced labour worldwide.