The EU wants to ban products made from forced labor, particularly Uyghur production
An agreement was reached on Tuesday March 5 in Brussels to ban products resulting from forced labor from the European market.
This notably includes Chinese production involving the Uyghur Muslim minority.
Forced labor affects some 27.6 million people worldwide, including 3.3 million children, according to the International Labor Organization.
A person demonstrating in Berlin against the treatment inflicted by the Chinese authorities on Uyghurs, January 4, 2022. AP - Michael Sohn
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Through this agreement, investigations can be launched into suspected forced labor in companies' supply chains.
The European Commission will establish a list of products and risk areas, in particular those where forced labor is organized by the State.
If the use of forced labor is proven, the products concerned will be seized at the borders and withdrawn from the European market.
Fines may also be imposed on companies violating the legislation.
The Chinese region of Xinjiang
could be among the risk areas
.
The American authorities, as well as several other Western countries, have condemned the practice of massive forced labor carried out by the Chinese government
against the Uighur minority
in this region, which Beijing disputes.
A law passed by the US Congress already prohibits the United States from all imports of products from Xinjiang, unless companies in the region can prove that their production does not include forced labor.
On the scale of the 27, this agreement will still have to be formally approved by the Parliament and the European Council.
Also listen: Europe wants to ban the products of forced labor
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