Our work in the EU

Since 2017, our work in the European Union has focused on calling for the EU to introduce stronger laws and policy that will ensure corporations take meaningful steps to prevent forced labour and that victims of forced labour can access justice.

As the world’s largest consumer market, the EU has huge potential to take effective action to prevent forced labour in global supply chains. Over 16 million people are estimated to be in forced labour in the private sector, which includes people producing the materials in goods or products exported to the EU, as well as products produced in the EU. This includes, for example, wine from France, seafood from Thailand, minerals for technology from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and cotton from Turkmenistan and the Uyghur Region in China. 

Our advocacy includes calling on the EU to:

• Implement, enforce and improve mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation. These laws allow for companies to be held accountable for environmental and human rights impacts, including forced labour, and ensure victims can access remedy and justice  
• Implement import controls to block or seize products made with forced labour.  
• Strengthen the attention to forced labour in trade policy. 

How we work:

• Together with our EU allies, we advocate directly to European institutions, including the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of the European Union. 
• We support our civil society partners from around the world to participate in policy advocacy. We believe that the EU must directly consult with workers, trade unions, and civil society where forced labour is the most prevalent. 
• We engage with supportive businesses to support our campaigns. 
• We develop resources with partners on key issues related to these laws and policies aimed at strengthening implementation and adoption.

EU Forced Labour Regulation

Since 2021, Anti-Slavery International and ECCHR have been advocating for the EU to introduce import controls to block or seize goods made or transported in whole or in part with forced labour, 

As part of our advocacy in this area, we published a model law with the key elements that would create a worker-centred Regulation, analysis on evidentiary standards, an initial position paper, as well as a submission of evidence to the European Commission. 

The EU Forced Labour Regulation was adopted in 2024, prohibiting goods made with forced labour from being traded on the EU market. The regulation will be in full application in December 2027 and will require authorities to investigate supply chains and order products made with forced labour to be removed from the market.  

We are now working with our partners in the EU and around the world to ensure this legislation drives better business practices globally, improves the lives of workers worldwide, and stops companies profiting from forced labour in their supply chains.

EU mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence

In March 2026, the amended EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) took effect.  The CSDDD represents a major advancement in promoting responsible business conduct within and beyond the EU, holding companies accountable for human rights and environmental harm resulting from their activities. 

We are now working with our partners in the EU and around the world to ensure this legislation drives actual respect for people and the planet.  

Forced labour in trade

The European Union includes forced labour in a number of Free Trade Agreements, and this network of Free Trade Agreements will equally be used for international cooperation under the Forced Labour Regulation. The social partners and civil society organisations represented in so-called Domestic Advisory Groups (DAGs) have their say on the effects of the FTA on sustainability at large, including forced labour and this in the EU and in the partner country or countries.

Anti-Slavery is a member of the following DAGs:

• The EU Domestic Advisory Group under the EU-UK TCA
• The EU-Canada Domestic Advisory Group
• The EU-Central America Domestic Advisory Group
• The EU-Colombia/Peru/Ecuador Domestic Advisory Group
• The EU-Chile Domestic Consultative Group (DCG)
• The EU-Mercosur Domestic Advisory Group