EU Parliament urges Commission to ban forced labor

By
Amelie Richter

According to EU figures, around 25 million people worldwide work in conditions that could be classified as forced labor. In countries such as China, these modern-day slaves pick cotton for clothing, harvest fruit and vegetables, or assemble electrical components. These goods then end up in the hands of European consumers. This is set to change. The European Parliament puts pressure on the executive EU Commission: In the fall, a long-requested draft law for an import and export ban on products from forced labor is to finally see the light of day in Brussels’ bureaucracy.