SUMMARY:

• On 30 June, the European Commission launched the Forced Labour Single Portal to support stakeholders in preparing for the implementation of the EU Forced Labour Regulation. The portal is intended to serve as a central information point for businesses, Member States and civil society organisations, providing practical guidance, support resources and implementation tools.
• Alongside the portal, the Commission also released a set of guidelines on the application of the regulation, a detailed assessment of which will follow in the coming days. Members can find the document attached.

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MORE INFORMATION:

The portal is intended to support preparation during the 18-month period before the Regulation becomes applicable (on 14 December 2027). It provides a central access point for businesses, public authorities and civil society organisations to understand the Regulation and prepare for its implementation.

The portal currently includes several resources, including:

• dedicated support resources and tools for SMEs;
• a provisional list of competent national authorities;
• plans for future tools, including a database providing indicative information on forced labour risks.

Together with the launch of the portal, the Commission also published guidelines on the Forced Labour Regulation. These provide more detailed guidance on the legal framework, the scope of the Regulation, the definition and types of forced labour, and the risk indicators that may be used to identify potential forced labour situations.

The Guidelines also explain the investigative process, explaining how competent authorities may prioritise and target investigations, request information from economic operators and other stakeholders, assess evidence, and adopt decisions where a violation of the forced labour ban is established. Enforcement and penalties are also addressed (such as enforcement of decisions within the EU and at the border), as well as guidance for economic operators on due diligence in relation to forced labour; this includes steps such as integrating forced labour due diligence into company policies, identifying and assessing risks, preventing or mitigating risks, monitoring effectiveness, communicating on actions taken and providing or cooperating in remediation.

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