Concerned in particular about human rights in the Chinese province of Xinjiang, European Union seeks to ban the import of products made with forced labour. The draft rules to this effect are prepared to pass as legislation.
When it becomes law, the prohibition would apply to all products, of any type, including their components, and would apply to products regardless of the sector, the origin, whether they are domestic or imported, or placed or made available on the Union market or exported.
More importantly, the draft envisages that the prohibition would apply to products for which forced labour has been used at any stage of their production, manufacture, harvest and extraction, including working or processing related to the products.
However, it will be the responsibility of the national governments of the 27-country European Union to establish the involve,ment of forced labour in making and processing the products. If proe, respective customs bodies will block the circulation of the products or withdraw them from the market.
Ostensibly targetting the chinese reputaion of the human right abuses in Uyghur muslims dominated Xinjiang region, the draft says a database of forced labour risk in specific geographic areas or specific products made with forced labour imposed by state authorities will be set up and made available to the public.
China vehemently denies abuses in Xinjiang, a major cotton and solar panel material producer stating that it is akin to slandering , the US has already enacted the Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act (UFLPA) last year.
EU law will carry the similar intent. It is widely held in the west that China is committing excesses on Uyghur Muslims amounting to genocide.
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