The EU's Pushing for Legislation Related to "Prohibition of Products Made with Forced Labour":Normative Conflicts and Practical Challenges
The European Union is pushing for legislation related to"prohibition of products made with forced labour",which will have significant impact on the international economic and trade environment,including China's economic and trade activities.The EU's relevant documents and legislative proposals are in essence"business and human rights"norms with EU characteristics,which have dual implications—the spillover effect of regional rule of law process and the instrumentalization of human rights law.In formulating and implementing the above-mentioned legislation,the EU shall adhere to the fundamental principles of international law,respect the purpose and spirit of the relevant UN initiatives,and fulfill the obligations under the rules of WTO,such as commitments of developed contracting parties to refrain from imposing trade barriers.At a practical level,these new EU"laws"will increase costs for developing countries seeking access to both the EU market and global supply chains,exacerbating their trade and employment environments while ultimately harming labourers'interests in those countries.To address this issue effectively,China could take the following measures:strengthen communication with the EU,and urge the EU restraint from any inclination towards trade protectionism or instrumentalization of human rights legislation;pro-actively set high-standard international economic and trade rules as benchmark,promote deep-level reforms,and continue to expand high-level opening-up under the safeguard of the rule of law;provide professional compliance guidance for Chinese corporations to enhance their international competitiveness;formulate pragmatic contingency plans aimed at preventing potential adverse impacts resulting from the EU's"laws"related to forced labour as well as their implementation.
European Unionforced labourbusiness and human rightstrade protectionismBrussels Effect
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
