Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) and Internal Market (IMCO) Committee are due to meet at 7pm on Monday 16 October to vote on the text of the regulation aimed at banning the marketing within the EU of products produced using forced labour (see EUROPE 13021/17).
This vote comes after several months of discussions between MEPs and a number of sticking points between the groups. The case of the reversal of the burden of proof (see EUROPE 13171/4), an amendment very dear to the Renew Europe rapporteur of the text, Samira Rafaela, has in particular been the subject of changes at the instigation of the EPP, since its first draft last April.
According to several sources, MEPs are proposing to shift this burden onto companies when the product or its production area is on the list of areas at high risk of forced labour. However, this proof must relate to the suspected products on a case-by-case basis, and not to the company as a whole.
One of the most delicate compromises, which EUROPE has been able to consult, concerns the preliminary investigation process and the way in which the investigation is carried out when a product is suspected by the authorities of being the result of forced labour.
This compromise has been the subject of several amendments by the EPP, which is keen to introduce a more flexible approach to the regulation for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), for fear of penalising European competitiveness.
However, according to several sources close to the matter, the majority of MEPs are expected to vote in favour of the negotiating mandate directly during the committee session, thus not having to go through a plenary vote in order to avoid a “flood” of amendments that could short-circuit the legislative process. (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)