22
Apr
2024
Watch
Prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market (debate)
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, from time to time Europe not only issues what I have so often referred to as 'eurofollies', but also adopts sensible measures such as this one, which bans products made with forced labour on the EU market. Forced labour is a serious scourge of society affecting an important part of the world's population. According to the International Labour Organization, there are millions of people in the world, including millions of minors, forced into forced labour, and the profits from this exploitation amount to almost 220 billion euros each year and these profits have increased by 37% in a decade. Slavery is widespread all over the world, in Africa and in the Asian Pacific area, in the Arab States, where the total number of people enslaved compared to the total population rises drastically. Particular attention is due to the millions of products that enter the European market every year deserves China and some of its regions, where minorities of Muslim faith have been victims of serious human rights violations for years. More than 1 million people are detained and forced into forced labour. Their forced labour contributes to the production of numerous goods for various multinationals, goods sold mainly in Western European markets, therefore at home. And if these situations put the chills, there's worse: Exploitation of children. Millions of children exploited. Millions, while our children and grandchildren go to school to play sports or have fun. Fortunately, it is a phenomenon that is being tried to stem, but in some countries certain numbers cry out for revenge. In Thailand, 32% of the entire workforce is made up of children. There are nearly 60 million child labourers in India. In Nepal, 60% of children work in jobs that prevent their development. 7 million children work in Brazil. That is why I have welcomed this measure with confidence, which also provides guidelines for economic operators and authorities to help put an end to slavery in modern times.