Five MEPs from across the political spectrum have asked the European Commission how it plans to address the risk of products made with North Korean forced labour entering EU supply chains, as the Commission finalises implementation guidelines for the EU Forced Labour Regulation. The written question, submitted on 16 June 2026, warns that state-imposed forced labour in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) presents distinct due diligence challenges because the coercive mechanism is the state itself.
The question, signed by César Luena (S&D), Danuše Nerudová (PPE), Hanna Gedin (The Left), Nikola Minchev (Renew), and Vladimir Prebilič (Verts/ALE), notes that over 100,000 North Korean nationals work overseas under state control and that products of this labour have been traced into global supply chains, often relabeled as Chinese-made before export. Investigations have found such products in facilities supplying EU markets, including the European Parliament's cafeteria.
The Commission is due to finalise the implementation guidelines for the Forced Labour Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2024/3015) and a forced labour risk database by the end of June 2026. The MEPs ask three specific questions: how the Commission will reflect the DPRK's documented risk profile in the database; how it will ensure evidence on forced labour supply chains not covered by the regulation's specified sources can be considered, including findings validated by eligible bodies; and how the Commission can financially support non-governmental organisations documenting forced labour in the DPRK.
The question signals cross-party concern that the regulation's implementation may not adequately address the unique challenge of state-imposed forced labour, where the coercive mechanism is the state itself. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks, and its answer will indicate whether it plans to take additional measures to prevent DPRK-linked products from entering the EU market.