{"id":9063,"date":"2026-10-14T08:02:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T06:02:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trustnet.trade\/blogs\/what-evidence-will-the-eu-flr-accept"},"modified":"2026-10-14T08:02:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T06:02:23","slug":"what-evidence-will-the-eu-flr-accept","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trustnet.trade\/en\/blogs\/what-evidence-will-the-eu-flr-accept","title":{"rendered":"What Evidence Will the EU-FLR Accept?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

The main objective of the EU Forced Labour Regulation (EU-FLR) is to prevent products made using forced labour from entering or remaining on the EU market. \u00a0The principle is straightforward. \u00a0The question is how businesses can prove that forced labour was not involved in their supply chains.<\/p>\n

From 14 December 2027, products made wholly or partly using forced labour cannot be placed on the EU market or exported from the EU. \u00a0Authorities will have the power to investigate suspected cases. \u00a0If forced labour is established, the products will be removed from the EU market.<\/p>\n

Companies still have unanswered questions.<\/p>\n

How can my company prove that our products were not made using forced labour when we cannot fully see, access, or verify our supply chains?<\/p>\n

The EU-FLR does not require companies to conduct mandatory audits. Nor is there an annual forced labour report to file. However, this does not mean that evidence is any less important.<\/p>\n

If a product is investigated, the company must be able to explain where it came from, who made it, how it was made, and what the company did to identify the risk of forced labour. \u00a0This means that having a forced labour policy is not sufficient. \u00a0The company must also have evidence to demonstrate what it did when an investigation took place.<\/p>\n

What Counts as Credible Evidence?<\/h2>\n

Companies are collecting evidence. \u00a0We have supplier declarations, social audit reports, supplier codes of conduct, contractual commitments, and records showing where products were made. \u00a0But will this evidence be considered credible? \u00a0Each type of evidence has its own limitations.<\/p>\n

A supplier may confirm that it does not use forced labour, yet lack full visibility into its own suppliers’ supply chains. \u00a0Such a declaration may provide little meaningful assurance. \u00a0A social audit may cover a factory but not the raw materials entering it. \u00a0Audit staff may also lack access to the right workers to obtain a fuller picture of their working conditions.<\/p>\n

An audit report may address what can be established, but what about what cannot? \u00a0Therefore, the report is not conclusive. \u00a0Similarly, a production record may show where a product was made without revealing where its components came from.<\/p>\n

The question remains: what counts as credible evidence? \u00a0To achieve full visibility, there must be a traceable chain of evidence. \u00a0But is this realistic?<\/p>\n

How Much Evidence Is Enough?<\/h2>\n

How many documents and audits are enough? \u00a0How far upstream must a company trace its supply chain? \u00a0The EU-FLR does not provide a simple, clear answer to these questions.<\/p>\n

This creates uncertainty when applying a risk-based approach. Should a company investigate a high-risk product, known to be associated with forced labour, in the same way as a low-risk product?<\/p>\n

When a company decides to stop investigating a product because it believes it already has enough information to make a decision, it must also be able to explain that decision if questioned by the authorities. The company must demonstrate a credible chain of evidence and explain any gaps within it.<\/p>\n

The same question arises: is it realistic to achieve full visibility across the entire chain of evidence?<\/p>\n

The reality is that global supply chains are extremely complex. It would be a gamble for any company to guarantee that forced labour is not involved at any stage of production.<\/p>\n

What Can You Do Now?<\/h2>\n

Here are four questions companies can consider when assessing their supply chains and preparing their evidence.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What Are the Critical Parts of the Supply Chain?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Every supplier and supply chain has a different level of risk. Where the risk of forced labour is higher, companies should identify the relevant products, raw materials, production processes, and geographical locations.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. What Evidence Do We Have?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Companies should ensure that all collected evidence is properly classified, for example, as self-declared, independently verified, corroborated by multiple sources, directly observable, or unavailable.<\/p>\n

      Companies should also seek to reduce gaps in the chain of evidence by addressing information gaps wherever possible.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Where Are the Gaps?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Gaps in the chain of evidence, including unavailable information, do not necessarily mean that forced labour is present. However, companies must be able to demonstrate that they have credible processes for identifying, investigating, and responding to forced labour risks.<\/p>\n

        When information is unavailable, companies should document what is missing, why it is unavailable, and what steps they have taken to obtain it.<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. What Do We Do When the Evidence Is Inadequate?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          A company may require corrective action, increase monitoring, seek an alternative supplier, suspend orders, or terminate a business relationship. This is where due diligence becomes a business decision and an essential part of an effective risk-management system.<\/p>\n

          The Challenge of Proving Compliance<\/h2>\n

          A company may need to demonstrate the full chain of evidence supporting its actions: what it knew, what it did not know, why it could not obtain further information, what it did to close the gaps, and how it responded to unavailable information.<\/p>\n

          What if suppliers refuse to cooperate? What if the laws in the countries where suppliers operate make due diligence difficult or impossible?<\/p>\n

          These challenges represent some of the hardest compliance problems in achieving the EU-FLR’s objective of preventing products made using forced labour from entering or remaining on the EU market, or being exported from the EU.<\/p>\n

          How Can Trustnet.Trade Help<\/strong><\/p>\n

          Trustnet.Trade helps you close critical sanctions compliance gaps by going far beyond basic name screening. With instant KYB and UBO checks, real-time monitoring, and global sanctions screening including AMS and PEP, Trustnet.Trade helps you identify indirect ownership risks. Its automated alerts, visual ownership mapping, and compliance widgets give you continuous monitoring and transparency. Combined with risk-based questionnaires, and whistleblower modules, it keeps companies of any size up to date with evolving regulations, preventing reputational and financial risks from escalating into significant problems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          The main objective of the EU Forced Labour Regulation (EU-FLR) is to prevent products made using forced labour from entering or remaining on the EU market. \u00a0The principle is straightforward. \u00a0The question is how businesses can prove that forced labour was not involved in their supply chains. From 14 December 2027, products made wholly or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Evidence Will the EU-FLR Accept? - Trustnet.Trade<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/trustnet.trade\/en\/blogs\/what-evidence-will-the-eu-flr-accept\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Evidence Will the EU-FLR Accept? - Trustnet.Trade\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The main objective of the EU Forced Labour Regulation (EU-FLR) is to prevent products made using forced labour from entering or remaining on the EU market. \u00a0The principle is straightforward. \u00a0The question is how businesses can prove that forced labour was not involved in their supply chains. 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