### (29) in setting a reasonable time to comply with the order , competent authorities should take into account the size and economic resources of the economic operators concerned. ### (29) in framing its decision to sanction economic operators the authorities should take into account the imbalances of power in and around global supply chains and the individual responsibilities of all economic operators in the supply chain , including buyers and importers , in relation in particular to unfair purchasing practices. the proposal should clarify that any penalties to economic operators are non-transferable.


### (30) if the economic operators fail to comply with the decision of the competent authorities by the end of the established timeframe , the competent authorities should ensure that the relevant products are prohibited from being placed or made available on the union market , exported or withdrawn from the union market and that any such products remaining with the relevant economic operators are destroyed , rendered inoperable , or otherwise disposed of in accordance with national law consistent with union law , including union legislation on waste management at the expense of the economic operators. ### (30) if the economic operators fail to comply with the decision of the competent authorities by the end of the established timeframe , the competent authorities should ensure that the relevant products are prohibited from being imported , placed or made available on the union market , exported or withdrawn from the union market and that any such products remaining with the relevant economic operators seized , or otherwise disposed of in accordance with national law consistent with union law , at the expense of the economic operators.


### (31) economic operators should have the possibility to request a review of the decisions by the competent authorities , after having provided new information showing that it cannot be concluded that the relevant products have been made with forced labour. competent authorities should withdraw their decision where they establish on the basis of that new information , that it cannot be established that the products have been made with forced labour. ### (31) economic operators should have the possibility to request a review of the decisions by the competent authorities , after having provided new relevant information showing that it cannot be concluded that the relevant products have been made with forced labour. competent authorities should withdraw their decision where they establish on the basis of that new information , that it cannot be established that the products have been made with forced labour.


### (32) any person , whether it is a natural or legal person , or any association not having legal personality , should be allowed to submit information to the competent authorities when it considers that products made with forced labour are placed and made available on the union market and to be informed of the outcome of the assessment of their submission. ### (32) any person , whether it is a natural or legal person , or any association not having legal personality , should be allowed to submit information to the competent authorities when it considers that products made with forced labour are placed and made available on the union market and to be informed of the outcome of the assessment of their submission , as well as having the right to recourse once a decision is being made , by bringing in more information proving that forced labour is still present in the supply chain of the investigated economic operator. to enhance natural or legal persons and associations’ ability to submit such information to the competent authorities , the review of the union customs code should enable public access to customs information.


### (33) the commission should issue guidelines in order to facilitate the implementation of the prohibition by economic operators and competent authorities. such guidelines should include guidance on due diligence in relation to forced labour and complementary information for the competent authorities to implement the prohibition. the guidance on due diligence in relation to forced labour should build on the guidance on due diligence for union businesses to address the risk of forced labour in their operations and supply chains published by the commission and the european external action service in july 2021. the guidelines should be consistent with other commission guidelines in this regard and relevant international organisations’ guidelines. the reports from international organisations , in particular the ilo , as well as other independent and verifiable sources of information should be considered for the identification of risk indicators. ### (33) the commission should issue guidelines in order to facilitate the implementation of the prohibition by economic operators and competent authorities. such guidelines should include guidance on due diligence in relation to forced labour and complementary information for the commission and competent authorities to implement the prohibition. the guidance on due diligence in relation to forced labour should build on the guidance on due diligence for union businesses to address the risk of forced labour in their operations and supply chains published by the commission and the european external action service in july 2021. the guidelines should be consistent with other commission guidelines in this regard and relevant international organisations’ guidelines such as the un guiding principles on business and human rights and the oecd guidelines for multinational enterprises. the reports from international organisations , in particular the ilo , as well as other independent and verifiable sources of information should be considered for the identification of risk indicators.


### (34) decisions of the competent authorities establishing a violation of the prohibition should be communicated to customs authorities , who should aim at identifying the product concerned amongst products declared for release for free circulation or export. the competent authorities should be responsible for the overall enforcement of the prohibition with regard to the internal market as well as products entering or leaving the union market. since forced labour is part of the manufacturing process and does not leave any trace on the product , and regulation (eu) 2019/1020 covers only manufactured products and its scope is limited to release for free circulation , the customs authorities would be unable to act autonomously under regulation (eu) 2019/1020 for the application and enforcement of the prohibition. the specific organisation of controls of each member state should be without prejudice to regulation (eu) no 952/2013 of the european parliament and of the council32and its general provisions on the control and supervisory powers of customs authorities. ### (34) decisions of the commission and competent authorities establishing a violation of the prohibition should be communicated to customs authorities , who should aim at identifying the product concerned amongst products declared for release for free circulation or export. the competent authorities should be responsible for the overall enforcement of the prohibition with regard to the internal market as well as products entering or leaving the union market. since forced labour is part of the manufacturing process and transport and does not leave any trace on the product , and regulation (eu) 2019/1020 covers only manufactured products and its scope is limited to release for free circulation , the customs authorities would be unable to act autonomously under regulation (eu) 2019/1020 for the application and enforcement of the prohibition. the specific organisation of controls of each member state should be without prejudice to regulation (eu) no 952/2013 of the european parliament and of the council32and its general provisions on the control and supervisory powers of customs authorities.


### (36) customs authorities that identify a product that may be covered by a decision communicated by competent authorities establishing a violation of the prohibition should suspend the release of that product and notify the competent authorities immediately. competent authorities should reach a conclusion within a reasonable timeframe on the case notified to them by the customs authorities , either by confirming or by denying that the product concerned is covered by a decision. where necessary the competent authorities should be authorised to require maintaining the suspension of its release. in the absence of a conclusion by competent authorities within the specified time limit , customs authorities should release the products if all other applicable requirements and formalities are fulfilled. generally , the release for free circulation or export should also not be deemed to be proof of compliance with union law , since such a release does not necessarily include a complete control of such compliance. ### (36) customs authorities that identify a product that may be covered by a decision communicated by competent authorities establishing a violation of the prohibition should suspend the release of that product and notify the competent authorities immediately. competent authorities should reach a conclusion within a reasonable timeframe on the case notified to them by the customs authorities , either by confirming or by denying that the product concerned is covered by a decision or still under investigation. where necessary the competent authorities should be authorised to require maintaining the suspension of its release. in the absence of a conclusion by competent authorities within the specified time limit , customs authorities should release the products if all other applicable requirements and formalities are fulfilled. generally , the release for free circulation or export should also not be deemed to be proof of compliance with union law , since such a release does not necessarily include a complete control of such compliance


### (37) where the competent authorities conclude that a product corresponds to a decision establishing a violation of the prohibition , they should immediately inform customs authorities which should refuse its release for free circulation or export. the product should be destroyed , rendered inoperable , or otherwise disposed of in accordance with national law consistent with union law , including legislation on waste management , which excludes re-export in case of non-union goods. ### (37) where the competent authorities conclude that a product corresponds to a decision establishing a violation of the prohibition , they should immediately inform customs authorities which should refuse its release for free circulation or export. the product should be seized or otherwise disposed of in accordance with national law consistent with union law , including legislation on waste management , which excludes re-export in case of non-union goods.


### (42) to ensure effective enforcement decisions taken by a competent authority in one member state should be recognised and enforced by competent authorities in the other member states regarding products with the same identification from the same supply chain for which forced labour has been found. ### (42) to ensure effective enforcement decisions taken by the commission or a competent authority in one member state should be recognised and enforced by competent authorities in the other member states regarding products from the same production site , company , group of company or region for which forced labour has been found.


### (44) to ensure effective enforcement of the prohibition , it is necessary to establish a network aimed at structured coordination and cooperation between the competent authorities of the member states and , where appropriate , experts from customs authorities , and the commission. that network should also aim at streamlining the practices of the competent authorities within the union that facilitate the implementation of joint enforcement activities by member states , including joint investigations. that administrative support structure should allow the pooling of resources and maintain a communication and information system between member states and the commission , thereby helping to strengthen the enforcement of the prohibition. ### (44) to ensure effective enforcement of the prohibition , it is necessary to establish a centralised complaint mechanism at eu level , as well as a network aimed at structured coordination and cooperation between the competent authorities of the member states and , where appropriate , experts from customs authorities , and the commission. that network should also aim at streamlining the practices of the competent authorities within the union that facilitate the implementation of joint enforcement activities by member states , including joint investigations. that administrative support structure should allow the pooling of resources and maintain a communication and information system between member states and the commission , thereby helping to strengthen the enforcement of the prohibition.


### (45) since forced labour is a global problem and given the interlinkages of the global value chains , it is necessary to promote international cooperation against forced labour , which would also improve the efficiency of applying and enforcing the prohibition. the commission should as appropriately cooperate with and exchange information with authorities of third countries and international organisations to enhance the effective implementation of the prohibition. international cooperation with authorities of non-eu countries should take place in a structured way as part of the existing dialogue structures , for example human rights dialogues with third countries , or , if necessary , specific ones that will be created on an ad hoc basis. ### (45) since forced labour is a global problem and given the interlinkages of the global value chains , it is necessary to promote international cooperation against forced labour , which would also improve the efficiency of applying and enforcing the prohibition and increase efforts to tackle root causes of forced labour. the commission should as appropriately cooperate with and exchange information with authorities of third countries and international organisations , as well as with other relevant actors including civil society , to enhance the effective implementation of the prohibition. international cooperation with authorities of non-eu countries should take place in a structured way as part of the existing dialogue structures , for example human rights dialogues with third countries , or , if necessary , specific ones that will be created on an ad hoc basis. the eu delegations shall have a central role within the aim of effectively eradicating forced labour as well as for dissemination of the regulation and possibility of third parties to provide information on existence of forced labour on a determined product.


### 1. this regulation lays down rules prohibiting economic operators from placing and making available on the union market or exporting from the union market products made with forced labour. ### 1. this regulation lays down rules: a) prohibiting economic operators from importing , placing and making available on the union market or exporting from the union market products made with forced labour , and b) for remedial obligations for importers on economic operators for instances where forced labour is found.


### 2. this regulation shall not cover the withdrawal of products which have reached the end-users in the union market. ### 2. this regulation shall not cover the withdrawal of products which have reached the individual consumers in the union market.


### ‘forced labour’ means forced or compulsory labour as defined in article 2 of the convention on forced labour , 1930 (no. 29) of the international labour organization , including forced child labour; ### ‘forced labour’ means forced or compulsory labour as defined in article 2 of the convention on forced labour , 1930 (no. 29) of the international labour organization , including forced child labour , taking into account the indicators set out in the ilo’s ‘hard to see , harder to count’ guidelines;


### ‘forced labour imposed by state authorities’ means the use of forced labour as described in article 1 of the convention on the abolition of forced labour , 1957 (no. 105) of the international labour organization; ### ‘forced labour imposed by state authorities’ means the use of forced labour as described in article 1 of the convention on the abolition of forced labour , 1957 (no. 105) of the international labour organization , including the punishment for the expression of political views , for the purposes of economic development , as a means of labour discipline , as punishment for participation in strikes , or as a means of racial , religious or other discrimination;


### ‘due diligence in relation to forced labour’ means the efforts by economic operator to implement mandatory requirements , voluntary guidelines , recommendations or practices to identify , prevent , mitigate or bring to an end the use of forced labour with respect to products that are to be made available on the union market or to be exported; ### ‘due diligence in relation to forced labour’ means the efforts by economic operator to implement mandatory requirements , mandatory and voluntary guidelines , or practices to identify , prevent , mitigate and bring to an end the use of forced labour with respect to products that are to be made available on the union market or to be exported;


### ‘making available on the market’ means any supply of a product for distribution , consumption or use on the union market in the course of a commercial activity , whether in return for payment or free of charge and in the case where the product is offered for sale online or through other means of distance sales , the making available on the market is deemed to take place when the offer for sale is targeted at users in the union; ### ‘making available on the market’ means any import or supply of a product for distribution , consumption or use on the union market in the course of a commercial activity , whether in return for payment or free of charge and in the case where the product is offered for sale online or through other means of distance sales , the making available on the market is deemed to take place when the offer for sale is targeted at users in the union;


### ‘product’ means any product that can be valued in money and is capable , as such , of forming the subject of commercial transactions , whether it is extracted , harvested , produced or manufactured , including working or processing related to a product at any stage of its supply chain; ### ‘product’ means any product or services that can be valued in money and is capable , as such , of forming the subject of commercial transactions , whether it is performed , extracted , harvested , produced or manufactured , transported or stored , including working or processing related to a product at any stage of its supply chain;


### ‘product supplier’ means any natural or legal person or association of persons in the supply chain who extracts , harvests , produces or manufactures a product in whole or in part , or intervenes in the working or processing related to a product at any stage of its supply chain , whether as manufacturer or in any other circumstances; ### ‘product supplier’ means any natural or legal person or association of persons in the supply chain who performs services , extracts , harvests , produces or manufactures , transports or stores a product in whole or in part , or intervenes in the working or processing related to a product at any stage of its supply chain , whether as manufacturer or in any other circumstances;


### ‘substantiated concern’ means a well-founded reason , based on objective and verifiable information , for the competent authorities to suspect that products were likely made with forced labour; ### 'reasonable suspicion’ means a well-founded reasonable , yet not conclusive , level of assurance based on objective and verifiable information , for the competent authorities to suspect that products were likely made with forced labour;


### ‘products entering the union market’ means products from third countries intended to be placed on the union market or intended for private use or consumption within the customs territory of the union and placed under the customs procedure ‘release for free circulation’; ### ‘products entering the union market’ means products from third countries and eu member states intended to be placed on the union market or intended for private use or consumption within the customs territory of the union and placed under the customs procedure ‘release for free circulation’;


### economic operators shall not place or make available on the union market products that are made with forced labour , nor shall they export such products. ### 1. economic operators shall not import , place or make available on the union market products that are made , transported or stored with forced labour , nor shall they export such products.


### [...] ### deleted


### 1. competent authorities that , pursuant to article 4(5) , determine that there is a substantiated concern of a violation of article 3 , shall decide to initiate an investigation on the products and economic operators concerned. ### 1. the commission and competent authorities shall initiate investigations following individual complaints as well as ex officio , following a risk-based approach in assessing the likelihood that economic operators violated article 3. that assessment shall be based on all relevant information available to them , including but not limited to:


### 2. competent authorities that initiate an investigation pursuant to paragraph 1 shall inform the economic operators subject to the investigation , within 3 working days from the date of the decision to initiate such investigation about the following: ### 2. the commission or the competent authorities that initiate an investigation pursuant to paragraph 1 shall only inform the economic operators subject to the investigation , in case it has reason to believe that the economic operator is in possession of additional information which is material to the investigation. it should do so within 3 working days from the date of the decision to initiate such investigation , about the following:


### the possibility for the economic operators to submit any other document or information to the competent authority , and the date by which such information has to be submitted. ### the possibility for the economic operators to submit any other document or information to the commission or competent authority , and the date by which such information has to be submitted.


### 3. where requested to do so by competent authorities , economic operators under investigation shall submit to those competent authorities any information that is relevant and necessary for the investigation , including information identifying the products under investigation , the manufacturer or producer of those products and the product suppliers. in requesting such information , competent authorities shall to the extent possible: ### 3. where requested to do so by the commission and competent authorities , economic operators under investigation shall submit to those competent authorities any information that is relevant and necessary for the investigation , including information identifying the products under investigation , the manufacturer or producer of those products and the product suppliers. in requesting such information , competent authorities shall to the extent possible:


### prioritise the economic operators under investigation involved in the steps of the value chain as close as possible to where the likely risk of forced labour occurs and ### identify the individual responsibilities , along the value chain , of different economic operators down to the level where forced labour is taking place and prioritise the economic operators under investigation involved in the steps of the value chain with the most leverage (in terms of economic turnover) to prevent , mitigate , remediate and bring to an end (the use of) forced labour in their operations and value chains;


### take into account the size and economic resources of the economic operators , the quantity of products concerned , as well as the scale of suspected forced labour. ### deleted


### 4. economic operators shall submit the information within 15 working days from the request referred to in paragraph 3 or make a justified request for an extension of that time limit. ### 4. economic operators shall submit the information within 15 working days from the request referred to in paragraph 3 or make a justified request for an extension of that time limit , the extension shall not amount to more than 5 working days. in the case of products presumed made with forced labour in accordance with article 11 , the competent authority shall inform the economic operator and provide a time limit for the economic operator to demonstrate that the products concerned are free of forced labour.


### 5. when deciding on the time limits referred to in this article , competent authorities shall consider the size and economic resources of the economic operators concerned. ### 5. once the competent authority initiates an investigation it shall assess the possible impacts of any decision to be adopted pursuant article 6(4) on the affected workers. that assessment shall be carried out with the meaningful engagement of affected workers and third parties legitimately representing their interests , such as trade unions and civil society organisations but also with specialised local and international ngos , local authorities , community members , community-level monitoring programmes , governments’ officials and labour inspectorates , most notably the actors that the workers perceive as their legitimate representatives.


### 6. competent authorities may carry out all necessary checks and inspections including investigations in third countries , provided that the economic operators concerned give their consent and that the government of the member state or third country in which the inspections are to take place has been officially notified and raises no objection. ### 6. the commission and competent authorities may carry out all necessary checks and inspections including investigations in third countries , provided that the government of the member state or third country in which the inspections are to take place has been officially notified and raises no objection , within a delimited timeframe.


### 1. competent authorities shall assess all information and evidence gathered pursuant to articles 4 and 5 and , on that basis , establish whether article 3 has been violated , within a reasonable period of time from the date they initiated the investigation pursuant to article 5(1). ### 1. competent authorities shall assess all information and evidence gathered pursuant to articles 4 and 5 and , on that basis , establish whether there is reasonable but not conclusive evidence that article 3 has been violated , within 12 months from the date they initiated the investigation pursuant to article 5(1).


### 3. where competent authorities cannot establish that article 3 has been violated , they shall take a decision to close the investigation and inform the economic operator thereof. ### 3. where competent authorities cannot establish that article 3 has been violated , they shall take a decision to close the investigation and inform the economic operator thereof. this closing of the investigation for lack of proof shall not preclude the right of competent authority to start a new investigation into the same product should new information be made available.


### 4. where competent authorities establish that article 3 has been violated , they shall without delay adopt a decision containing: ### 4. where competent authorities establish that article 3 has been violated , they shall without delay adopt a decision , taking into account the outcome of the impact assessment referred to in article 5(5) , containing:


### 6. where economic operators provide evidence to the competent authorities that they have complied with the decision referred to in paragraph 4 , and that they have eliminated forced labour from their operations or supply chain with respect to the products concerned , the competent authorities shall withdraw their decision for the future and inform the economic operators. ### 6. where economic operators provide evidence to the competent authorities that they have complied with the decision referred to in paragraph 4 , and that they have provided remedy in accordance with article 6(a) and eliminated forced labour from their operations or supply chain with respect to the products concerned , and that sustainable and effective processes have been put in place to prevent harms from continuing or taking place again in the future , the competent authorities shall withdraw their decision and inform the economic operators. at the exception of situations of state-imposed forced labour , the obligation to eliminate forced labour cannot be fulfilled by simply disengaging from their operators. pursuing prevention , minimisation and remediation efforts where appropriate , must be sought if there is reasonable expectation that these efforts are to succeed in accordance with a joint time-bound plan. termination of the business relationship with respect to the activities concerned shall only be considered if the potential adverse impact is severe and repeated prevention and mitigation attempts did not lead to meaningful action by the partner in question , or when ceasing the impact is impossible , in particular due to a state-imposed nature. economic operators shall engage meaningfully with stakeholders impacted , especially affected workers , by the decision to disengage before reaching this decision , and shall address the adverse impacts related to the decision to disengage and pursue remediation of past adverse impacts where appropriate.


### a reasonable time limit for the economic operators to comply with the order , which shall not be less than 30 working days and no longer than necessary to withdraw the respective products. when setting such a time limit , the competent authority shall take into account the economic operator’s size and economic resources; ### a reasonable time limit for the economic operators to comply with the order , which shall not be less than 30 working days and no longer than necessary to withdraw the respective products. when setting such a time limit , the commission or competent authority shall where relevant take into account the economic operator’s due diligence plans and the likelihood of the appropriate measures contained in this plan to end the forced labour within a reasonable time;


### 2. the commission shall adopt implementing acts further specifying the details of the information to be included in the decisions. those details shall as a minimum include details of information to be made available to customs authorities in accordance with article 16(3). those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure pursuant to article 29. ### 2. the commission shall adopt delegated acts further specifying the details of the information to be included in the decisions. those details shall as a minimum include details of information to be made available to customs authorities in accordance with article 16(3). those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure pursuant to article 29.


### 1. competent authorities shall provide economic operators affected by a decision adopted pursuant to article 6(4) the possibility of requesting a review of that decision within 15 working days from the date of receipt of that decision. in case of perishable goods , animals and plants , that time limit shall be 5 working days. the request for review shall contain information which demonstrates that the products are placed or made available on the market or to be exported in compliance with article 3. ### 1. the commisson and competent authorities shall provide economic operators affected by a decision adopted pursuant to article 6(4) the possibility of requesting a review of that decision within 15 working days from the date of receipt of that decision. in case of perishable goods , animals and plants , that time limit shall be 5 working days. the request for review shall contain information which demonstrates that the products are placed or made available on the market or to be exported in compliance with article 3.


### 2. a request for a review of a decision adopted pursuant article 6(4) shall contain new information that was not brought to the attention of the competent authority during the investigation. the request for a review shall delay the enforcement of the decision adopted pursuant to article 6(4) until the competent authority decides on the request for the review. ### 2. a request for a review of a decision adopted pursuant article 6(4) shall contain relevant new information that was not brought to the attention of the competent authority during the investigation for reasons other than negligence. the request for a review shall delay the enforcement of the decision adopted pursuant to article 6(4) until the competent authority decides on the request for the review.


### 3. a competent authority shall take a decision on the request for review within 15 working days from the date of receipt of the request. in case of perishable goods , animals and plants that time limit shall be 5 working days. ### 3. the commission and a competent authority shall take a decision on the request for review within 15 working days from the date of receipt of the request. in case of perishable goods , animals and plants that time limit shall be 5 working days.


### any decision not to initiate an investigation following a preliminary phase of investigation , referred to in article 4(7); ### any decision not to initiate an investigation following the reception of a complaint , as referred to in article 10;


### submission of information regarding violations of article 3 ### complaints


### 1. submissions of information by any natural or legal person or any association not having legal personality , to competent authorities on alleged violations of article 3 shall contain information on the economic operators or products concerned and provide the reasons substantiating the allegation. ### 1. the commission shall establish a centralised complaint mechanism to receive complaints and information regarding alleged or suspected forced labour , taking place within or outside the eu , from any natural or legal person , including workers or others affected or potentially affected by forced labour , civil society organisations including trade unions , affected communities , and any other individual or group that may have information regarding goods which are alleged or suspected to be made by forced labour. complaints shall contain information on the economic operators or products concerned and provide the reasons substantiating the allegation. complaints may be lodged anonymously. the commission and competent authorities shall ensure that all mechanisms through which workers who are victims or witness forced labour may lodge complaints and participate in relevant proceedings , allow them to do so without fearing retaliation of any sort , to enforce their rights and prerogatives , in particular their right to remediation under article 6 of this regulation and , when applicable , other eu legislation , without prejudice to directive 2004/81/ec , directive 2009/52/ec , directive 2011/36/eu and directive 2012/29/eu. these rights should not be made conditional on the affected workers’ residence status , or on their citizenship or nationality. the commission shall determine the rules and procedure to assign complaints to the competent authorities. these rules will take into account the specifics of the complaint , the domicile of the economic operator and the capacities of the competent authorities in concerned member states. the commission may retain the power to investigate , in particular when multiple member states are involved , investigations in third countries are needed and when related to state-imposed forced labour and when the investigation concerns a supply chain present in more than one member state.


### 2. the competent authority shall , as soon as possible , inform the person or association referred to in paragraph 1 of the outcome of the assessment of their submission. ### 2. the competent authority shall , as soon as possible , inform the complainant referred to in paragraph 1 of the outcome of the assessment of their complaint as well as all the decision referred to in article 9 and its rationale.


### 3. directive (eu) 2019/1937 of the european parliament and of the council39shall apply to the reporting of all breaches of this regulation and the protection of persons reporting such breaches. ### 3. directive (eu) 2019/1937 of the european parliament and of the council39shall apply to the reporting of all breaches of this regulation and the protection of persons reporting such breaches.


### 1. the commission shall call upon external expertise to provide an indicative , non-exhaustive , verifiable and regularly updated database of forced labour risks in specific geographic areas or with respect to specific products including with regard to forced labour imposed by state authorities. the database shall be based on the guidelines referred to in article 23 , points (a) , (b) and (c) , and relevant external sources of information from , amongst others , international organisations and third country authorities. ### 1. the commission shall call upon external expertise to provide an indicative , non-exhaustive , verifiable and regularly updated database of forced labour risks in specific geographic areas , sectors or with respect to specific products including with regard to forced labour imposed by state authorities. the database shall be based on the guidelines referred to in article 23 , points (a) , (b) and (c) , and relevant external sources of information from , amongst others , international organisations and third country authorities. this database shall be easily accessible. the commission , after consultation with competent authorities and other stakeholders , shall be empowered to declare a presumption of forced labour for products or groups of products , from specified countries or regions where there is reasonable suspicion of wide-spread forced labour , including state-imposed forced labour , in an entire product group in a specific industry , as well as production sites or groups of production sites included in the database referred to in paragraph 1. this decision shall be encoded in the same database as a risk database area.


### 4. the commission shall make the list of the designated competent authorities publicly available on its website and shall regularly update that list , based on the updates received from member states. ### 4. the commission shall make the list of the designated competent authorities and of the central complain mechanism publicly available on its website and shall regularly update that list , based on the updates received from member states.


### 1. decisions taken by a competent authority in one member state shall be recognised and enforced by competent authorities in the other member states in so far as they relate to products with the same identification and from the same supply chain for which forced labour has been found. ### 1. decisions taken by the commission or a competent authority in one member state shall be recognised and enforced by competent authorities in the other member states in so far as they relate to products covered by a decision as made under article 6(4).


### 2. a competent authority that has received , through the information and communication system referred to in article 22(1) , a request from a competent authority of another member state for information to verify any evidence provided by an economic operator shall provide that information within 15 working days from the date of receipt of the request. ### 2. a competent authority that has received , through the information and communication system referred to in article 22(1) , a request from the commission or a competent authority of another member state for information to verify any evidence provided by an economic operator shall provide that information within 15 working days from the date of receipt of the request


### 4. before initiating an investigation in accordance with article 5 , a competent authority shall verify in the information and communication system referred to in article 22(1) whether there is a lead authority referred to in paragraph 3 investigating the same product and economic operator. ### 4. before initiating an investigation in accordance with article 5 , the central complaint mechanism shall verify in the information and communication system referred to in article 22(1) whether there is a lead authority referred to in paragraph 3 investigating the same product and/or economic operator.


### any decision to prohibit the placing or making available of the products on the union market and their export , as well as to order the withdrawal of the products already placed or made available on the union market and their disposal referred to in article 6(4); ### any decision to prohibit the importing , placing or making available of the products on the union market and their export , as well as to order the withdrawal of the products already placed or made available on the union market and their disposal referred to in article 6(4);


### 1. in order to facilitate effective implementation and enforcement of this regulation , the commission may as appropriate cooperate , engage and exchange information with , amongst others , authorities of third countries , international organisations , civil society representatives and business organisations. international cooperation with authorities of third countries shall take place in a structured way as part of the existing dialogue structures with third countries or , if necessary , specific ones that will be created on an ad hoc basis. ### 1. in order to facilitate effective implementation and enforcement of this regulation and to jointly work on tackling (the root causes of) forced labour , the commission shall may as appropriate cooperate , engage and exchange information with , amongst others , authorities of third countries , international organisations , business organisations and civil society representatives including trade unions , workers’ rights organisations , ngos and networks of affected stakeholders. international cooperation with authorities of third countries shall take place in a structured way as part of the existing dialogue structures with third countries or , if necessary , specific ones that will be created on an ad hoc basis.


### 5. calls on the commission and the council to scale up joint programming between the eu and its member states , with the aim of securing a european voice with which to move forward towards commonly defined policy objectives , which should take into account innovative financing methods such as blending and guarantees; calls for clear , actionable commitments towards joint implementation and evaluation and for shared accountability mechanisms towards citizens; ### 5. calls on the commission and the council to scale up joint programming between the eu and its member states , with the aim of securing a european voice with which to move forward towards commonly defined policy objectives , which should take into account latest research and therefore avoid ineffective financing methods , including blending ; calls for clear , actionable commitments towards joint implementation and evaluation and for shared accountability mechanisms towards citizens;


### 6. stresses that in view of the future implementation of the neighbourhood , development and international cooperation instrument (ndici) , joint programming by the eu , its members states and eu development financing partners should build upon the aid effectiveness principles; believes that the eu should collectively set strategic priorities and identify investment needs/gaps in the pre-programming phase and subsequently look at ways to optimise the range of modalities in the eu institutions’ toolbox , including grants , budget support and eib loans , as well as financing from the member states; calls on the eu institutions and member states , accordingly , to share evidence and experience about the kinds of development interventions that tend to be successful and those that have failed , proved difficult to implement or not produced the intended impact; ### 6. stresses that in view of the future implementation of the neighbourhood , development and international cooperation instrument (ndici) , joint programming by the eu , its members states and eu development financing partners should build upon the aid effectiveness principles; believes that the eu should collectively set strategic priorities and identify investment needs/gaps in the pre-programming phase and subsequently look at ways to optimise the range of modalities in the eu institutions’ toolbox , including grants , budget support and eib loans , as well as financing from the member states; calls on the eu institutions and member states , accordingly , to share evidence and experience about the kinds of development interventions that tend to be successful and those that have failed , proved difficult to implement or not produced the intended impact; is concerned in this regard that ldcs see an increase in tied aid and reiterates that untying aid can reduce costs by 15-30%; stresses that all aid needs to be formally and informally untied; encourages local procurement and ownership;


### 12. recognises that the role of the private sector – at local , national , bilateral and international levels – is crucial for achieving the sdgs , for mobilising additional development finance and for the transition towards economic development , growth and prosperity; stresses in this regard that additional efforts must be undertaken to align the private sector’s involvement in development cooperation with the effectiveness principles and to improve the transparency and accountability of foreign direct investment and global value chains; ### 12. remain cautious of the role of the private sector – at national , bilateral and international levels – in achieving the sdgs , for mobilising additional development finance and for the transition towards economic development , growth and prosperity; stresses the risks of a profit-oriented approach in focusing predominantly on ‘hard 'sectors , neglecting social services and human development and restricting access to services for the most marginalized; stresses in this regard that additional efforts must be undertaken to align the private sector’s involvement in development cooperation with the effectiveness principles and to improve the transparency and accountability of foreign direct investment and global value chains;


### 13. welcomes the eu’s increased role in leveraging private investment through the facilitation of a predictable regulatory environment in partner countries , as well as the blending of grants and loans , the provision of budget support , guarantees and technical assistance , and policy dialogues and smaller scale project grants for ngos; ### 13. is concerned about the eu’s increased role in leveraging private investment through the blending of grants and loans; stresses the failure of blended finance to ensure sufficient funding and deliver effective results , as proven by the recent study on de-risking finance; calls for an expansion of public development finance.


### — having regard to the un sustainable development goals (sdgs) and the closely connected and integrated nature thereof , in particular sdg 1 to end poverty in all its forms everywhere , sdg 2 to end hunger , achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture , sdg 12 to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns , and sdg 17 to strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development , ### — having regard to the un sustainable development goals (sdgs) and the closely connected and integrated nature thereof , in particular sdg 1 to end poverty in all its forms everywhere , sdg 2 to end hunger , achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture , sdg 3 to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages , sdg 5 to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls , sdg 6 to ensure access to water and sanitation for all , sdg 10 to reduce inequality within and among countries , sdg 12 to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns , sdg 13to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts and sdg17 to strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development ,


### f. whereas the number of people in need of urgent food , nutrition and livelihood assistance is on the rise15 ; whereas the major drivers of this are conflict , climate variability and climate extremes , environmental degradation , economic shocks , global population growth and failed governance; ### f. whereas the number of people in need of urgent food , nutrition and livelihood assistance is on the rise; whereas the major drivers of food and nutrition insecurity of this are conflicts , climate variability and climate extremes , environmental degradation , economic shocks , persistent levels of inequality , including gender inequalities , poverty , lack of access to basic social and health services , inappropriate agricultural model , financial speculation on food commodities;


### g. whereas the covid-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses in global food systems , exacerbating inequalities and threatening the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable; ### g. whereas the covid-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses in global food systems , exacerbating inequalities and threatening the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable; whereas covid-19 has led to the disruption of value chains from production , to transportation , to storage and the sale of food and restrictions on movement have reduced access to markets for farmers and consumers , and price hikes , further inhibiting equitable access to adequate food and nutrition for all; whereas covid-19 has led to an increase in poverty in the absence of universal social protection floors and restrictions have impacted daily economic activities that many households depend on , decreasing or losing household income leading to difficulties accessing healthy food , or covering health needs;


### j. whereas women play key roles in feeding the world as farmers , caregivers and producers , but have unequal access to food , resources , services and assets; ### j. whereas women play key roles in feeding the world as farmers , caregivers and producers , but have unequal access to food , resources , services and assets; whereas it is necessary to protect women’s and girls’ rights at all levels , ensure their access to their rights and provide space for them in decision-making processes; whereas women and girls are most impacted by climate change and disasters , leading to increased vulnerability due to compounding risks;


### 3. points out the need for clear guidelines on how to achieve policy coherence for development at eu level while also addressing potentially conflicting policy objectives; ### 3. points out the need for clear guidelines on how to achieve policy coherence for development at eu level while also addressing potentially conflicting policy objectives; notes that policy coherence for development is an approach and policy tool to integrate the economic , social , environmental and governance dimensions of sustainable development at all stages of domestic and international policy making;


### 8. calls for the eu and its member states to mobilise long-term financial investments in food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture; ### 8. calls for the eu and its member states to mobilise long-term financial investments in food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture; urges the eu to re-prioritise food and sustainable agriculture in its international development programming and ensure access to funding for local communities and organisations supporting them , by assessing and monitoring , with the participation of civil society , its investments to demonstrate that they concretely fight poverty and food insecurity;


### 8. notes that while lifting export subsidies and decoupling direct payments has significantly reduced the risk of dumping practices , some areas of concern persist and should be closely monitored , in particular agricultural sectors still tied to coupled income support in many eu member states. ### 8. notes that while lifting export subsidies and decoupling direct payments has significantly reduced the risk of dumping practices , some areas of concern persist and should be closely monitored , in particular agricultural sectors still tied to coupled income support in many eu member states; notes that the annual monetary allocation to voluntary coupled support represents approximately 10% of the direct payments budget; notes in addition that 75% of this allocation is directed at three animal based sectors;


### 14. calls for environmentally sound food production and the conservation and rehabilitation of natural environments in order to reduce climate risks and thus strengthen the resilience of food systems; ### 14. calls for environmentally sound food production , such as agroecology ,and the conservation and rehabilitation of natural environments in order to reduce climate risks and thus strengthen the resilience of food systems;


### 15. calls for the eu to tailor its programming under the neighbourhood , development and international cooperation instrument – global europe to actively support a global transformation to sustainable food systems that can provide affordable healthy diets; ### 15. calls for the eu to tailor its programming under the neighbourhood , development and international cooperation instrument –global europe to actively support a global transformation to sustainable food systems that is rights-based , environmentally sustainable , puts particular attention on women’s needs , and can provide affordable healthy diets for all;


### 16. stresses that eu investments and interventions should be based on rigorous pre-assessments in order to devise equitable action and strengthen capacities at a national and local level , including non-state authorities; ### 16. stresses that eu investments and interventions should be based on rigorous pre-assessments , full transparency , and inclusion of those affected by the investments and interventions , in order to devise equitable action and strengthen capacities at a national and local level , including non-state authorities and non-state actors;


### 22. calls on the commission to prioritise the integration of nutrition in health , education , water , sanitation and hygiene interventions in order to ensure that at least 20 % of official development assistance through the neighbourhood , development and international cooperation instrument – global europe is dedicated to social inclusion and human development; ### 22. calls on the commission to prioritise the integration of food security and nutrition in health , education , water , sanitation and hygiene interventions in order to ensure that at least 20 % of official development assistance through the neighbourhood , development and international cooperation instrument – global europe is dedicated to social inclusion and human development;


### 23. notes the challenges posed by climate change and biodiversity loss and the need to provide the necessary resources for adaptation and mitigation; ### 23. notes the challenges posed by climate change and biodiversity loss and its adverse impacts on food and nutrition security; calls on eu governments to lessen the impacts of climate change on food security by drastically reducing their own emissions and by providing the necessary resources , equally distributed between adaptation and mitigation;


### 24. calls for the eu to actively fulfil the commitments of the nutrition year of action 2021 , notably those arising from the un food systems summit and nutrition for growth summit; ### 24. calls for the eu to actively fulfil the commitments of the nutrition year of action 2021 , notably those arising from the un food systems summit and nutrition for growth summit and to support the african union theme of the year 2022 ,year of nutrition: “strengthening resilience in nutrition and food security on the african continent: strengthening agro food systems , health and social protection systems for the acceleration of human , social and economic capital development”;


### 25. points to the need to improve food security and nutrition in developing countries through a holistic and sustainable food system approach; calls for the commission to adopt a multisectoral rights-based strategy; ### 25. points to the need to improve food security and nutrition in developing countries through a holistic and sustainable food system approach , such as agroecology; calls for the commission to adopt an inclusive multilateral rights-based strategy;


### 26. calls for continued efforts to ensure the consistency of the eu’s policies in line with the principle of policy coherence for sustainable development; ### 26. calls for continued efforts to ensure the consistency of the eu’s policies in line with the principle of policy coherence for sustainable development; in particular with regard to trade policies , calls to support food sovereignty and local and regional markets and urges to ensure that european exports do not harm the development of local production and avoid unfair competition with big agriculture companies;


### 1. reiterates that all eu institutions and member states must comply with their pcd obligations under the treaties in all legislative and policy initiatives likely to have an impact on developing countries; calls for a step change in efforts to implement pcd to ensure that impacts on developing countries are properly identified and analysed , that negative impacts are avoided or minimised , and that full use is made of possible synergies with the pursuit of development objectives; ### 1. reiterates that all eu institutions and member states must comply with their pcd obligations under the treaties in all legislative , trade negotiations and policy initiatives likely to have an impact on developing countries; calls for a step change in efforts to implement pcd to ensure that impacts on developing countries are properly identified and analysed , that negative impacts are avoided and that full use is made of possible synergies with the pursuit of development objectives;


### - systematically screen all planned commission policy and legislative initiatives for possible impacts on developing countries at an early stage and in a transparent manner; undertake detailed ex ante impact assessments , which should include the results of consultations with stakeholders , including partner countries , civil society organisations and the private sector , as well as input from eu delegations in developing countries; ### - systematically screen all planned commission policy , trade negotiations and legislative initiatives for possible impacts on developing countries at an early stage and in a transparent manner; undertake detailed ex ante impact assessments , which should include the results of consultations with stakeholders , including partner countries , civil society organisations and the private sector , as well as input from eu delegations in developing countries;


### - analyse the possible local impact of new eu policies and initiatives , by identifying affected people and interests , organising multi-stakeholder consultations , including with civil society organisations and the private sector , and take into the account information and views put forward by them; ### - analyse the possible local impact of new eu policies and trade agreements , by identifying affected people and interests , organising multi-stakeholder consultations , including with civil society organisations , trade unions and the private sector , and take into the account information and views put forward by them;


### - regularly monitor the impact of eu policies on developing countries and contribute to detailed reporting on pcd; ### - regularly monitor the impact of eu policies and trade agreements on developing countries and contribute to detailed reporting on pcd;


### g. whereas the un food and agriculture organization estimates that about 75 % of genetic diversity in plants has been lost worldwide , which poses a serious risk to global food security; ### g. whereas the un food and agriculture organization estimates that about 75 % of genetic diversity in plants has been lost worldwide , while 75% of the world’s food is now generated from only 12 plants and five animal species , which poses a serious risk to global food security;


### 8. regrets the fact that the eu budget for supporting external biodiversity policy remains considerably low in comparison with that earmarked for climate change policies; ### 8. regrets the fact that the eu budget for supporting external biodiversity policy remains considerably low in comparison with that earmarked for climate change policies; calls for an effective increase in budget allocation of resources aimed at defending biodiversity


### 14. calls for the protection and restoration of forests to be prioritised in the upcoming ndici; ### 14. calls for the protection and restoration of forests and the defence of biodiversity to be prioritised in the upcoming ndici;


### 15. recalls that agricultural production both depends and has an impact on biodiversity; ### 15. recalls that agricultural production both depends and has an impact on biodiversity; calls on the eu to support developing countries in implementing the sustainability of food systems , trough the creation of short supply chains , the development of agroecology , support for small farmers , and put an end to the practice of land grabbing by large multinationals


### 20. calls for the eu to put an end to the double standards towards pesticides whereby hazardous substances banned in the eu can be exported from the union; ### 20. calls for the eu to put an end to the double standards towards pesticides whereby hazardous substances banned in the eu can be exported from the union; calls the commission to introduce a legislation to end the export of banned pesticides , while supporting developing countries in increasing their agroecological and organic practices and productions;


### 29. stresses the need to ensure that the benefits of nature’s genetic resources are shared fairly and equitably; insists that the wto agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (trips) should be compatible with the nagoya protocol to the un cbd; ### 29. stresses the need to ensure that the benefits of nature’s genetic resources are shared fairly and equitably; insists that the wto agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (trips) should be compatible with the nagoya protocol to the un cbd; considers that given the risk of new pandemics caused by ever greater deforestation and loss of biodiversity , it is necessary to implement a waiver on ipr for drugs and vaccines useful for fighting pandemics , starting with the ones related to covid19;


### g. whereas this funding gap makes it imperative to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the humanitarian system and to ensure that aid meets the needs of the populations affected , as highlighted most recently by grand bargain 2.0 , which focuses on localisation and quality financing as key enabling priorities; ### g. whereas this funding gap makes it imperative to improve the efficiency and effectiveness , visibility , risk sharing , transparency and accountability of the humanitarian system and to ensure that aid meets the needs of the populations affected , as highlighted most recently by grand bargain 2.0 , which focuses on localisation and quality funding as key enabling priorities;


### 2. notes with concern the sharp increase in the humanitarian funding gap , as major donors are reducing funding at a time of growing needs; underlines the stark differences in contributions both at a global level and from within the eu; calls for the eu to advocate for greater international responsibility-sharing and an increase in humanitarian funding; urges the member states to lead by example and contribute a fixed share of their gross national incomes to humanitarian aid; calls on the commission to report annually on the amount of humanitarian funding disbursed from within the eu and at a global level; ### 2. notes with concern the sharp increase in the humanitarian funding gap , as major donors are reducing funding at a time of growing needs and that in many cases it is an issue of political will rather than affordability; underlines the stark differences in contributions both at a global level and from within the eu; calls for the eu to advocate for greater international responsibility-sharing and an increase in humanitarian funding; urges the member states to lead by example and contribute a fixed share of their gross national incomes to humanitarian aid; calls on the commission to ensure a more predictable , timely , and flexible revenue for humanitarian action , both for long-term protracted crisis in fragile and conflict affected settings and in order to respond timely to new rapid onset disasters; calls on the commission to report annually on the amount of humanitarian funding disbursed from within the eu and at a global level;


### 4. calls on the commission and the member states to include international humanitarian law violations as a criterion for listing individuals or entities in the relevant eu sanctions regimes; notes that sanctions and restrictive measures must comply with international humanitarian law and must not hinder the provision of humanitarian assistance; underlines the need to consistently include humanitarian exceptions in regimes of restrictive measures and to provide the necessary support and guidance to partners to apply these exceptions effectively; ### 4. calls on the commission and the member states to include international humanitarian law violations as a criterion for listing individuals or entities in the relevant eu sanctions regimes; notes that sanctions and restrictive measures must comply with international humanitarian law and must not hinder the provision of humanitarian assistance; underlines the need to consistently include humanitarian exceptions in regimes of restrictive measures and to provide the necessary support and guidance to partners to apply these exceptions effectively; recalls that protracted crises are still humanitarian contexts , and while a substantial part of ‘nexus funding’ is channelled through development envelopes and its funding rules , in such contexts , normal development funding rules cannot always apply , and flexibility is key; calls on the eu and its member states to discuss and find practical solutions for partners operating in these contexts;


### 5. calls for the eu and its member states to swiftly fulfil the commitments made at the world humanitarian summit and as part of the grand bargain; highlights the importance of making humanitarian aid more efficient and effective by increasing multiannual and multi-country funding , reducing the administrative burden for humanitarian partners and promoting innovative solutions , among other endeavours; ### 5. calls for the eu and its member states to swiftly fulfil the commitments made at the world humanitarian summit and as pivotal facilitating member part of the grand bargain 2.0; highlights the importance of making humanitarian aid more efficient and effective by increasing flexible funding through unearmarked , softly earmarked , multiannual and multi-country funding , reducing the administrative burden for humanitarian partners and promoting innovative solutions , among other endeavours , particularly in the areas of risk management and risk sharing , where often local actors bear more weight in terms of reputational and administrative risk;


### 6. stresses the particular importance of supporting local actors and urges the commission to develop a localisation policy outlining how to provide more and better support for local respondents to enable them to make use of all the instruments available; ### 6. stresses the particular importance of supporting national and local actors as well as frontline responders and urges the commission to develop a localisation policy outlining how to provide more and better support for local respondents and crisis affected people’s organisations to enable them to make use of all the instruments available; calls on the commission to ensure that women’s equal participation and empowerment is integrated explicitly into any new mechanisms to strengthen the role of local actors in humanitarian action;


### 9. underlines the fact that while humanitarian aid seeks to tackle immediate , life-threatening situations , crises are caused by drivers that require long-term solutions; calls on the commission and the european external action service to adopt a communication developing a clear policy on a humanitarian-development-peace nexus in order to bridge the gaps between the individual policy areas; calls for the eu and the member states to swiftly implement this nexus approach , with a particular focus on preventing conflicts , tackling hunger , providing education and livelihood opportunities , and building resilience , while protecting the rights of vulnerable groups; ### 9. underlines the fact that while humanitarian aid seeks to tackle immediate , life-threatening situations , crises are caused by drivers that require long-term solutions; calls on the commission and the european external action service to adopt a communication developing a clear policy on a humanitarian-development-peace nexus in order to bridge the gaps between the individual policy areas , building an approach based on ngos practical experience , putting people at the centre of the approach , taking into account the context specificities and respecting the humanitarian principles. calls for the eu and the member states to swiftly implement this nexus approach , with a particular focus on preventing conflicts , tackling hunger , providing education and livelihood opportunities , and supporting early recovery , enhancing response capacity , building self-reliance and resilience as well as reducing risks at community level , while protecting the rights of vulnerable groups and ensuring that humanitarian actors can work in accordance with the humanitarian principles; ; calls for the commission and member states to ensure transparency on how the eu is concretely working towards the operationalisation and to implement complementary , flexible and multi-year programmes , suited to local contexts , need-based and people-centred;


### (2) in the commission impact assessment supporting the 2018 legislative proposals for the common agricultural policy (cap) post 202026 , the need to enhance the collection of farm-level data was identified. ### (2) in the commission impact assessment supporting the 2018 legislative proposals for the common agricultural policy (cap) post 202026 , the need to enhance the collection of farm-level data was identified so that the future common agricultural policy (cap) demonstrates a higher level of ambition to mitigate environmental and climate impacts.


### (3) in the commission communication of 20 may 2020 entitled ‘a farm to fork strategy for a fair , healthy and environmentally-friendly food system’ (‘farm to fork strategy’) , the commission announced its intention to convert the farm accountancy data network (fadn) into a farm sustainability data network (fsdn) , with a view to collect farm level data on sustainability. the conversion will also contribute to the improvement of advisory services to farmers and benchmarking of farm performance. ### (3) in the commission communication of 20 may 2020 entitled ‘a farm to fork strategy for a fair , healthy and environmentally-friendly food system’ (‘farm to fork strategy’) , the commission announced its intention to convert the farm accountancy data network (fadn) into a farm sustainability data network (fsdn) , with a view to collect farm level data on sustainability. the conversion will also contribute to the improvement of advisory services to farmers and benchmarking of farm performance , and will ensure the transparency and fairness of the agri-food supply chain.


### (5) those objectives can be attained only by means of a union network for the collection of farm sustainability data (hereinafter referred to as ‘data network’) , based on data collectors existing in each member state , enjoying the confidence of the parties concerned. member states or responsible national authorities should endeavour to modernise data collection modes as far as possible. in order to reduce the burden for farmers and data collectors , with the aim to avoid the duplication of data requests and to enrich the fsdn data set , the principle of collect data once and re-use it multiple times should be applied. the open data directive27 will be considered. the use of digital solutions should be promoted , including re-use of data and data sharing with other sources. it should be provided for that the system based exclusively on farm accountancy offices may be extended in view of collecting environmental and social variables and that the data collection may be based both on regular and special surveys depending on the informative needs. ### (5) those objectives can be attained only by means of a union network for the collection of farm sustainability data (hereinafter referred to as ‘data network’) , based on data collectors existing in each member state , enjoying the confidence of the parties concerned. there must also be constant care to ensure that the data collected is used to monitor progress towards the sdgs. member states or responsible national authorities should endeavour to modernise data collection modes as far as possible. in order to reduce the burden for farmers and data collectors , with the aim to avoid the duplication of data requests and to enrich the fsdn data set , the principle of collect data once and re-use it multiple times should be applied. the open data directive27 will be considered. the use of digital solutions should be promoted , including re-use of data and data sharing with other sources. it should be provided for that the system based exclusively on farm accountancy offices may be extended in view of collecting environmental and social variables and that the data collection may be based both on regular and special surveys depending on the informative needs.


### (8) in case individual data will be shared by the commission or liaison agencies , it is of utmost importance to guarantee data protection and give assurance to farmers that their data and all other individual details obtained pursuant to this regulation will be anonymised or pseudonymised to avoid their identification , covering both natural and legal persons. ### (8) in case individual data will be shared by the commission or liaison agencies , it is of utmost importance to guarantee data protection and give assurance to farmers that their data and all other individual details obtained pursuant to this regulation will be anonymised to avoid their identification , covering both natural and legal persons.


### (9) the data should be collected at the level of the member state and should be pseudonymised with the identification number. only pseudonymised data should be transmitted to the commission. it should be provided for that access to this data may be provided only to the competent authorities in specific cases and in accordance with international , union and national law. the procedures to be followed and the conditions to be fulfilled in order to gain access to data in accordance with necessity and proportionality requirements should be defined by international , union and national law , and in particular with the charter of fundamental rights of the european union. ### (9) the data should be collected at the level of the member state and should be anonymised. only anonymised data should be transmitted to the commission. it should be provided for that access to this data may be provided only to the competent authorities in specific cases and in accordance with international , union and national law. the procedures to be followed and the conditions to be fulfilled in order to gain access to data in accordance with necessity and proportionality requirements should be defined by international , union and national law , and in particular with the charter of fundamental rights of the european union.


### (10) all necessary measures should be taken to avoid de-anonymisation and de-pseudonymisation but it may occur that data could be disclosed due to additional research and data disclosure outside the control of the commission. in such cases , data should be considered as personal data and regulations (eu) 2016/67928 and (eu) 2018/172529 of the european parliament and of the council should apply. data are collected concerning agricultural holdings , without regard to ownership of natural or legal persons. therefore , data protection guarantees should be extended to legal persons. further , as the development , production and dissemination of european statistics is concerned , principles of regulation (ec) 223/200930 should be complied with. ### (10) all necessary measures should be taken to avoid de-anonymisation but it may occur that data could be disclosed due to additional research and data disclosure outside the control of the commission. in such cases , data should be considered as personal data and regulations (eu) 2016/67928 and (eu) 2018/172529 of the european parliament and of the council should apply. data are collected concerning agricultural holdings , without regard to ownership of natural or legal persons. therefore , data protection guarantees should be extended to legal persons. further , as the development , production and dissemination of european statistics is concerned , principles of regulation (ec) 223/200930 should be complied with.


### ‘farmer’ means the natural person responsible for the day-to-day management of an agricultural holding; ### ‘farmer’ means the legal person or natural person responsible for the day-to-day management of an agricultural holding;


### ‘pseudonymised data’ means personal data that cannot be longer attributed to a specific subject without the use of additional information , provided that such additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organisational measures to ensure that the personal data are not attributed to an identified or identifiable natural or legal person; ### deleted


### 2. anonymised or pseudonymised individual data can be shared by the commission or by liaison agencies for the purposes set in article 1 , provided that the identification of natural or legal persons is avoided.; ### 2. anonymised individual data can be shared by the commission or by liaison agencies for the purposes set in article 1


### a. whereas some species that are designated as requiring special protection under the habitats directive , in particular the wolf , have in some regions of europe attained favourable conservation status and could thus endanger other wild species and domestic animals , thereby disturbing the natural balance of the ecosystem; ### a. whereas some species that are designated as requiring special protection under the habitats directive , in particular the wolf , have in some regions of europe where they had once been extirpated attained a favourable conservation status; whereas it is necessary to continue to apply strict protection for the species in order to ensure that favourable conservation status is maintained; whereas the presence and the ‘ecology of fear’ of large predators has been proved to have positive effects on the landscape , positively affecting species such as birds , beavers , fish and butterflies , thereby helping to restore the natural balance of ecosystems;


### b. whereas wolves show high mobility by crossing borders , originating from regions where their conservation status is favourable to regions where they are still classified as in need of strict protection , making it extremely difficult to take measures in defence of the rural population and their domestic animals; ### b. whereas wolves show high mobility by crossing borders , originating from regions where their conservation status is favourable to regions where they are still classified as in need of strict protection , thus contributing to the natural recovery of the species , especially in the member states where wolves still have an unfavourable conservation status; whereas some , but not all , wolf populations in europe have reached a favourable status , it is important that protections remain in place to ensure that this status is not compromised;


### c. whereas domestic animals notably such in pasture and open grazing systems are put at risk by the growing presence of wolves , especially in mountainous and sparsely populated regions , while in more densely inhabited rural areas , the presence of wolves can have negative impacts on the sustainable development both in terms of traditional agriculture and tourism; ### c. whereas the habitats directive provides sufficient opportunities to take mitigation measures for the protection of domestic animals notably such in pasture and open grazing systems in area’s with presence of wolves; whereas the presence of wolves can have positive impacts on the sustainable development both in terms of traditional agriculture and tourism;


### a. whereas the commission communication on an action plan for the development of organic production (organic action plan , oap) emphasises that the green deal is the key to managing the transition towards a more sustainable food system; ### a. whereas the commission communication on an action plan for the development of organic production (organic action plan , oap) emphasises that the green deal is the key to managing the transition towards a more sustainable food system , in particular strengthening the farmer’s efforts to tackle climate change , protect the environment and preserve biodiversity;


### b. whereas acknowledging the importance of eci in shaping eu policy initiatives and developments; ### b. whereas acknowledging the importance of eci in shaping eu policy initiatives and developments , and the lack of action followed by successful european citizens’ initiatives in the past;


### statistics on nutrients and plant protection products ### statistics on inputs , including nutrients , plant protection products , biocides , medicinal products , and seeds


### 4. the data on organic production and products that comply with regulation (eu) 2018/848 shall be integrated into the data sets. ### 4. the data on organic production and products that comply with regulation (eu) 2018/848 shall be integrated into the data sets. the data on organic production and products are collected for each domain , topic and detailed topic , and should appear both aggregated with data on non-organic agriculture and in a separate category.


### — having regard to its resolution of 10 june 2021 on the european citizens’ initiative ‘end the cage age’ (2021/2633 (rsp)) , ### — having regard to the study requested by european parliament’s peti committee ‘end the cage age: looking for alternatives’ of november 2020 , its resolution of 10 june 2021 on the european citizens’ initiative ‘end the cage age’ (2021/2633 (rsp)) and the commission communication - c(2021)4747 of 30 june 2021 ,


### — having regard to the opinion of the committee on the environment , public health and food safety , ### — having regard to the opinion of the committee on the environment , public health and food safety on the implementation report on on-farm animal welfare ,


### a. whereas animal welfare is a sensitive and increasingly important issue in our society; ### a. whereas animal welfare is an ethical and increasingly important issue in our society;


### b. whereas european food-production standards , including animal welfare criteria , are the highest and most rigorous in the world; ### b. whereas european food-production standards , including animal welfare criteria , have to be improved , and notices that several countries and regions took further steps , for instance by banning certain forms of caged farming and banning live export and the transport of specific animal categories;


### c. whereas more uniform application of existing animal welfare legislation is a prerequisite to raising these standards; ### c. whereas updating existing animal welfare legislation is much needed , as well as the need for development , implementation and enforcement of strengthened and new , species-specific animal welfare legislation;


### d. whereas european farmers have made steady progress in recent decades by looking critically at their practices and making improvements and adjustments in their work; whereas they rely on the support of advisory and research bodies and a number of non-governmental organisations to improve their practices; whereas , what is more , european farmers want to continue to move forward in this area but face technical and economic obstacles; ### d. whereas despite european farmers having made some progress in recent decades on farm animal welfare , the maltreatment and suffering of farmed animals in the eu has continued during these decades and even multiplied , because ever-increasing numbers of animals have been bred and confined in factory farms;


### e. whereas animal welfare goes hand in hand with farmers’ welfare and both should be given appropriate resources; ### deleted


### f. whereas scientific and technical developments have improved our understanding of animal sentience and welfare; ### f. whereas scientific and technical developments have improved our understanding of animal sentience and welfare and should lead to suitable and better legislation to protect all animals kept in the eu;


### h. whereas the current legislation is partly obsolete and lags behind the scientific advances and technical progress made in farming practices; ### h. whereas the current legislation is partly obsolete and lags behind the knowledge on the specific needs of animals according to their species , age , size and physical condition , and the scientific advances and technical progress made in farming practices;


### i. whereas the current eu legislation , which provides a combination of opt-outs , exceptions and unclear requirements and fails to provide specific safeguards , co-exists with national laws , all of which are considered to have distorted competition; ### i. whereas the current eu legislation , which provides a combination of opt-outs , exceptions and unclear requirements and fails to provide specific safeguards , co-exists with national laws;


### j. whereas animal welfare legislation does not cover all species farmed for food; ### j. whereas animal welfare legislation does not cover all species farmed for the production of food , as there is still no species-specific legislation for dairy and beef cattle beyond six months old , sheep and goats , the parent birds of broiler chickens and laying hens , pullets , turkeys , ducks and geese , quail , fish and rabbits;


### k. whereas initiatives other than eu legislation and official checks have played a part in the continuous improvement of farming practices; ### deleted


### m. whereas the directives on pigs (for pregnant sows) , calves and laying hens have led to positive structural changes to the way in which animals are reared; whereas in the egg , veal and pigmeat sectors , the directives have led to significant changes to buildings and equipment and played a part in some advances in the number and size of holdings; ### m. whereas the directives on pigs (for pregnant sows) , calves and laying hens have not led to positive structural changes to the way in which animals are reared , as sows are still caged for nearly half of their life and routine tail docking and teeth clipping still exist , laying hens are still kept in ‘enriched’ cages , colony cages and combi cages , and it is still permitted to remove calves from their mother and keep them in isolation for four weeks although this is known to cause physical and psychological suffering; whereas in the egg , veal and pigmeat sectors , the directives have led to some advances in the number and size of holdings , which is not an advance from animal welfare , environment and human health point of view;


### n. whereas the laying hens directive has been a success; whereas this success is limited , however , given the broad range of approaches applied by the member states to its implementation , which has distorted competition in the single market; ### n. whereas the success of the laying hens directive has been limited , given the broad range of approaches applied by the member states to its implementation and given the lack of clear , mandatory and comprehensive provisions;


### o. whereas working conditions have improved for laying-hen and veal farmers but not necessarily for pig farmers; ### deleted


### p. whereas a distinction should be drawn between anecdotal cases of non-compliance , which are the focus of too much attention , and the vast majority of farmers who follow the rules; ### p. whereas attention should remain on the cases of non-compliance that reveal enormous animal suffering and systemic inhumane treatment of animals , as exposed by multiple investigations , including inspections by the commission;


### q. whereas livestock farming methods vary among the member states; ### q. whereas animal production farming methods vary among the member states;


### r. whereas our agricultural , environmental and commercial strategies should be coherent; ### r. whereas agricultural and environmental strategies in the eu should be coherent;


### s. whereas the common agricultural policy (cap) is one of the regulatory tools that can be used to improve the welfare of farm animals; ### s. whereas the common agricultural policy (cap) is one of the regulatory tools that can be used to improve the welfare of farm animals , however , as noted in the commission’s evaluation of the latest animal welfare strategy , member states have neglected to take full advantage of the funds for animal welfare purposes , and millions of euros in eu rural development funds available for improving animal welfare are currently unused or poorly used;


### t. whereas particular attention should be paid to ensuring that our political decisions do not weaken the european livestock-production sector , which would lead to the relocation of production to other parts of the world where livestock conditions and standards are lower than in europe , and to other , connected problems; ### t. whereas particular attention should be paid to ensuring that the eu will support a shift towards a plant-based and less and better animal-based products consumption , better animal welfare during the whole production cycles , and the promotion of higher animal welfare standards both internationally and on the domestic market;


### u. whereas labelling can only be effective if it is easy for consumers to understand , designed for an integrated single market and underpinned by a coherent eu trade policy; ### u. whereas labelling can only be effective if it is mandatory , science based , easy for consumers to understand and to make an informed choice , designed for an integrated single market applied to all animal products and underpinned by a coherent eu trade policy to prevent the entering of products on the market produced by lower standards;


### v. whereas information tools for consumers should be designed in such a way as to maintain a level playing field , which is currently hampered by the welter of private initiatives; ### v. whereas information tools for consumers should be designed in such a way as to maintain a level playing field , and a harmonised approach which is currently hampered by the welter of private initiatives using unprotected animal welfare terms and claims for varying standards;


### 1. acknowledges the great strides made by livestock farmers on their farms , particularly in improving animal welfare , and their drive and commitment to forward thinking and progress; ### deleted


### 2. recommends giving all livestock farmers the means , via an eu-level framework , to take part in a process of progress , based on objective indicators referring to the five fundamental freedoms defined by the world organisation for animal health (oie); ### 2. recommends giving all animal production farmers the means , via an eu-level framework , to take part in a process of progress , based on the “five domain” model (nutrition , environment , health , behaviour and mental state);