The European Parliament adopted by 651 votes to 5, with 37 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision authorising Member States to ratify, in the interests of the European Union, the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930, of the International Labour Organisation as regards Articles 1 to 4 of the Protocol with regard to matters relating to judicial cooperation in criminal matters.
Parliament gave its consent to the draft Council Decision.
To recall, the aim of the 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention was to remedy the gaps in implementation of the 1930 Protocol and to make progress on preventing trafficking for labour exploitation and protecting and compensating victims of forced labour.
The draft Council Decision authorises Member States to ratify, in the interest of the EU, those parts of the Protocol that fall into areas of EU competence, and recommends them to make efforts to do so by the end of 2016.