Status: Adopted

Law - Netherlands - Child Labor Due Diligence Act

Child Labor Due Diligence Act

Summary Table

Obligations
  • Reporting
  • Due Diligence
Normative scope
  • Human Rights
  • Environment
  • Broad ranging
Value chain scope
  • Own Operations
  • Subsidiaries
  • Direct Suppliers
  • Indirect Suppliers
  • Full Value Chain
Company scope
  • Large Companies
  • SMEs
  • All sectors
Administrative enforcement
  • Monitoring
  • Administrative Sanctions
  • Other
Judicial enforcement
  • Civil Liability
  • Facilitating Access to Justice
  • Other
Obligations
  • Reporting
    • Companies must submit a statement to the regulatory authority declaring they have carried out due diligence related to child labor throughout their full supply chain
    • The law does not require an annual statement. The statement must be submitted once as it has long-term validity.
    • The competent authority can consider joint plans of actions.
      All statements will be published on the website of the competent authority
  • Due Diligence
    • Assess whether there is presumption of child labor within the company’s supply chain as defined by the ILO and IOE in the ‘Child Labor Guidance for Business’- a guide based on the UNGPs
    • If there is a presumption of the use of child labor, the company must draw up an action plan to prevent this impact in line with international guidelines (UNGPs or OECD Guidelines)
Normative scope
  • Human Rights
    • Covers child labor meaning work performed by anyone under the age of 15 (or subject to compulsory schooling) and by anyone under the age of 18 if it endangers the health, safety and morality of those performing it
  • Environment
  • Broad ranging
    • Focused on child labor as defined by Article 3 of the 1999 ILO Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labor and the 1973 ILO Convention on Minimum Age if ratified by the state where the work takes place
Value chain scope
  • Own Operations
    • Duty to investigate whether there is reasonable suspicion that goods or services to be supplied to Dutch end-users have been produced using child labor
  • Subsidiaries
  • Direct Suppliers
  • Indirect Suppliers
  • Full Value Chain
Company scope
  • Large Companies
    • Applies to any company, wherever incorporated, that delivers products and services to the Dutch market two or more times a year
  • SMEs
    • No general exemption for SMEs
    • Categories of companies may be exempted by General Administrative Order, yet the size of a company will not necessarily determine whether it is exempt
  • All sectors
Administrative enforcement
  • Monitoring
    • No active enforcement of the competent authority, only complaints from third-party will trigger enforcement
    • The competent authority can provide instructions and time frame requirements for companies that fail to conduct due diligence
  • Administrative Sanctions
    • Companies that fail to submit a statement will be fined up to € 4,100
    • If a company is fined twice within five years, the next violation can lead to imprisonment of the responsible director or a fine of up to 10% of the company’s annual revenue
  • Other
Judicial enforcement
  • Civil Liability
  • Facilitating Access to Justice
    • Any natural or legal person can file a complaint with the regulator if there is concrete evidence that a company’s products or services were produced with child labor
    • Complaints must first be submitted to the company and if the company’s reaction is ‘inadequate’ the case may be brought to the regulator
  • Other
Law

Wet Zorgplicht Kinderarbeid

Netherlands
May 14, 2019
Area Consumer Protection Law
Reporting
Due diligence
Due diligence and remedy