Correspondence
Email sent to the European Commission's Office for Infrastructure and Logistics.
The email said: "I’m contacting you in light of our latest investigation which concerns the use of forced labor in China’s food processing industry, and a link we’ve discovered between a company engaged in such practices and Sysco France's supply chain.
Cité Marine, a supplier of processed Alaska pollock and Atlantic cod products to Sysco France, sources from a company called Qingdao Tianyuan Aquatic Products. Qingdao Tianyuan Aquatic Products has received persons from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China under the state-imposed labor transfer program. Sysco France was this year awarded a contract by the European Commission’s Office for Infrastructure and Logistics to supply food to the Commission's canteens.
The United Nations, human rights organizations and academic experts agree that since 2018, the Chinese government has systematically subjected Xinjiang’s predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities to forced labor across the country via state-sanctioned employment schemes which use coercive methods in worker enrollment. The U.S. has prohibited the importation of goods produced from state-imposed forced labor.
Are Sysco France providing frozen fish products to any European Commission office or canteen? Does the European Commission have any comment or statement to make in light of the above information? Please let me know by close of business, July 21, 2023."
Claire Joawn, Press Officer for Budget and Administration at the European Commission's spokesperson's service, replied: "Your message was forwarded to me only now. I will try to reply asap but could you please extend your deadline?"
The Outlaw Ocean Project replied: "We could push it to tomorrow, if that would allow your office to get something back to us by then? Thanks for your engagement with our query."
Miriam Garcia Ferrer from the European Commission's spokesperson's service, replied: "Please see our reply below. It can be attributed to a ‘Commission spokesperson’.
The Commission was not aware of the allegations regarding the supplier of our supplier.
The position of the Commission on this topic is clear: On 14 September 2022, the Commission tabled a legislative proposal to prohibit products made with forced labour on the EU market. The aim is to eliminate all products made with forced labour from the EU market, irrespective of where they have been made. Our ban will apply to domestic products, exports and imports alike.
Sysco FRANCE was selected as a possible supplier of some products after a call of tenders, following the Financial regulation and sound financial management principles.
We are going to contact our supplier and check these allegations carefully with them."
The Outlaw Ocean Project replied: "Thanks for this. We dont cite professional spokespeople anonymously."
Claire Joawn, Press Officer for Budget and Administration at the European Commission's spokesperson's service, responded: "You can attribute the text to Miriam Garcia Ferrer."