BRUSSELS: European Union countries postponed on Friday a decision on a proposed law requiring large companies in the bloc to check if their supply chains use forced labour or cause environmental damage and rectify this if they do.

A ‘qualified majority’ of 15 EU countries representing 65% of the EU population is needed for the corporate sustainability due diligence directive to proceed to a final vote in the European Parliament.

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Lawmakers are expected to support it.

On Friday, it was not clear if a sufficient number of envoys from the 27 EU countries backed the law, with Germany abstaining.