EU fordømmer eftertrykkeligt slaveri i alle dets former. Det er et begreb, der i dag ud over det traditionelle slaveri og slavehandel bl.a. indeholder alvorlige krænkelser af børns og kvinders rettigheder og udnyttelsen af visse afhængighedssituationer samt apartheid.
The European Union emphatically condemns slavery in all its forms, including, as the concept does today, alongside traditional slavery and the slave trade, such things as serious violations of the rights of children and of women, the exploitation of certain dependency situations, and apartheid.