Launch EU Tech Platform for Textiles and Clothing
European Textile and Clothing Industry will set up a permanent expert network to develop scenarios and a strategic development agenda for long term competitiveness of this sector based on research, technology and innovation
In
the presence of EU Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik, the European textile
and clothing industry, represented by the European Apparel and Textile Organisation
– Euratex, launched the European Technology Platform for the Future of
Textiles and Clothing” on 17 December 2004 in Brussels.
“Today, with the launch of the Technology Platform, we can make a big new step in boosting the competitiveness of the European Textiles and Clothing Industry” said EU Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik. “The 2020 Vision Document prepared by the European Apparel and Textile Organisation provides a sound and promising basis for the development of the Textiles and Clothing Strategic Research Agenda that will transform industry.”
This initiative will bring together all interested stakeholders: the textile and clothing industry itself, related industries and service providers, the research and education community and public authorities at all levels in a joint effort to map out long term visions and a strategic research agenda for the coming years to support the transformation of this industry into a knowledge-based innovation driven sector.
The objectives of the Technology Platform include
The work of the Technology Platform should help the industry to overcome a number of limiting factors to its current research and innovation efforts including a general lack of resources (capital & human), widespread fragmentation and duplication of efforts in Europe, lack of long-term strategies, shortcomings in translating research into innovation, difficulties in protecting IPR and unfavourable innovation framework conditions.
The Technology Platform will be based on 3 pillars, which represent the 3 central concepts with which the industry intends to defend its competitive future position on the global market:
Euratex President Filiep Libeert concluded his presentation with the words “I believe to make a success of the European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing, could be this industry’s key contribution to the EU’s Lisbon Strategy and Knowledge for Growth initiative. I can assure you Mr. Commissioner, Growth, Competitiveness and Employment through increased Research, Development and Innovation is as high on our agenda as it is on yours.”
www.euratex.org
22 December 2004
Doha Development Agenda: Market Access for Non-Agricultural Products.
The textile and clothing industries of the EU and Japan have in recent weeks closely followed market access negotiations for textiles and clothing under the Doha Development Agenda which have taken place at meetings of the Negotiating Group on Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) and are intended to reach agreement on the modalities for tariff reductions and the removal of non-tariff barriers at the forthcoming 5th WTO Ministerial Conference to be held in Cancun, Mexico in September 2003.
In this context, draft elements of modalities for tariff reduction negotiations for textiles and clothing have been submitted to WTO members by Ambassador Pierre-Louis Girard, Chairman of the Negotiating Group on Non-Agricultural Market Access. The the EU, the US and Canada have jointly tabled proposals for tariff harmonisation to that same Negotiating Group, and more recently the Chairman of the General Council has circulated a draft Cancun Ministerial Text. These texts were examined in detail at a meeting of EURATEX and JTF in Brussels on August 29th. The European Apparel and Textile Organisation delegation was led by Mr. Filiep Libeert, President of EURATEX. The Japanese delegation was led by Mr. Masaki Sakurai, Senior Vice-President of the Japan Textile Federation.
As representatives of the textile and clothing industries in the EU and Japan,
EURATEX and JTF agreed/confirmed the following at the meeting on August 29th:
1. EURATEX and JTF are supportive of the harmonisation principle which underpins
the EU-USA-Canada joint proposal. They are however concerned that Ambassador
Girard's draft proposals do not accurately reflect efforts made by certain WTO
members in the past. Nor do they fully address the need for all WTO members
to participate actively and substantively in tariff reductions and the removal
of all non-tariff barriers (NTBs), and thus in the growth of international trade
in textile and clothing as laid down in Art 16 of the Ministerial Declaration
in Doha.
2. With the above in mind, the EU and Japanese industries wish to reiterate
their desire for negotiations in the field of textiles and clothing to be conducted
on a sectorial basis, mandatory for all WTO members, and independent of any
general formula. The purpose should be to achieve harmonisation of tariffs below
15 for all textile and clothing products, together with the effective removal
of all non-tariff barriers.
3. The interests of the least developed should be safeguarded by the retention
of adequate levels of tariff in the industrial world. In this latter context,
the EU and Japanese industries cannot support the concept of tariff elimination,
which appears unrealistic and the effect of which would be to deny to their
beneficiaries the advantages of existing bilateral arrangements.
4. In respect of non-tariff barriers (NTBs), which are a distortion of fair
trade and an integral part of the market access negotiations, whether in the
form of additional taxes, customs valuation, border delays, certification or
disproportionate technical or phyto-sanitary barriers, EURATEX and JTF propose
that all members of WTO agree in the first instance to a freeze of all existing
measures, to be followed by the removal of those barriers listed in the EU's
2001 bilateral textile agreement with Sri Lanka. All remaining NTBs would then
be subject to a proportionality test to ensure that the specific measure involved
was in proportion to the objective sought.
5. The EU and Japanese industries urge WTO members to ensure that trade defence
instruments (anti-dumping, anti-subsidy, and safeguard mechanisms) should be
capable of effective use where unfair trade practises cause genuine market disruption.
6. EURATEX and JTF also urge all WTO members to implement without delay the
provisions of Art 25.2( ) of the TRIPs Agreement( ) on intellectual property
rights in the textiles and clothing field, namely.
The European and Japanese textile and clothing industries have every hope that
their justified requests will be taken into full consideration by WTO members
meeting in Cancun.
euratex.org
september 1 2003
Textile leaders in agreement on future industry
Leaders of major independent trade associations were unanimous in calling for closed markets to be opened and for the removal of all non-tariff barriers. Participants from 36 important textile and clothing producing nations in membership of the World Trade Organization meeting in Geneva this weekend reached agreement on a wide range of market access and related issues associated with negotiations currently underway as part of the new WTO trade round as well as on the challenges posed by the expiry of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing end 2004.
The international conference, held at the initiative of Euratex (the European Apparel and Textile Organisation), provided participants with an opportunity to assess the implications of WTO negotiations relating to tariff and non-tariff barriers for textile and clothing products and to examine the nature of the global trading environment for the industry from 2005 onwards. The participants also agreed that a further meeting would be held to review progress and the extent to which jointly agreed objectives are being reflected in WTO negotiations.
The international conference in Geneva was the first-ever meeting of major textile and apparel industries from both importing and exporting countries devoted expressly to WTO issues. It will be held again next year.
euratex.org
09-24-02
Industry leaders to meet in Geneva
On September 21 / 22 over 70 representatives (all members of the World Trade Organisation) from more than 30 trade associations will attend te first-ever meeting of major textile and apparel industries. The conference is being held in Geneva at the initiative of Euratex (the European Apparel and Textile Organisation). It is the intention that the conference will provide participants with an opportunity to assess the implications for the industry worldwide of negotiations currently underway as part of the new WTO trade round relating to tariff and non-tariff barriers for textile and clothing products.
High on the list of topics will be the WTO's Doha Development Agenda , issues of market access through to and beyond the expiry of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) end 2004, and the nature of the global trading environment for the industry from 2005 onwards. It is anticipated that the conference delegates will attempt to arrive at a consensus on the challenges facing the industry as well as identifying means to manage them.
Trade in the world's textile and clothing industries in 2000 was estimated to be worth two hundred and ninety billion US dollars. Employment in the industry worldwide is estimated at around 30 million people.
euratex.org
09-11-02
TEXTILE/CLOTHING INDUSTRY LEADERS IN EU BAFFLED BY INDIAN STANCE ON TEXTILE/CLOTHING
TRADE ISSUES
Recent statements from the Indian authorities have baffled Filiep LIBEERT, President
of the European Textile and Apparel Organisation, EURATEX. Speaking at his Meulebeke
(Belgium) based company, Libeltex on April 29th, Mr. Libeert said : "I
find it difficult to comprehend how the Government of India has the gall to
continue to press the EU and others to make further unjustified concessions
in its favour, whilst continuing to keep its own borders virtually sealed from
EU exports. The EU itself has every right to expect improved access to third
markets, and its industry has already stated its willingness to offer more quota
to achieve this objective. India however believes that it has a divine right
to sell everything it can, at fair prices or otherwise, without offering the
slightest access to its domestic market. The European industry cannot and will
not accept such hypocrisy".
Filiep Libeert's comments follow Indian appeals to WTO to set aside a number of EU decisions in respect of anti-dumping duties, and duty free entry to the EU market for Pakistan under the drug fighting regime of the General System of preferences. Whilst the EU imported from India 4.2 Billion Euros of textiles and clothing in the year 2001, the EU only exported to India one twentieth of that amount. A recent WTO study 1 confirmed that India has the highest duties in the world (average bound duties for textiles and clothing 87,8%, and although its applied tariffs are somewhat lower the overall applied duties plus additional taxes on imports into India of wool fabrics, for example, still amount to in excess of 73%) demonstrating the massive gap which India will be expected to make good within the context of the Doha Development Agenda.
euratex.org
7-5-2002
The Ministerial declaration in Doha
Recently elected President of EURATEX, Mr. Filiep Libeert, spoke in Brussels on 11th February of his hopes for the future of the European textile and clothing industry following the launch of the Doha Development Agenda, and the beginning of the final phase of the ATC (Agreement on Textiles and Clothing) under which all import quotas into the EU will be removed by 31.12.2004).
The textile and clothing industry's new President expressed full support for the policies, which had been drawn up under the leadership of his immediate predecessor, Jean de Jaegher. He was convinced that EU textile and clothing exporters still had much to gain from a reduction of tariffs and the removal of non-tariff barriers overseas.
"The Ministerial declaration in Doha provides EU Commission negotiators with a genuine opportunity to open up a number of markets which are today closed to our exports. It is our job to ensure that they have enough faith in our ability to increase our exports to make the necessary efforts on our behalf. We as an industry know from past experience that once overseas markets begin to open, our quality semi-manufactures and finished articles are competitive enough to make substantial inroads" he said. Mr. Libeert was speaking after the meeting of a review group set up within Euratex to monitor developments within WTO on issues of concern to the textile and clothing industry. He noted that the EU had a clear duty to create the right framework to enable industry to prosper.
Where WTO was concerned, an end to high tariffs and non-tariff barriers was a clear prerequisite. European industry should be encouraged by the support it had obtained for this position from its counterparts across the Atlantic in the USA, Canada and Mexico as a result of a recent meeting in Washington.
Mr. Libeert noted that European industry was becoming increasingly impatient at the apparent inability of certain countries to open their domestic markets to EU exports. "The Indian position today is inexplicable, and Euratex looks to European Commissioners to take the appropriate steps to persuade that country and others to improve access to their market." he stated.
In addition to the need to secure open world markets, the EURATEX President also stressed the need for progress to be made within WTO to improve measures to enforce Intellectual Property rights throughout the WTO membership. "It cannot be morally or legally justifiable that WTO rules allow companies in certain countries to pirate European designs and to sell those products on their own markets with impunity" he stressed.
Mr. Libeert expressed satisfaction at the progress made by the EU Commission and its partners in the wider Euro-Mediterranean area towards the creation of a genuine free trade area which would cover more than 600 million people, and 6 million jobs in the textile and clothing industry. He looked forward to the Ministerial Conference in Toledo in March to approve a number of origin and cumulation issues in this field, which would enable the industry to accelerate its work on a series of proposals in the tariff, and trade facilitation areas.
TRANSATLANTIC MEETING URGES EQUITY IN INTERNATIONAL TEXTILE AND CLOTHING TRADE
On 17th and 18thJanuary 2002 representatives of the textile and clothing industries of the USA, Canada, Mexico, the European Union and Turkey met in Washington D.C to review prospects for international trade in textiles and clothing following the launch of the WTO Doha Development Agenda in November 2001.
Organisations present at the meetings were: American Textile Manufacturers Institute (ATMI), Canadian Textiles Institute (CTI), Camara Nacional de la Industria Textil de México (CANAINTEX), the European Apparel and Textile Organisation (Euratex), and the Turkish Clothing Manufacturers Association (TCMA). The companies in membership of the above associations together currently employ in excess of 5 million workers.
To rectify the massive imbalance in export opportunities and in the application
of WTO disciplines as between the open markets of the developed world and the
closed markets of major exporting nations in the developing world, and in Asia
in particular, representatives agreed to pursue the following objectives with
their respective government authorities:
· To obtain within WTO genuine opening of a number of large potential markets
in Asia and elsewhere which are at present almost totally closed, in response
to the efforts already made by developed countries and Mexico. This will involve
substantial tariff reductions and bindings on the part of those closed countries,
together with the abolition of non-tariff barriers (additional taxes and levies,
import certification and licensing, etc.)
· To make no concessions in respect of the implementation of the Agreement on
Textiles and Clothing (ATC) beyond those for which the agreement itself makes
clear provision, and which are in any case respected to the letter by the developed
world.
· To avoid any weakening of safeguard, anti-dumping and anti-subsidy instruments,
which, as of January 1st 2005 and the complete elimination of textile and clothing
quotas under the ATC system will constitute the only remedies against unfair
trade practices.
· To further rectify the above mentioned imbalance, and as a matter of simple
equity, the de facto moratorium for developing countries on infringements of
Intellectual Property Rights within the TRIPs agreement must be brought to an
end at the next WTO Ministerial Conference in 2003. The current situation is
a clear encouragement to companies in third countries to indulge in counterfeiting
and in the piracy of designs and models.
· To develop and enforce effective measures to eliminate fraud and transhipment
that is an over-frequent occurrence with in textile and clothing trade. This
phenomenon not only seriously damages companies and creates job losses on the
markets targeted, but is detrimental to the interests of bona fide exporters
to those same markets.
The industries of the above-mentioned countries have also agreed that they
will follow-up this first discussion with a series of further meetings. The
objective of this transatlantic alliance is to achieve the objective of equity
in international textile and clothing trade through full integration of the
developing countries into the world trading system.
For further information, contact: euratex.org
24-1-2002
EURATEX PRESIDENT STEPS DOWN
After more than three years as President, Jean de Jaegher relinquished that
position at the Euratex General Assembly which took place in Brussels on December
5th 2001. His successor at the head of Europe's textiles and clothing industry
body is Mr. Filiep Libeert of Belgium, former Chairman of the Belgian textile
federation, Febeltex.
Mr. de Jaegher was elected President of Euratex in December 1998, after serving as its Vice-President since January 1996. A Belgian national, Mr. de Jaegher joined the Italian textile and clothing company, Marzotto S.p.A in 1968, becoming Managing Director of that company in 1980. He subsequently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Hugo Boss USA before returning to Italy as Chairman of the Valdagno based Marzotto Group, of which he remains today Deputy Chairman.
Mr. Filiep Libeert, aged 48, is also a Belgian national, living in Kortrijk (Courtrai). He began his career in the commercial division of the technical textiles and non-wovens company Libeltex NV, becoming Chairman of the Board of the Libeltex Group of companies in 1990. He is also a main board Director of British Vita PLC, a company employing 14.000 people with an annual turnover of some 1.7 billion Euros. He is a former President (1998-2001) of the Belgian textile Federation, Febeltex, , a member of the Council of the Kortrijk Chamber of Commerce, and Vice-President of the FEB (Belgian Employers' Association). Mr. Libeert is married with three children.
Euratex represents the textile and clothing industries of the EU and Turkey,
together with those of Estonia, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and
Morocco. Its December 5th meeting also extended that membership to the textile
and clothing industries of Lithuania and Bulgaria.
euratex.org
International Trade in Textiles and Apparel
Europe's textile and apparel industry feels compelled to refute the seriously
misleading statement from the ITCB issued on 11th November 2001.
1. ITCB lists 26 members. Of these no less than 12 already enjoy quota free
access to the European Union.
2. The EU has scrupulously fulfilled each and every one of its obligations under
the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing - ATC - which provides for the staged
phasing out of quota restrictions over a ten year period and which was agreed
at the conclusion of the Uruguay Round. The European industry has accepted this
schedule and is preparing itself accordingly.
3. Members of ITCB on the other hand have signally failed to implement Art.7
of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, which imposes upon all members improved
market access through tariff reductions and bindings, and the reduction or removal
of non-tariff barriers. With one or other notable exceptions, this has simply
not occurred. Non-tariff barriers have multiplied - the EU has none - and 2005
simple average bound tariffs (1) remain prohibitively high. (e.g. Argentina
35%; Indonesia 39.9%; India 87.8%). The EU figure is a modest 7.8%.
4. Far from being protectionist, Euratex, the EU Commission and member states
have already offered improved access to the EU market for those countries who
are prepared to open their domestic markets. (Council decision of 9/11/00).
Euratex fails to understand why such an offer has not been taken up by more
than one exporting country.
5. European industry also finds it curious that ITCB should condone dumping.
Abnormally low prices injure fairly priced goods from other exporters just as
much as producers on the European market. The EU's sparing use of the anti-dumping
instrument is in everyone's best interest.
6. Trade in textiles and apparel must be two way. Euratex calls upon ITCB and
its members to ensure their own full compliance with the provisions of the ATC.
Until then it respectfully suggests that they refrain from further tendentious
statements of the type issued on 11th November.
(1) Source: WTO: unfinished business - Post Uruguay Round inventory and issues. * Euratex represents the textiles and apparel industries of the EU, together with those of the Czech.Republic, Estonia, Morocco, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia and Turkey.
TEXTILE AND CLOTHING INDUSTRY REJECTS LAMY DEAL WITH PAKISTAN.
Sacrifice must be borne by EU economy as a whole, not by one industry alone, insists European industry President, Jean de Jaegher. Vienna, 19th October 2001. The Board of Directors of Euratex*, meeting in Vienna on October 19th, severely criticised and rejected the EU's proposed trade package for Pakistan, announced by the Commission on 16th October. "This is a flagrant example of European textile and clothing interests being sacrificed to serve a wider purpose" stated Euratex President Jean de Jaegher after the meeting. " We will combat this deal by all available means; it impacts almost exclusively upon textiles and clothing, and makes no effort to spread the burden across the EU economy as a whole".
Under the agreement with Pakistan, the EU has committed itself to raise all Pakistan's textile and clothing quotas by 15%, involving an additional 40.000 tonnes of imports into the EU per annum until the end of 2004 (when all quotas will in any case be phased out). Special arrangements are also in hand to enable Pakistani exports to benefit from drug-fighting country status under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP.) Industry sources indicate that the thousands of additional European job losses over the 3-year period could have been avoided, had member-states gifted Pakistan 3 Euros per head of the EU population.
Euratex Director-General, Bill Lakin, regretted that the Commission had sought to dress up the transaction as a reciprocal market access agreement based on the Council Mandate of 9th November 2001. "We have consistently stated that we are prepared, under conditions of genuine reciprocity, to improve overseas' exporters' access to the EU market. But the agreement initialled with Pakistan guarantees that country a further 40.000 tonnes per year, and provides nothing in return. Our export opportunities to that closed market remain as barren as they have always been"
The Euratex Board will insist on guarantees from Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy and EU member-states that there will be no repeat of this week's events with other exporting nations, nor at the forthcoming WTO Ministerial meeting. "The EU's textiles and clothing market access policy is in tatters following the proposed deal with Pakistan" said Jean de Jaegher. " There can be no question of any concessions until our overseas partners, including Pakistan, have demonstrated that their markets are genuinely open to European exports."
*Euratex represents the textile and clothing industries of the European Union
and of candidate countries for membership of the Union.
For further information contact:
William LAKIN
Phone : 32.2.285.48.82
William.lakin@euratex.org
euratex.org