European Apparel and Textile Organisation
24 rue Montoyer – B – 1000  Brussels
phone: + 32.2.285.48.81 – Fax : +32.2.230.60.54
e:mail : william.lakin@euratex.org
Web-site : www.euratex.org

WORLD'S TEXTILE AND CLOTHING INDUSTRY LEADERS REACH AGREEMENT ON WIDE RANGE OF MARKET ACCESS ISSUES

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Representatives from 36 countries attend landmark international conference in Geneva

Geneva, September 23, 2002 Leaders of major independent trade associations from 36 important textile and clothing producing nations in membership of the World Trade Organization meeting in Geneva September 21 / 22 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.

Commenting on the success of the meeting, Filiep Libeert, President of Euratex and Chairman of British Vita Non Wovens, said: "We are pleased not only by the high-level of attendance in response to our invitation but also the degree to which there has been a recognition of the challenges facing our industry worldwide and willingness to arrive at a consensus on the issues facing us. It has also become clear that there is more common ground and a wider agreement on objectives among businessmen from importing and exporting countries alike than is sometimes reflected in WTO negotiations. The discussions we have had in Geneva are encouraging and will help send a clear signal to trade negotiators that the concerns of the textile and clothing industry should be taken fully into account."

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. A summary of meeting outcomes is attached.

About Euratex

Euratex, the European Apparel and Textile Organisation, represents the interests of Europe's textile and clothing industry. It expresses the views of that industry to the European Commission and to the European Parliament on behalf of 114,000 companies in the European Union which employed close to 2.2 million workers in 2001. Today, Euratex concerns itself principally with external trade, intellectual property, the environment and R & D. In addition to its members in the EU, Euratex also has members in Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and a majority of CEEC candidate countries. The current President of Euratex is Filiep Libeert (Belgium).

For further information, contact:

William LAKIN                                                            Francesco MARCHI
Director General                                                         Director Economic Affairs
Phone : 32.2.285.48.82                                                32.2.285.48.92
William.lakin@euratex.org                                       Francesco.marchi@euratex.org