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

Another challenge for the European Textile and Clothing Sector: the fight against counterfeiting.

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European Apparel and Textile Organisation
24 rue Montoyer – B – 1000 Brussels
Web-site : www.euratex.org

PRESS RELEASE
26th January 2004.

ANOTHER CHALLENGE
FOR THE EUROPEAN TEXTILE AND CLOTHING SECTOR:
THE FIGHT AGAINST COUNTERFEITING

The textile sector has had to cope with counterfeiting for a very long time. Well-known brands remain major victims, and counterfeiting tarnishes their image, compromises their entry to certain growth markets and endangers the prestige and know-how of the company concerned.

Whilst there is much talk about brands, the Textile and Clothing sector is also seriously concerned by the theft of designs (Our companies produce more than 10,000,000 designs per year). These designs which play a significant role in the commercial success or failure of a product, i.e. its added value, are also systematically pilfered by counterfeiters.

As part of its plan to step up the fight against counterfeiting and piracy, the European Textile and Clothing Industry is organising with other European industries an exhibition in the European Parliament on counterfeit and piracy. This event will take place from 26th to 29th January .

In taking this initiative, EURATEX seeks to draw the attention of Members of the European Parliament to the need to make the fight against counterfeiting and piracy a genuine priority policy of the European Union.Counterfeiting and piracy have disastrous consequences not only in the textile and clothing sector, but for the whole of European industry. Data from the European Commission-DG TAXUD demonstrate how far-reaching the counterfeiting phenomenon is, especially in Textiles and Clothing.

Seizures of Textiles and Clothing have doubled since 2001, with accessories (belts, spectacles, bags) accounting for the greatest increase: Out of the total amount of counterfeited and pirated goods seized by customs in 2002, 9.2 million were clothing articles and accessories.

Today European Textile and Clothing companies, mainly SMEs, are no longer in a position to bear the costs to protect their creations when faced by an ever-growing phenomenon which is increasingly modern and diverse.

There must be real political awareness of the gravity of this problem. This week’s high level event provides Europe’s parliamentarians with samples, examples and illustrations of the problem industry faces.

For further information contact:
Stephanie Le Berre
Phone: (32) 2 285 4893
Fax: (32) 2 230 6054

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