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
Future of Textiles and Clothing after 2005 - Conference in Brussels on 5th and 6th May 2003.
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European Apparel and Textile Organisation24 rue Montoyer Box 10 – B – 1000 Brussels( : + 32.2.285.48.81 – Fax : +32.2.230.60.54: : william.lakin@euratex.orgWeb-site : www.euratex.org
PRESS RELEASE
Brussels, May 07th 2003
"Future of Textiles and Clothing after 2005" Conference
in Brussels on 5th and 6th May 2003
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Following the EU Commission's "Future of Textiles and Clothing after 2005" Conference in Brussels on 5th and 6th May 2003, representatives of the textile and clothing industries of Europe, (including Turkey), Japan, and the USA met to review progress on Market Access issues for non-agricultural products in the context of the WTO Doha Development Agenda. The meeting was one of an ongoing series of bilateral and multilateral discussions at industry level which have been held since September 2002.
In renewing their call for tariff and non-tariff barrier negotiations in WTO to achieve a harmonisation of tariffs, the delegations present reaffirmed that :
(i) Negotiations for tariff reductions and removal of non-tariff barriers should be conducted on a sectoral basis, so that high tariffs can be reduced and all non-tariff barriers be removed as early as possible; and that IPR issues can be effectively addressed.
(ii) All WTO members regardless of economic development should participate in the market access negotiations and contribute to a substantial improvement in market access.
(iii) There was a clear need to ensure a role in the world trading system for the least developed and smaller suppliers whose position would become increasingly precarious after the end of the quota arrangements.
In addition, they expressed concern that many WTO members had failed to live up to their commitments under Art. 7 of the ATC (Agreement on Textiles and Clothing). This Article provides for all WTO members to improve access to their domestic markets. As a result, important growth markets remained closed due to excessive tariffs and a multiplicity of non-tariff barriers, thus denying consumers in those countries the opportunity to acquire high quality or speciality products from overseas. These flagrant imbalances in market access should be addressed as a matter of urgency in Geneva, and hence offer genuine opportunities for more balanced two-way trade even before December 31st 2004 when the ATC quota system came to an end. There was a general feeling that whilst a number of ambitious proposals had been tabled by WTO members in Geneva, far too few of the more advanced developing countries, themselves major exporters of textiles and clothing, had shown any willingness to offer concessions which corresponded to the objectives of the development agenda itself.
Speaking after the meeting, EURATEX President Filiep Libeert, who hosted the meeting, stressed that the EU industry had proved its ability to increase exports at such time as previously closed markets began to open. « We and our colleagues in Japan, Korea and the USA have just as much right to export to third markets as our competitors have to export to us. What is clearly needed today is for our authorities to open up those markets to enable us to export the right goods at the right price. » He said. «Fair and ethical reciprocal trade is our common objective » he added.
JTF (Japan Textile Federation) Senior Vice President Masaki Sakurai said : « Substantial improvement of market access for textile and clothing is an issue for both developed and developing countries. We will continue to work together to form the global industry-wise concensus for modalities on the market access negotiations under DDA through explaining what Europe, USA, and Japan agreed to other WTO members and obtaining their support ».
Representatives of the US industry, Karl Spilhaus and Parks Shackelford stated: «This meeting offered a useful opportunity to emphasise the common objectives of our respective industries. Through sectoral negotiations, in addition to eliminating non-tariff barriers and providing for tariff harmonisation, IPR and customs enforcement issues can be addressed. Measures must also be taken to combat illegal currency manipulation, which provides hidden subsidies for some countries. On these points all groups present agree. Our Governments simply must not enter into any agreement for further access to our markets without fully reciprocal and balanced concessions from all trading partners.»
For further information, contact:
W.H. LAKIN
Phone : +32/2/285.48.81 /Fax : +32/2/230.60.54
website: www.euratex.org
Francesco MARCHI
Phone : +32/2/285.48.92 Fax : +32/2/230.60.54
website: www.euratex.org
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Press Release May 7th 2003
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