| Series Title | European Voice |
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| Series Details | Vol.11, No.25, 30.6.05 |
| Publication Date | 30/06/2005 |
| Content Type | News |
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Date: 30/06/05 MEPs will next week urge Peter Mandelson, the European commissioner for trade, to take an aggressive stance on alleged counterfeiting of brand-name clothes by Chinese firms. French centre-right deputy Tokia Saïfi, author of a Parliamentary report on Europe's textiles industry, is to cite estimates that 70% of counterfeit garments dumped on this continent's markets each year originate in China. The figure is based on statistics published by customs authorities, which seize about five million fakes of brand-name items each year. Saïfi is to call on the Commission to insist that the provisions on clothing designs in the World Trade Organization's intellectual property rights (TRIPS) agreement are respected and to take retaliatory measures against countries which do not adhere to them. William Lakin of the European Apparel and Textile Organisation (Euratex) said that only the 30 countries belonging to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have adequate records on adherence to clothing designs. A major problem with TRIPS, he said, was that it had not led to similar records for China and other non-OECD nations. A Commission official said that "China has relatively good [intellectual property] laws on its books but they are not necessarily well-enforced". Mandelson, the official added, had been pushing for greater enforcement in contacts with Beijing both at WTO and bilateral level. Saïfi also wants the Commission to use the WTO and bilateral trade agreements to campaign against 'sweat shop' conditions in clothing firms and especially the exploitation of women and child labour. The Commission official said that "where there is justifiable evidence" of abusive labour standards in China, Mandelson would "take a strong line". On 10 June, Mandelson struck a deal with China's Commerce Minister Bo Xilai on restricting the growth of Chinese clothing exports to the Union. Under this accord, the overall increase would be about 10% a year between now and 2008. Some data has indicated a massive surge in Chinese imports to the EU since decades-old quotas were abolished in January. In a report adopted by its Committee on International Trade, the European Parliament calls for an aggressive stance on alleged counterfeiting of brand-name clothes by Chinese firms. |
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| Source Link | http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Subject Categories | Business and Industry, Internal Markets |
| Countries / Regions | China, Europe |
