Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-06-18-Speech-3-104"
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"en.20030618.8.3-104"2
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"Madam President, I too welcome the Commission statement and particularly look forward to the post-2005 report about the future of the textiles industry. Like other speakers, I also represent one of the regions of the European Union which is heavily dependent on textiles, the East Midlands. There are 2 000 textile companies and 60 000 people directly employed in the industry. It contributes GBP 4 billion a year to the regional economy.
Opening up trade and access creates challenges. Some of our companies have responded by developing new types of technical textiles, for example a Hinckley company developed special flight socks, and a Derby company developed special heat-resistant clothing for use by firefighters. But we need to recognise within the EU that not all companies are able to evolve in this way. The Commissioner mentioned the essential sector of textiles for developing countries. It is true that developing countries’ economies could receive a huge boost for a more open trading regime, but this is not automatic and not without its problems. If we are not careful, we might end up with increased mobility of exploitation, which would hardly achieve either the goals of the EU or the legitimate goals of the poorer and poorest countries in the world.
We should, of course, endeavour to use trade agreements to spread core labour values and to carry out the delicate task of improving conditions for workers in developing countries who often see such moves as hidden protectionism. We still see child labour, serious union repression and predominantly low-paid women. Those three factors, incidentally, are also present within the European Union.
Commissioner, you have a Herculean task ahead of you to reconcile all of this, and we very much hope you are going to have success. It is necessary for textile workers within the EU and those many in other parts of the world who seek to earn their living and improve their own economies and their own lives through the textiles industry."@en1
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