Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-02-23-Speech-3-226"
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"en.20050223.17.3-226"2
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".
Mr President, with effect from 1 January 2005, WTO members have no longer been able to apply quotas to the import of textiles and clothing, and this has had a phenomenal impact on the European market. The first figures of January this year compared to the same period last year demonstrate that a fivefold increase in imports of clothing from China is not a flash in the pan.
This does, of course, have major implications for European manufacturing industry. It has, of course, been known that the quotas would expire and perhaps the industry should have been better prepared for this. Since it now transpires that, according to some estimates, hundreds of thousands of jobs, or at least thousands of jobs, are on the line, I can imagine that thought is being given to protective measures or the temporary reintroduction of part of the quota system in order to give the industry a little more time to adjust. China’s protocol of accession to the WTO allows for this.
If the Commission considers measures in some way or another, then this will bring with it new problems, certainly if those measures involve quotas. After all, there are European importers of clothing from China who have now entered into major commitments for 2005. They should not be sacrificed to an operation to rescue manufacturing industry. I would therefore urge the Commission and the Council, in the event of any reintroduction of quotas or other protective measures, to ensure that an arrangement is put in place which stops entrepreneurs who have anticipated the new situation from being victimised.
Finally, I do believe that – as has already been said – we should do our level best to ensure that China complies with the WTO obligations with regard to opening up its own market."@en1
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