Brussels, 14/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - The EU decided to lift the restriction on imports of 65 categories of textile products and clothes from other member countries of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Though the contingents are maintained for the most sensitive products, the Council mandated the European Commission to bilaterally negotiate a greater liberalisation with the partners that are prepared to provide similar treatment to Community exports. This package, which will soon be notified to Geneva, will enable the EU to achieve the second to last phase of the integration of the textile sector into the WTO general rules, as foreseen by the Agreement on Textiles and Clothes from the Uruguay Round.
A list, specifies the products whose importation will be progressively liberalised by 1 January 2002. It represents 21.8% of the total Community imports in 1999 (EUR 12.9 billion), or a little more than the 18% foreseen by the Uruguay Round. The EU made its choices following the exhaustive talks, including with industry, traders, importers, consumers and supplier countries, by trying to find "a balance between a certain number of primordial interests": a) offer consumer a range as wide as possible of imported products (more often from developing countries); b) leave the European industry sufficient time to adapt to the new trade environment implying the complete liberalisation of textile markets by 2005; c) provide European industry with fair condition for competition abroad; d) maintain its own production, in particular in the regions that suffer from economic difficulties (this is why the EU maintains a certain number of tariff quotas, while opening the way for the greater liberalisation benefiting the "exporting" countries that offer it reciprocity).
We want at the same time as the liberalisation, for our industry to be able to develop and be competitive at an international level", underlined Commissioner Pascal Lamy, for whom this decision shows the EU's determination to scrupulously fulfil its obligations under the WTO agreements". The Third countries must do as much; "other countries must open their markets to our exports for the liberalisation to achieve an equitable result", insisted the head of trade policy.