Brussels, 27/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - The Eurotext Association, which represents the European textile and clothing sector is organising an exhibition on counterfeiting and piracy on 26-29 January at the European Parliament in Brussels (parliament is expected to vote on a resolution on this subject at Thursday's plenary: EUROPE yesterday p 15). This event sheds light on the problems in the sector and draws attention of EP members to the need for fighting against this widespread and serious phenomenon, which is still not fully understood, and making it into a "genuine priority policy of the European Union". Eurotext explained in a press statement published on Monday that, "Counterfeiting and piracy have disastrous consequences not only in the textile and clothing sector, but for the whole of European industry. Data from the European Commission-DG TAXUD demonstrates how far-reaching the counterfeiting phenomenon is, especially in textiles and clothing". The association also said that seizures of textiles and clothing had doubled since 2001, with accessories (belts, spectacles, bags) accounting for the biggest increase. "Out of the total amount of counterfeited and pirated goods seized by customs in 2002, 9.2 million were clothing articles and accessories" of which brand names are the main victim. The association also explains that in connection with the designs, "counterfeiting tarnishes their image, compromises their entry to certain growth markets and endangers the prestige and know-how of the company concerned".