- Title: LUXEMBOURG: FRANCE SAYS TEXTILE PROTECTION MEASURES CANNOT WAIT.
- Date: 25th April 2005
- Summary: (W3) LUXEMBOURG (APRIL 25, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. EUROPEAN MEMBER STATES FLAGS AT 'KIEM CONFERENCE CENTRE' IN LUXEMBOURG 2. FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER MICHEL BARNIER AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE 3. JOURNALISTS LISTENING TO BARNIER 4. (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER MICHEL BARNIER SAYING: "We hope that we will go as fast as possible to take efficient protection measures - in respect of WTO rules - at the latest this summer. I simply think that the September is far too distant a deadline and the defence of jobs cannot wait." 5. PAN FROM JOURNALISTS ATTENDING THE NEWS CONFERENCE TO BARNIER AT TABLE 6. (SOUNDBITE) (French) BARNIER SAYING: "In preparing these protection measures, there are deadlines that you cannot shorten, such as the formal discussions. But I think that we can go really fast, really fast, really fast. I am repeating this three times, really quick on the time to finish the informal discussions." 7. JOURNALISTS TAKING NOTES. 8. (SOUNDBITE)(French) BARNIER SAYING: "Every country that would refuse this (European Union Constitution) text, is weakening itself, is isolating itself from the rest. This would be even more so for a founding country such as France. Their influence would be crippled. You have to know that a lot of our proposals and ideas have been included in the Constitutional project. Moreover, not only the country in question would be weakened, the European Union as a whole." 9. JOURNALIST TAKING NOTES 10. BARNIER LEAVING THE ROOM AT THE END OF THE NEWS CONFERENCE Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 10th May 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LUXEMBOURG
- Country: Luxembourg
- Reuters ID: LVA9B67TSZZ60NUUY34MBCOUNK1H
- Story Text: France thinks that textile protection measures can't
wait until September this year.
The European Union (EU) came under growing pressure
on Monday (April 25) to accelerate its planned probe into a
surge in Chinese textiles imports as Paris led calls for
fast action to protect European jobs.
France, struggling to win approval for Europe's
proposed constitution in a May 29 poll, where voter
scepticism about the EU is rife, urged the European
Commission to prepare measures targeting Chinese imports
from T-shirts to trousers.
"We hope that we will go as fast as possible to take
efficient protection measures - in respect of WTO rules -
at the latest this summer," said French Foreign Minister
Michel Barnier after a ministerial meeting in Luxembourg.
The EU executive Commission spokeswoman Claude
Veron-Reville said it would study any request for an
emergency procedure to speed up its probe but cautioned
that over-hasty action could fall foul of World Trade
Organisation rules and so trigger a challenge by China.
Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson is recommending the
opening of a probe into nine categories of Chinese textile
and clothing products, which have leapt in some cases by
over 500 percent since a global quota system was scrapped
on Jan. 1.
Veron-Reville also said the Commission is due to take a
decision on his recommendation on Tuesday or Wednesday,
opening the way for possible quantitative restrictions
within 150 days.
That is too slow for the dozen or so EU countries where
the textiles sector is a big employer. Those countries,
which include France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece,
also want a widening of the probe to cover up to 20 product
groups.
"September is far too distant a deadline and the
defence of jobs cannot wait," France's Michel Barnier told
reporters.
In Beijing, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said it was
watching any moves by the EU that could lead to formal
curbs, with a spokeswoman adding: "There is still room for
discussion".
Veron-Reville said any member state could request the
use of an emergency procedure, which would drastically cut
short the first part of the process: a period of
investigations and informal consultations with China
lasting no more than 60 days.
This would still leave a 90-day period of formal
consultations with China, which would have to take measures
at that stage to cut its exports, or face EU-imposed
restrictions.
Under the terms of its entry into WTO in 2001, Beijing
agreed that members could cap imports of Chinese clothing
and textiles at 7.5 percent above the level of shipments
the previous year until 2008 -- provided they demonstrate
that their own firms are suffering.
China made 17 percent of the world's textiles and
clothing in 2003, but the WTO sees that market share rising
to above 50 percent within the coming three years.
In a statement, industry group European Apparel and
Textile Organisation (EURATEX) welcomed the Commission plan
as a "first clear signal" that the EU was preparing action.
However the 25-nation EU is not united on the need for
curbs, with a bloc of largely northern countries including
Sweden, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands complaining
such action would smack of protectionism.
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