23-01-2023 16:30
Tackling Unfair Trading Practices in the Garment/Textile Sector
Most clothes and apparel that we wear every day are imported to the European Union. The conditions under which they are produced in third countries often remain opaque for the European consumer. Not least the tragic collapse of the Rana Planza building in 2013 where more than 1100 textile workers were killed, triggered rising awareness among policy makers and consumers about the global value chain of the textile and garment industry.
This hearing looks into the trade angle of the Commission's strategy for sustainable and circular textiles, in order to put forward policy and legislative solutions to the business-to-business power relations across global textile supply chains. The hearing will help to gather knowledge and to steer the debate regarding issues inherent to trading practices in the textile sector, as well as the ongoing discussions about corporate due diligence. Invited guests that come from academia, the NGO sector and from the industry will share their experiences with regard to trading practices in the garment and textile sector and will propose policy solutions that are beneficial for European consumers, the industry as well as for producers and workers in third countries.