Commission pressed to support Fair Trade

5.43.58pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 27th Oct 2006

Sarah supporting Fair Trade

London's Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford has pressed Europe's trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson to make a reality of his pledge to elaborate a coherent EU policy for support of Fair Trade products, including clothing.

She said:

"Fair Trade is about ensuring that poor producers in developing countries receive a fair price for their hard work. This helps people to gradually work their way out of poverty. More and more Fair Trade goods are available, but there is still huge potential for growth."

"I am asking the Commission in particular to work with NGOs to develop fair trade in garments. In Bangladesh alone, more than 1.5 million women earn their living by stitching clothes. Yet their working conditions are poor and their pay negligible. Consumers in Europe must be given the opportunity to use their spending power to help improve the plight of these women and others like them."

"Commissioner Mandelson's reply was quite encouraging and I am sure that his invitation 'we are looking for opportunities to support the Fair Trade movement when it comes up with targeted requests' will be taken up! While he is right that Fair Trade is not the only route to improving life for people in poor countries, I hope that the Commission will find ways to help with the certification process so it can grow."

Note: Sarah Ludford asked Commissioner Mandelson:

In your response to the European Parliament's report on Fair Trade and Development in July, you stressed that the EU needed a coherent and collective policy framework on Fair Trade and undertook to look at how the Commission could support the different certification and assurance schemes and help consumers get accurate and transparent information. What further conclusions have you drawn on an EU Fair Trade support policy?

In particular, while Fair Trade distribution and labelling schemes are well-developed for food and drink products, this is not the case for garments. It is claimed for instance that Bangladeshi women may work 80 hour weeks in textile factories for just 10 euros a month producing clothes to be sold cheaply on EU high streets. How will the Commission work with NGOs to assist the development of international Fair Trade standards and certification for the production of garments?

His reply and the subsequent exchange can be read at http://sarahludfordmep.org.uk/speeches/131.html