BETA

Awaiting Parliament 1st reading / single reading / budget 1st stage



Activites

  • 2017/04/27 Vote in plenary scheduled
  • 2017/04/26 Debate in plenary scheduled
  • 2017/03/28 Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
    • A8-0080/2017 summary
  • 2017/03/21 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • 2016/09/15 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading

Documents

  • Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A8-0080/2017
AmendmentsDossier
362 2016/2140(INI)
2016/12/13 EMPL 107 amendments...
source: 595.669
2017/01/30 INTA 68 amendments...
source: 597.716
2017/02/06 DEVE 187 amendments...
source: 599.614

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

activities/3/type
Old
Debate in plenary scheduled
New
Debate scheduled
activities/2/docs/0/text
  • The Committee on Development adopted an own-initiative report by Lola SÁNCHEZ CALDENTEY (GUE/NGL, ES) on the EU flagship initiative on the garment sector.

    Members recalled that 60 million people worldwide work in the textile and clothing sector, which creates many jobs, particularly in developing countries. However, textile manufacturers in developing countries are constantly exposed to aggressive purchasing practices by the international wholesale and retail trade, which is also due to fierce global competition. This state of affairs has led to widespread labour rights violations, including: poverty wages, forced labour and child labour, arbitrary dismissals, unsafe workplaces, violence against women, etc.

    Most human rights violations in the garment sector concern various aspects of labour rights, such as the denial of workers’ fundamental right to join or form a union of their choosing and bargain collectively in good faith.

    Members noted that voluntary initiatives led by the private sector over the last 20 years have not proven to be effective enough in bringing about a real improvement in workers’ rights. Multi-stakeholder initiatives like the German partnership for sustainable textiles or the Dutch agreement on sustainable garment and textile have still to produce concrete results. The efforts of corporations to promote workplace compliance can support, but not replace, the effectiveness and efficiency of public governance systems.

    Members welcomed the increasing attention given to the promotion of decent working conditions through global supply chains following the Rana Plaza factory collapse and acknowledged the Commission’s commitment towards responsible management of supply chains, including in the garment sector, as outlined in the Communication entitled “Trade for All”.

    Members noted, however, that existing voluntary initiatives not only recurrently overlap and fail to cover the whole supply chain’s loopholes, but also fall short of effectively addressing human rights issues.

    Consequently, a legally binding institutional framework is urgently needed.

    The Commission, aligned with the principle of Policy Coherence for Development reflected in Art. 208 TFEU, must develop a legislative proposal for binding supply chain due diligence obligations in the garment sector, aligned with OECD Guidelines and the highest internationally agreed standards on human rights and social and environmental standards.

    This proposal must be human rights centred and must focus the spotlight on the core problems garment workers face (occupational health and safety, a living wage, freedom of association, sexual harassment and violence in the workplace and the elimination of forced and child labour). The following matters must also be addressed: (i) key criteria for sustainable production, (ii) transparency and traceability, including the transparent collection of data and tools for consumer information, (iii) due diligence checks and auditing, (iv) access to remedy, (v) gender equality, (vi) supply-chain due diligence reporting, (viii) the responsibility of companies in the event of man-made disasters and awareness raising in the European Union.

    Members called for consumers to be provided with clear, trustworthy information about sustainability in the garment sector, where products originate from and the extent to which workers’ rights have been respected. They proposed, to this end, the development of EU-wide labelling standards for ‘fair clothing’, accessible to both multinational companies and SMEs, to assist customers in their purchasing decisions.

    Members called for an effective and compulsory reporting system and due diligence for garment products entering the EU market to ensure increased access to information on the conduct of enterprise. It encouraged the EU to work with all relevant stakeholders to promote a successful social partnership and to support stakeholders in the development and implementation of wage-setting mechanisms in accordance with relevant International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, especially in countries where there is a lack of adequate legislation.

    They recommended further research on ways of improving audits and inspections in the clothing and footwear supply chain. They emphasised the importance of independent labour inspections in early warning and prevention, as well as in enforcement of national rules and regulations on health and safety at the workplace.

    The Commission is called upon to: (i) continue to include the ratification of core ILO standards, health and safety inspection, and freedom of association in discussions on continued preferential trade with countries linked to the global supply chain for the garment sector, and; (ii) strengthen human rights, labour and environmental conventions under the Generalised System of Preferences.

activities/2/docs
  • url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2017-0080&language=EN type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading title: A8-0080/2017
activities/3/type
Old
Indicative plenary sitting date, 1st reading/single reading
New
Debate in plenary scheduled
activities/4
date
2017-04-27T00:00:00
body
EP
type
Vote in plenary scheduled
activities/2
date
2017-03-28T00:00:00
body
EP
type
Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting committee decision
New
Awaiting Parliament 1st reading / single reading / budget 1st stage
activities/1
date
2017-03-21T00:00:00
body
EP
type
Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
committees
procedure/Modified legal basis
Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 150
activities/0/committees/0/shadows/0
group
EPP
name
SZEJNFELD Adam
activities/0/committees/0/shadows/5
group
EFD
name
CORRAO Ignazio
activities/1
date
2017-04-26T00:00:00
body
EP
type
Indicative plenary sitting date, 1st reading/single reading
committees/0/shadows/0
group
EPP
name
SZEJNFELD Adam
committees/0/shadows/5
group
EFD
name
CORRAO Ignazio
other/0/dg/url
Old
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/
New
http://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/international-cooperation-and-development_en
procedure/subject/0
Old
6.30.01 Generalised scheme of tariff preferences (GSP), rules of origin
New
3.40.10 Textile and clothing industry, leathers
procedure/subject/2
6.30 Development cooperation
activities/0/committees/0/committee_full
Old
Development (Associated committee)
New
Development
activities/0/committees/2/committee_full
Old
International Trade (Associated committee)
New
International Trade
committees/0/committee_full
Old
Development (Associated committee)
New
Development
committees/2/committee_full
Old
International Trade (Associated committee)
New
International Trade
activities/0/committees/0/shadows/0
group
S&D
name
LIETZ Arne
activities/0/committees/0/shadows/2
group
ALDE
name
BECERRA BASTERRECHEA Beatriz
committees/0/shadows/0
group
S&D
name
LIETZ Arne
committees/0/shadows/2
group
ALDE
name
BECERRA BASTERRECHEA Beatriz
activities/0/committees/0/shadows
  • group: ECR name: ZAHRADIL Jan
  • group: Verts/ALE name: SARGENTINI Judith
activities/0/committees/2/date
2016-08-31T00:00:00
activities/0/committees/2/rapporteur
  • group: ECR name: KARIM Sajjad
committees/0/shadows
  • group: ECR name: ZAHRADIL Jan
  • group: Verts/ALE name: SARGENTINI Judith
committees/2/date
2016-08-31T00:00:00
committees/2/rapporteur
  • group: ECR name: KARIM Sajjad
activities/0/committees/1/date
2016-09-28T00:00:00
activities/0/committees/1/rapporteur
  • group: Verts/ALE name: LAMBERT Jean
committees/1/date
2016-09-28T00:00:00
committees/1/rapporteur
  • group: Verts/ALE name: LAMBERT Jean
activities/0
date
2016-09-15T00:00:00
body
EP
type
Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
committees
procedure/dossier_of_the_committee
DEVE/8/07092
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Preparatory phase in Parliament
New
Awaiting committee decision
activities
    committees
    • body: EP responsible: True committee: DEVE date: 2016-09-08T00:00:00 committee_full: Development (Associated committee) rapporteur: group: GUE/NGL name: SÁNCHEZ CALDENTEY Lola
    • body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Employment and Social Affairs committee: EMPL
    • body: EP responsible: False committee_full: International Trade (Associated committee) committee: INTA
    links
    other
    • body: EC dg: url: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/ title: International Cooperation and Development commissioner: MIMICA Neven
    procedure
    reference
    2016/2140(INI)
    title
    EU flagship initiative on the garment sector
    legal_basis
    Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 052
    stage_reached
    Preparatory phase in Parliament
    subtype
    Initiative
    type
    INI - Own-initiative procedure
    subject