ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (75)502
Vol.1975/0191

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
/
i
. COM(75)502 final
Brussels ,8October 1975
Proposal for aCouncil Decision
inregard tothe intervention oftheEuropean Social Fund
infavour ofpersons occupied inthetextile and clothing
sectors x
-)
■ j " /
(submitted totheCouncil bytheCommission )
* ...
■i
\
,f
COM(75)502final //

v/995/75-E.*
ProposalforaCouncilDecision
inregardtotheinterventionoftheEuropeanSooialFund
infavourofpersonsoccupiedinthetextileandclothing
sectors
THECOUNCILOPTHEEUROPEAN CCMMUNITIES
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomic
Community;
HavingregardtotheCouncilDecisionof1February1971on"the
reformoftheEuropeanSocialFund(l)andinparticular
■Article4thereof;
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission;
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEuropeanParliament/
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEconomicandSocialCommittee;
WhereastheDecisionoftheCouncilof19December1972inregard
totheintervention oftheEuropeanSocialFundinfavourofpersons
occupiedinthetextilesectorexpireson1January1976(2);
WhereastheemploymentsituationintheCommunitytextilesector
continuesnevertheless to"becharacterised byimbalancesofaquali­
tativeandquantitativenatureandgivesrisetotheneedtoextend
thespecificcommonactionaimedatensuringabetteradaptationof
thesupplyofanddemandformanpowerinthissector;
S
Whereasthedifficultiesfeltintheareaofemploymentinthetextile
sectorhaveprogressively affectedtheclothingsector;
(1)O.J.n°L28of4.2.1971,P#15
(2)O.J.n#L261of28.12.1972.P.160

This figure could bereduced byone third totake account
oflaunching delays that may occur onextending theFund 's
activities toanew field .Thenumber ofpersons concerned
intheclothing industry in1976 cantherefore beassumed
tobe 1*4-.000 .
(1)TheCommission Preliminary Draft General
Budget (Doc .COM (75)330 ,pp.56and57)
provision ismade inrespect ofTextile ,
sector operations forabout #million u.a.
under thecombined heading "Agriculture and
Textiles "{theremaining appropriations
required forassistance inthe textile and
clothing sectors ,about 12-1^million u.a.,
are entered under theheading "Anti-crisis
regulation "which provides foratotal
amount of60million u.a.

FINANCIAL DATA
Annex totheproposal for aCouncil Decision onassistance bythe
European Social Fund forworkers inthe textile and clothing sectors
The annual cost ofassistance bytheEuropean Social Fund forworkers
inthetextile and clothing sectors canbeestimated atabout
20-22million u.a»(1).
This estimate isbased onthe following data :
1*Average cost ofassistance bytheSocial Fund forvocational train­
ingprogrammes and geographical mobility inthe textile sector in
thelast three years :670u.a*perperson *
This average could betaken asabasis foraction intheforthcoming
year with regard toboth thetextile and clothing Bectors *
2.Number ofpeople concerned r
-Intextile t
•About 16,500 persons were concerned byapplications forassis­
tance in1975 »
•Provision should bemade forthesame oraslightly higher
number ofrecipients in1976 ,i*e.about 17»000 •20,000
persons *
This figure corresponds toabout onethird ofthetotal number
ofpersons leaving thetextile sector each year forthelast
five years .
*" dothing industry t
*Byapplying thesame ratio ,i*e*recipients /population having
left thesector ,asinrespect oftextiles ,thenumber of
recipients canbeestimated atabout 21,000 peryear *-

-2-
HASDECIDEDASFOLLOWS:
Article1
Operationswhichareaimedatfacilitating theemploymentandthegeographical
andoccupational mobilityofpersonsoccupiedinthetextileindustry,inclu­
dingtheprocessingofchemicalfibresandintheclothingindustry,whose
activitiesaredirectlyaffected,orareindangerofbeingaffected,by
quantitative orqualitative measuresforstructuraladaptation andwhoare
topursueactivitiesasemployedpersonseitherwithinthatindustryor
outsideit,shallbeeligibleforassistancefromtheSocialFundpursuant
toArticle4oftheCouncilDecisionof1February1971*
Operationsforthebenefitofself-employed personsinchargeoftextile
undertakings ,inparticularsmallcraftundertakings ,whoaretopursueacti­
vitiesasself–employedpersons,shallalsobeeligibleforassistancefrom
theFundonthetermslaiddowninthepreviousparagraph*
Article 2
AidsincludedinthelistlaiddownbyCouncilRegulation(EEC)No2397/71
of8November1971onaidswhichmayqualifyforassistancefromtheEuro­
peanSocialFundmayalsoreceiveassistancefromtheFundbyvirtueofthis
Decision(3)«
Article3
Thisdecisionshallenterintoforceon2ndJanuary -197°*
DoneatBrussels,•••
FortheCouncil
(3)O.J.No,L249of10.11.1971.p.58

V/995/75-*
Intorvontion bytheEuropoaaSooiolFundtoassistporsonsoccupiedintho
toxtiloandolothingindustrioe-extonsionoftheCounoilIDeoisionof
19Dooomber1972andinolusionoftheolothingindustry(applicationof
Artiolo4ofthoCounoilDooisionof1February1971)
EXPLAÎIA.TORY MaiorwAimuM
1*In19721andinviowofoonolusions whichitroachodonthobasis
ofvariousstudiosonthotoxtilaindustryinthoCommunitycountries,the
/-
CommissionhadrocoursotoArticle4ofthe"basiodooisionofthonow
SocialFundwhenproposingtothoCounoilcispooifiooommonactionfor
porsonsoocupiedinthotoxtiloandolothinginduotrios.Atitsmootingof.
9Hovomber1972theCouncilogroodtomakethoSooialFundavailableto
workorsinthotextileindustry(inoludingthoprooosoingofohomioalfibros)
foraperiodofthreeyears^anddoforredtho<iuostionofasimilarvridoning
ofthosoopeoftheFundtoinoludotheolothingindustryforsubsequent
2examination •
Thodooisionregardingtextilesexpireson1January1976.'Howevor,sinooit
oainointoforoetheemploymentsituationinthisindustryhasnotimproved
atallandthoreasonswhiohjustified *thodooisionarejustasvalidtoday#
Itthoroforeseemsnocossarytoextendit#Moreover,sinoothedifficulties
onoountorodinthotoxtiloindustryproperhavegradually *offeotodthoolothing
industry,ithasnowbocomoimporativotoinoludotholattofin.thofiold
ofapplicationofthodooision. •-J •v.?1'.
1~af*ÏJo.L291/160of20Dooomber1972
2SooCouncilDocument"Summaryofdecisions"
Documont2/2746-J/72(Soc.275),

2 ν/995/75-3
2.Aocording "toavcjLlabloinformationthototalnumborofporsons
omployodinthotextiloindustryalonedooroasod "by322,000workers(from
2^09,000to1,887,000)Xbetweon1970and1974.Thislpying^-offofstaff
reflectsthoextontofthogroatchangeswliiohoontinuetofacethosotuo
industries,endthomagnitudoofthoreconversions ofequipmentandoapital
andtheadaptationsofmanpowerwhichthoynooossitato <>Thoroarothroomain
reasonsforthosochanges?increasedcompetition andthedisturbanoos ifhioh
itcausosonworldmarkets;thopressureoftechnological innovations ;and,
particularly withregardtothoolothingindustry,aoortainlaolcofstruc–
x)whilettheclothingindustrydecreasedby125*000unitturaladaptation.,(fronlf292f00Oto1,167,000)
3«Wotonlyhavothotoxtileandclothingindustriesboonamongsttho
sootorswhichhavosufforodmostfromthorocoasionbutalso,aniabovoall,•
thoyhavoboonfaoodduringtholastthreeyoarswithaspeotaoularrovorsal
inthoircommercialoquilibriura «aisfarasexportsaroconcomod,certain
traditionaloutletsinthoovorseascountrioshaveboonlost,whilothocom­
petitionencountered onthomarketsofnon-mcmborcountrieshasbooomopart­
icularlyaggroesivo „Abfarasimportsareoonoomod,oortaingoodshavo
boonmademorevulnerableasaresultofthopolicyofgraduallylowering
barriersinrospoctofthodovolopingcountries,particularly inthocontext
ofgonoralizodpreferences^;inaddition,oxtromelykooncompetitionhas
boonfoltasarosultofimportsfromanumberofcountrieswithwhichtho
Communityieatpresentnegotiatingvoluntaryrestraintagreements.Sinceit ,
isattholeveloffinishedproductsthattheimpactofimportsismostfelt,
itisnotonlythetextileindustryproper,butthowholetoxtileproduction
chain,inoludingtheolothingindustry,whosopositionisaffoctod.
•/•
ï '
nJ¥1.• •14 i4aM ■i•• «•• «• L% .^_A
,Itispointed -Outthat,fortoxtileproductsandpondingthooonolusionof
thobilateralnegotiations beingheldonthesubjoctofthoMiiltifibros
•Arrangomont,thoCommissionhasproposedtooxtondthe,prosontsystomfor
1976withafixedInoroosoof5%inthetariffquotasandthoooilings
oxprossodintonnage®Inaddition,nowoountri.eswillbeincludedinthelistofbeneficiarycountriesforcertainproducts# .":

-3- V/995/75-3 '
ν
4* Hith regard ,tothooffoots ofthotechnological innovation typical of
tho'"now ora"which textiles linvo ontorod,lotusrooall thotwocuopocts of
thornwhioh thoproposal foradecision forwardod in1972hadalroady
ompliasizod .Onthoonohand ,thoooaroh formora satisfactory oompotitive
positions ,andtheaocoleratod application ofnowtoohniques which it
demands ,arolikoly tocausa oonsidorablo ohangos inthosphere ofomploymont
whioh could alsoloadtotholaying-off ofworkors .Onthoothor hand ,and
dospito thooonstant reduction inthetotal number ofworkers ,manpowor
shortages ,Bomotimes ofaquantitative nature butmorefrequently andmore
particularly qualitative ,appoar aearesult '•ofthointroduction ofnew
taal:s whioh correspond tothorequirements ofanindustry thathasbocomo
toanevor-inoroasing extent acapital intonsivo industry ,butalso asa
ronult oftheinadequacy ofvocational training systems andsometimes ovon
ofthoabandoning ofanindustry whose imago hasbeoomo lessattractivo
forsome workors .
Thoro isstill averycloar noodatbothlevels fordynamio retraining ,
specialization andreadaptationoperations .
5» Lastly ,oertain problems concerning employmont andmanpowor aroa
result ofthevarystruoturos ofthetextile industry ,andthatoftho
clothing industry inparticular# Thelatter hascontinued toalargo oxtont .
toboalabour-intensivo industry (80$womon ),withaveryhighturnover
ofstaxf andrelatively small average increase inproductivity .Thonumbor
ofsmcJ.1 andmedium-sized undertakings (average size :62persons perundor-
takxnui without counting small orafts )isoxtromoly important ,andcottage
industry isstill widespread .Moreover ,thoclothing industry isgoographi –
vorysoattorod ,anddooontralisation torural andmountain regions or
aroas indoolino hasofton holped undertakings toobtain thelabour whioh
hoyh<.ddifficulty infinding inmoroindustr&lizod centres forthorates
ofpayandworking conditions whioh theyoffered .

~-4- V/995/75-3
> * ♦,
. . ·-' . . ■ ·:. .·< ·. · ■ '
Despite movements towards concentration which maybeexpected inthe
coming years ,theclothing industry plays andwill continue toplay an
^important role ,particularly inthedevelopment andsurvival ofecono --
mically threatened regions .
6. .Thorestructuring measures which havo tnlson placo inthotextile end
clothing industries .during rocont years havo hadvarying offocts in "tho -
various oountries .Thosome will hotruo inthonoar future :rooonvoreions ,
combinations ,adaptations ortransfers ofstaff will havo voxy varying
reporcussions onthovarious regions andoatogorios ofworkers depending
onthocompetitive position andadaptation capacity ofthobranchos of
industry ,thotypo orsizo ofthoundertaking ,andthedoneity oftho
population working inthoso industries .However ,thoro isnodoubt that ,
when oonsidorod from anoverall point ofview forthoCommunity asawhole ,
thoimbalances obsorvod andexpected inthoomploymont sphere inthose two
sootors demand both onaccount ofthoir soopo andthonaturo ofthometisuro
whioh thoy mcyinvolvo ,that thospooifio common aotionauthorizing Sooicil
Fund intervention undor Article 4beoontinuod .
Inview ofthefaot that thoproblems aris'o moro andmore ingonoral
toxtilo /oloiJring terms ^itnolonger seems possible toavoid extending
intorvontion bytheFund toworkers intheclothing industry . ■
■ •• *' «• ' **
7« Allthetypes ofaidprovided forinthoFund 'slist ofeligiblo
aidwill ,thoroforo ,boapplioablo toworkers inboth industries ,including ,
andforthesnmo roasons asthoso given when thodocision ofNovombor 1972
wasadoptod ,workers from family-typo small oraft undertakings whointorid
topursue activities asself-employed persons# ' ,r1