WRITTEN QUESTION E-3116/03 by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Council. Illegal imports of textile products from China.
Date: 2003-10-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: China, Far East, customs cooperation, customs inspection, human rights, illicit trade, import, international agreement, remuneration of work, textile product

C 84 E/52

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

the experience of a coherent comprehensive approach, the principle of a country-led development process
(cid:1) ownership (cid:1) and the interrelationship of health and poverty and its implications for macro-economic
policy and development. It incorporates the crucial global elements of partnerships in development, trade
and research.

The Commission fails to see any connection between the scope and the breadth of the draft Constitution
and the personal opinion of a member of one church.

Article 51 of the draft European Constitution on the status of churches and non-confessional organisations
reads as follows:

The Union respects and does not prejudice the status under national

1.
religious associations or communities in the Member States.

law of churches and

2.

The Union equally respects the status of philosophical and non-confessional organisations.

Recognising their identity and their specific contribution, the Union shall maintain an open,

3.
transparent and regular dialogue with these churches and organisations.

(1) http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/03/1410|0|RAPID&lg=EN&display=
(2) COM(2001) 96 final.

(2004/C 84 E/0058)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3116/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Council

(22 October 2003)

Subject: Illegal imports of textile products from China

On 10 October 2003 the textile workers’ union of Barletta (BA) organised a protest against the illegality of
Chinese textile imports and called on the European Union to take practical steps to combat such imports.

Can the Council say:

(cid:1) what information it has concerning controls at borders and in Community territory on all forms of
illegality (circumvention of the law, tax evasion and counterfeiting of trademarks), compliance with
international agreements on imports from non-Community countries, in particular from the Far East,
and the payment of customs duty, and what steps it will take to step up these controls;

(cid:1) what measures it will promote for the introduction into Far Eastern countries of checks on respect for
international conventions on human rights, including those dealing with pay conditions for workers?

Reply

(8 March 2004)

1.
The imports the Honourable Member refers to are subject to the same EC rules as any other imports
into the EC. At the EU-China Summit held on 30 October 2003 in Beijing, both sides expressed their hope
for an early conclusion of a customs co-operation agreement, and looked forward to starting negotiations
very soon, with the common aim of concluding the agreement in the first half of 2004. They agreed that
such an agreement should cover mutual administrative assistance on customs matters, particularly in the
field of combat against commercial frauds including counterfeiting.

2.
As for the Honourable Member’s second question, the Council is not considering at this stage any
further specific measures to promote the respect for international conventions on human rights in Far
Eastern countries.