European Parliament resolution on respect for core labour standards in the production of sports goods for the Olympic Games
Date: 2004-04-22
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: International Labour Organisation, Olympic games, clothing industry, footwear industry, labour law, labour standard, sport

30.4.2004

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Thursday 22 April 2004

Reiterates its condemnation of these arrests, which constitute a breach of the most elementary

1.
human rights, especially as regards freedom of expression and political association;

Calls once more on the Cuban authorities to release all political prisoners immediately, and calls on

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the Council and Commission to continue to take all necessary initiatives to demand their release;

3. Welcomes the release on health grounds of Julio Antonio Valdés;

Calls on the Cuban authorities to make significant changes with a view to moving towards full

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respect for fundamental freedoms and, in particular, freedom of expression and political association;

5.

Expects the Cuban authorities to resume the de facto moratorium on the death penalty;

Calls for maximum respect for the constitutional process of collection of signatures undertaken by
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the Varela Project under Article 88 of the present Cuban constitution, which authorises citizens to submit a
legislative initiative subject to the collection of at least 10 000 signatures;

Stresses once more the continuing full validity of the EU’s commitment and willingness as regards aid

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for the Cuban people;

8.
Recalls that the objectives of the EU’s external policy are based on the promotion of respect for
human rights and fundamental freedoms, encouragement of processes of transition to pluralist democracy
and support for sustainable economic development aimed at improving the living standards of the people;

9.
Calls on all the Community institutions to endorse the ‘open invitation’ to Mr Oswaldo Payá Sardi-
ñas, the 2002 Sakharov Prize winner, as recently embodied in the ‘Sakharov Initiative’ with the support of
the Presidency of Parliament, and calls on the Cuban authorities not to put further obstacles in the way of
his visiting Europe;

10.
Calls on the Member States to exert unequivocal pressure on the Cuban authorities to promote the
defence of democracy and respect for human rights, and to receive Mr Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas at the
highest level when he visits Europe;

11. Welcomes the adoption on 15 April 2004 of the resolution of the UN Commission on Human
Rights condemning last year’s harsh sentences against dissidents;

12.
Calls on the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy
and the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America and Mexico to take up the issue of
human rights in Cuba with all due firmness and to monitor developments particularly closely as from their
first meetings after the June 2004 elections to the European Parliament;

13.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission, to the Government
and the National Assembly of People’s Power of the Republic of Cuba, and to the European Parliament
Sakharov Prize laureate Mr Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas.

P5_TA(2004)0380

Sport products for the Olympic games

European Parliament resolution on respect for core labour standards in the production of sports
goods for the Olympic Games

The European Parliament,

(cid:1) having regard to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, adopted by the

International Labour Conference at its 86th session on 18 June 1998,

(cid:1) having regard to the ILO Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social

Policy,

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30.4.2004

Thursday 22 April 2004

(cid:1) having regard to the EU Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises,

(cid:1) having regard to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational enterprises,

(cid:1) having regard to the UN Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and other Busi-

ness Enterprises with regard to Human Rights,

(cid:1) having regard to the Commission communication to the Council, the European Parliament and the
Economic and Social Committee entitled ‘Promoting core labour standards and improving social gov-
ernance in the context of globalisation’ (COM(2001) 416),

(cid:1) having regard to the Green Paper on promoting corporate social responsibility and the Commission

communication (COM(2001) 366) and to its own resolution thereon of 30 May 2002 (1),

(cid:1) having regard to the Fundamental Principles of the Olympic Charter, which state that Olympism seeks
to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and
respect for universal fundamental ethical principles,

(cid:1) having regard to Rule 50(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas evidence shows that the production of sportswear and athletic footwear is organised through

an elaborate international system of subcontractors and suppliers,

B. whereas the failure to respect ILO labour rights perpetuates poverty, hampers development by driving

wages down and denying education and is a violation of human dignity,

C. whereas many sportswear companies have pledged voluntary ethical codes of conduct, but such ethi-
cal commitment has not yet been integrated generally with all their core business practices and sourc-
ing strategies for their global supply chains,

D. whereas some leading sportswear companies and socially responsible investment firms have stated that
the current ruthless business and labour practices in the global supply chain are unsustainable and do
not allow fair competition,

E. whereas there is growing consumer concern about certain abusive employment and working con-

ditions which are prevalent in the global supply chain of some sportswear brands,

Calls on sportswear companies to adopt sourcing policies that call for suppliers and their subcon-
1.
tractors to respect internationally recognised labour standards, including all the human rights standards
identified by the ILO as constituting fundamental rights at work, plus the right to a living wage based on
a regular working week, humane working hours with no forced overtime and a safe and healthy workplace
free from harassment;

2.
Calls on the Commission, in the run-up to the Olympics, to ask the key players of the world sports-
wear and athletic footwear industry (cid:1) sportswear brands, the World Federation of the Sporting Goods
Industry, and the IOC (cid:1) to start negotiations aiming at a sectoral solution fully complying with ILO labour
standards;

Urges the ILO to develop a credible and independent inspection system in order to monitor the ILO

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labour standards in the sporting goods industry world-wide and based on the above inspection system;

Calls on sportswear companies to take immediate steps to ensure specifically that the right of

4.
workers to form and join trade unions is respected throughout their respective supply chains;

(1) OJ C 187 E, 7.8.2003, p. 180.

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5.
Calls on suppliers and manufacturers of sportswear and athletic footwear to adopt labour practices
that provide working conditions which comply with international labour standards and national labour
legislation;

6.
Calls on the Commission to work with the ILO to ensure that the IOC includes respect for inter-
nationally accepted labour rights in its Fundamental Principles, the Olympic Charter, and its Code of
Ethics, and to insist that the IOC require, as a contractual condition in its licensing, sponsorship and
marketing agreements, that labour practices and working conditions involved in the production of IOC-
branded products comply with internationally recognised labour standards, including all the human rights
standards identified by the ILO as constituting fundamental rights;

7.
Urges the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry to commit itself to stating publicly that
the sportswear and athletic footwear industries need to come forward with concrete and identifiable
measures for a sectoral solution aiming at full compliance with ILO labour standards;

8.

Considers that more funds should be made available to the ILO’s International Programme;

Considers that respect for fundamental rights at work requires not only that the ILO be involved, but

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also that strategies to promote core labour standards find a place within the WTO;

Stresses also the importance of increased consumer awareness and the development of social and

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fair-trade labelling in creating incentives for multinational enterprises to improve working conditions;

11.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the governments of the old and new
Member States, the Commission, the International Olympic Committee, the World Federation of the Sport-
ing Goods Industry and the International Labour Organisation.

P5_TA(2004)0381

Nigeria

The European Parliament,

European Parliament resolution on Nigeria

(cid:1) having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Nigeria,

(cid:1) having regard to the international human rights conventions ratified by Nigeria,

(cid:1) having regard to Rule 50(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. having regard to the too frequent confrontations between communities in Nigeria, which have led to

thousands of deaths in recent years,

B. whereas these confrontations are sometimes of a religious character,

C. whereas the recent eruption of religious violence in the Nigerian state of Plateau, resulting in the death
the displacement of up to 50 000 persons and the destruction of
of some 1 500 Christians,
173 churches, is one of the worst in the ongoing violence against Christian communities in several
Nigerian states in recent years,

D. whereas a large number of mercenaries are allegedly being recruited from Niger and Chad by Islamic

extremists in the Plateau State to attack Christian towns and villages,