PRESS RELEASE
4 July 2016
FTA Signs Statement of Support for the Dutch Garment and
Textiles Agreement
The Hague, 04 July 2016. The Foreign Trade Association (FTA), the leading business association of
European and international commerce promoting the values of international trade and sustainable
supply chains, today signed the Statement of Support for the Dutch Garment and Textiles agreement.
55 companies signed the Agreement on Sustainable Garment and Textile, including over 20
participants of FTA’s Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI).
With the signing of the Statement of Support, FTA commits to endorsing the goals and the activities
that the parties to the agreement wish to pursue, by continuing to support members through its
Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) and Business Environmental Performance Initiative
(BEPI) towards improving working conditions and environmental performance in factories and farms
worldwide.
In this agreement, a broad coalition of industry organisations including VGT, Modint and Inretail, trade
unions FNV and CNV, the Dutch government and NGOs - Solidaridad, UNICEF Nederland, India
Committee of the Netherlands, the Dutch Stop Child Labour Coalition and Four Paws Netherlands agree to work together on improving both working and environmental conditions in the garment and
textile supply chain in countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Turkey. The priority areas of
focus are:
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protection from discrimination
protection from child labour
protection from forced labour
meaningful dialogue with independent employee representatives
achieving a living wage
safe conditions and a healthier environment for employees
reducing adverse environmental impact by saving on raw materials and creating a circular
economy
reducing the amount of water, energy and chemicals used; reducing chemical waste and waste
water
prevention of animal suffering
FTA Director General, Christian Ewert stated “the agreement is an important example of how
multisector collaboration between business and stakeholders can lead to even more effective and
committed improvements in global supply chains. However, while FTA welcomes such national
projects, we believe that these initiatives should not lose sight of the broader EU goal of creating a
global approach that provides a common framework and avoids duplication of standards and
fragmentation”.
ENDS
Media contact:
Ana María Martín
FTA Media and Editorial Planning Coordinator
ana.maria.martin@fta-intl.org
Tel: +32 2 739 48 22
Twitter: @fta_intl
Notes to editors
The Foreign Trade Association (FTA) is the leading business association of European and international
commerce that promotes the values of international trade and sustainable supply chains. Uniting over
1,800 retailers, importers, brands and national associations, FTA improves the political and legal
framework for trade in a sustainable way. FTA provides the Business Social Compliance Initiative
(BSCI) to support participants to improve working conditions in factories and farms worldwide. It also
provides the Business Environmental Performance Initiative (BEPI) to facilitate improved environmental
performance in global supply chains.
c/o FTA - Foreign Trade Association
Avenue de Cortenbergh 172 - 1000 Brussels - Belgium
Tel. +32 2 762 0551 - Fax. +32 2 762 7506
e-mail: info@fta-intl.org - Internet: www.fta-intl.org
Copyright © 2016 .