Assocalzaturifici expresses new fears over labels - footwearbiz: Lead

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Assocalzaturifici expresses new fears over labels of origin

03/12/2014
The president of Italian footwear manufacturers’ association Assocalzaturifici, Cleto Sagripanti, has issued a last-minute appeal to the Italian government to lobby hard to convince the European Commission to give final approval to new country-of-origin labelling proposals.

Manufacturers and brands are under no obligation at the moment to tell consumers in the European Union (EU) where their shoes are made and some of the biggest-name brands in the business have pushed hard for this practice to remain in place partly because not revealing that shoes are made in low-cost manufacturing locations makes it easier for them to put highly marked-up prices on their products.

In spite of this pressure, compulsory labels of origin on shoes, leathergoods and other products sold in the European Union appeared to have come a step nearer on April 15 this year with a vote in the European Parliament in Strasbourg to approve the idea.

Negotiations continued between the European Commission (the EU’s executive) and the the Council of Ministers (which usually consists of the heads of government of the individual member states, who meet periodically to approve new EU legislation).

Assocalzaturifici has said it is disappointed that those opposing compulsory labels of origin appear to have regained the momentum; the association has expressed fear that the ‘no’ side may win the day at a new vote in Brussels on December 4. Assocalzaturifici has also expressed disappointment at a lack of progress on this issue during Italy’s presidency of the European Union. Member states take turns at holding the presidency for six months at a time and Italy took up the baton on July 1 this year.

“We expected a lot from Italy’s European presidency,” Cleto Sagripanti said in a statement on December 2. “But [discussions on] a dossier on Made in Italy have been repeatedly blocked due to obstruction from a few countries, and our institutions have not able to overcome this. We are appealing to the government because in this last rushed final decision it should be able to make its voice heard in support of the measure.”

Mr Sagripanti said Italy and the whole of Europe need to encourage a process of reindustrialisation with a return to manufacturing if states are to return to growth.


Related stories:

EU Council’s ‘Made in’ meeting a ‘great disappointment’ 08/06/2015
Country-of-origin labelling hits stalemate 02/03/2015
Shine comes off Italian footwear for Russian consumers 18/12/2014

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