COTANCE (European Confederation of the Leather Industry) and the ETUF:TCL (European Trade Union Federation of Textiles, Clothing and Leather)

Forced and child labour used by sub-contractors outside the EU; Discrimination of employment; Unsafe working environment; Salaries below minimum rules.

Tanning and leather industry.

The code of conduct was signed by COTANCE (European Confederation of the Leather Industry) and the ETUF:TCL (European Trade Union Federation of Textiles, Clothing and Leather) convened within the Social Sectoral Dialogue. (EU social dialogue text) http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=329&langId=en

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COTANCE and the ETUF:TCL agree to follow-up, in the framework of the Social Sectoral Dialogue at European level, the progressive accomplishment of the implementation of the present code of conduct. To that effect, COTANCE and the ETUF:TCL will conduct at least a yearly evaluation of the implementation of the present code, the first took place no later than 30. June 2001. They could ask, among others, the Commission or Member States to supply the necessary assistance in this respect. COTANCE and the ETUF:TCL agree that the implementation of the results of the code have to be controlled in an independent fashion, guaranteeing the credibility of the control to all interested parties. While respecting the principle of the autonomy of the social partners, the Commission publishes autonomous agreements and informs the European Parliament and the Council after undertaking an ex-ante assessment as it does for Article 139(2) agreements to be implemented by Council decision. Upon the expiry of the implementation and monitoring period, while giving precedence to the monitoring undertaken by the social partners themselves, the Commission undertakes its own monitoring of the agreement, to assess the extent to which the agreement has contributed to the achievement of the Community´s objectives.

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