Dear members,
We are creating the building blocks of the follow up of the Agreement on Sustainable Garment and Textile (AGT) with all parties of the AGT. It is called the Next Generation Agreement (NGA). We will take the learnings of the past 5 years into account and we will stand for the priorities of companies. The NGA needs to facilitate companies to comply to international standards and upcoming legislation. It needs to facilitate a collective approach, make life easier instead of more complex. Being trade associations representing you in the negotiations, we need your input for the NGA.
Financing the NGA
We are looking for a sustainable funding model. At the moment we are exploring how we can mobilize some of the resources of the EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility- UPV in Dutch) levy for financing the NGA. The EPR will start in 2023 and up to then there will be a deficit to finance the NGA. This gap must be bridged and we would like to examine in which extend you as a company could contribute to financing the NGA in 2022.
Content of the NGA
The content in right now under discussion. The baseline is to organise and continue the cooperation among garment and textile companies and with NGO’s, trade unions and government on the international guidelines on due diligence while integrating circular strategies.
We’d like to share the following discussion on content among the parties and our position.
|
Topic |
Position Modint & INretail and represented companies |
|
Differentiate between SMEs, larger companies and MNG’s , and if so how?
|
Yes differentiate between size and type of companies according to the size and impact in the value chain. |
|
Prioritizing issues or risks
|
We think the proposal for 1-3 joint prioritized collective actions are the best way forward. (..) The actions we selected are based on facilitating companies to comply to upcoming legislation : * on Due diligence, (also the upcoming Dutch DD law on child labour) , *Sustainable fibres (targets EPR policy by 2025 25% Sustainable materials/30% recycled Dutch textile waste ) We came to the following priorities: - Freedom of association as enabling right for other social rights. - Child labour - Sustainable fabrics With the baseline approaches: Due diligence and buying practice Circular strategies |
|
Include other stakeholders? |
We could think of parties supporting or needed for the circular economy, supplier and consumer representation and other important corporate responsibility partners/parties to facilitate international alignment. |
After the discussion among members of Friday 25th of June we added important issues:
- Include customer facing strategy (Retail- consumer- B2B- Government)
- International approach (connect with existing initiative)
- Keep assessment simple – less administration-support on public reporting instead of individual in depth assessments.
For now we need your opinion. Please go to the short survey to give the in-depth position of your company. We would be pleased if you would take a few minutes and help us to create a clear voice and path for us as your trade associations.
We will keep your answers private and will only use it for a collective answer of the sector in the discussion.
Thank you in advance,
Femke den Hartog (INretail) en Nienke Steen (Modint)
NGA Survey August 2021