News
Coming in October 2015: BEPI Producer Workshops in China
To support producers in China to improve their environmental performance, BEPI is offering three one-day introduction workshops to be held in October 2015 in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Wenzhou. This new series builds on the success of BEPI producer workshops held in China in December 2014 and represents a great opportunity for producers from all sectors to have their questions answered directly by the BEPI team and local environmental experts.
One Year Anniversary: BEPI Shares Achievements During FTA General Assembly 2015
One year after the launch of FTA’s Business Environmental Performance Initiative (BEPI) during the 2014 FTA General Assembly, Stuart Harker, BEPI Managing Director, took to the stage to deliver a progress report highlighting BEPI’s concrete achievements and next steps with members. As part of the 2015 FTA General Assembly which took place on 11 June in Brussels, a presentation shared the achievements over the past year.
BEPI Newsletter No. 3 Now Available
FTA’s Business Environmental Performance Initiative (BEPI) has just published the Summer 2015 edition of its quarterly newsletter. Read more about its recent efforts to support companies to enhance environmental performance in their global supply chains.FTA welcomes EU-Vietnam trade deal, but raises concern on Rules of Origin
Following the announcement of an agreement on free trade deal between the EU and Vietnam on 4 August, Christian Ewert, Director General of the Foreign Trade Association (FTA), welcomed the conclusion of the talks, since the deal will certainly boost bilateral exchange and bring substantial gains for European retailers sourcing from and investing in Vietnam.
BSCI Echo Summer 2015: Focus on Worker Health and Safety
The Summer 2015 issue of the BSCI Echo is now online. In this issue, we focus on Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) of workers in sourcing countries.
TTIP: A call for decisive action
"We need to put hyperbole and prejudice aside and start an unbiased public debate about TTIP", argue Christian Ewert and Julia Hughes.
FTA Publishes Trade Perspectives: Outcomes of the FTA Forum on E-commerce
The Foreign Trade Association (FTA) invites you to read its latest quarterly Trade Perspectives, sharing the latest insight into trade and commerce dossiers as well as updates on FTA's recent activities in developing free and sustainable trade.FTA Calls on EU and China to Bring Trade Relations to the Next Level
On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations among the EU and China, the Foreign Trade Association (FTA) has released a position paper that calls for intensified cooperation between both trading blocs to overcome trade barriers and drive substantial progress in the ongoing bilateral investment agreement negotiations.FTA Demands EU Trade Policy Adapted to Today's Global Value Chains
The FTA has published its contribution to the European Commission's trade and investment strategy update to ensure the interest of its over 1,500 retailers, importers and brand companies are represented.Get to Know BEPI: New Corporate Video Launched
FTA is proud to present BEPI's new dynamic video highlighting the process and benefits of joining the initiative. This short corporate presentation takes viewers onto the factory floor to explore the types of environmental issues that are affected during the production process of products.Successful FTA Forum on E-commerce unites FTA Members and Stakeholders in Brussels
The FTA Forum on E-Commerce was held on 11 June in Brussels gathering more than 70 participants, including FTA members, along with representatives from the European institutions, companies, think tanks and consumer representatives.Christian Ewert Joins SAI Advisory Board
FTA is delighted to announce that its Director General, Christian Ewert, has joined the Advisory Board of Social Accountability International (SAI).
FTA Presents its 2014 Annual Report
The Foreign Trade Association (FTA) launched its 2014 Annual Report, a publication that showcases the key achievements in a landmark year for the organisation, as it continued to consolidate its position as the leading international association of retailers, importers brand companies and national associations advocating for free trade and sustainable supply chains.
The New BEPI Brochure is Out!
The BEPI brochure higlights the various benefits BEPI participants enjoy as well as describes how the BEPI process assists producers to identify and address key environmental risk factors. Learn more bow the BEPI services help to support the work of retailers, importers and brand companies towards making improvements to the environmental performance of their producers.BSCI Engages in Living Wage Discussions in China
On May 11, BSCI China Representative, Joyce Chau, and BSCI participants joined the ACCA Forum on Sustainability - Global Perspectives on Living Wage, co-organised by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and The Living Wage Foundation (UK) in Hong Kong.
FTA Welcomes European Parliament's Resolution Commemorating the Rana Plaza Collapse
On 29 April 2015, the European Parliament adopted a legally non-binding resolution to commemorate the second anniversary of the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh and to scrutinise progress of the Global Sustainability Compact.Call for Expression of Interest: Qualified Environmental Service Providers
BEPI welcomes all qualified environmental consultants and assessors to our website and consult the selection criteria to see if your company qualifies here.BSCI and ICS Work Towards Merging Their Efforts
BSCI and Initiative Clause Sociale (ICS), a social compliance initiative representing 20 major French and Belgian retailers, have announced the signature of an agreement to embark on a close cooperation with the aim of merging efforts by 2016 under the auspices of the Foreign Trade Association (FTA), BSCI's umbrella organisation.
FTA Appoints New BSCI Managing Director
FTA has announced today the appointment of Darrell Doren as the new Managing Director of the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI), the flagship initiative created by FTA to support companies in improving working conditions in sourcing factories and farms worldwide.