ANNO XL - Editoriale di Foto Shoe Srl

Meetings“ SENZA DI NOI L’EUROPA SAREBBE PIÙ POVERA”“Without us Europe would be even poorer”Fiamp system’s sectors putItaly in the lead as topexporting country with acredit balance thatexceeds all other EUcountries. For the Fiampsectors, our industrialmanufacturing system isthe most important Europeanproduction pool aswell as the one that createsthe biggest trade surplus.Comparing the EUFiamp system to the Italianone you see that in2006 the trade deficit ofthe 26 countries, withoutcounting Italy, was 11.6billion while with the 5.3billion Euros of the Italiantrade surplus theEuropean deficit drops to6.3 billion Euros.“Without the ItalianFiamp system,” continuedRossano Soldini, “the EUeconomy would be muchpoorer since it wouldhave a greater deficit.These figures highlight theabsolute leadership of“made in Italy” fashionaccessories in Europe,bearing in mind thatmany French designerlabels’ fashion accessoriesare also made in Italy.Nonetheless, there is noreal industrial and commercialpolicy to relaunchthe sector,although the added valueof the Italian Fiampindustries can be comparedto that generatedby the French telecommunicationsdevices and issuperior to the Germanand French aerospaceindustries. In spite of this,our system is consideredless strategic and lessimportant: an error ofevaluation that we wouldhave paid dearly had itnot been for the innovationof our companiesand the resourcefulnessof our entrepreneurs.”Hence the Fiamp Federationhas two big requeststo make of the Europeanand Italian governmentregarding the principlesof legality and transparency.With regards to the first,Fiamp demands greaterincisiveness to combat thefar-reaching phenomenonof fake products,both through increasedcontrols of imported goodsand through Court investigationsinto those whouse fake goods in anorganised system.“We cannot understandwhy fake products arousesuch indignation,” continuedFiamp’s chairman,“when it comes to foodstuffs,medicines and toys,while when it comes tofashion products no-oneis aware that the midtermrisks are equallyhigh, as demonstrated bythe increasingly frequentdiscovery of fashion productsthat are harmful tothe consumer’s health.This is just another reasonwhy we must havemore convincing sanctionsand fines: the current10,000 Euros areuseless because they arein fact irrecoverable.”However, the culture oflegality is something thatmust also be tackled onan international level,stresses Mr. Soldini, “withCustoms policies based oncriteria of reciprocitybecause it is those whoplay without rules whoare the real protectionists.”When it comes to transparency,the adoption ofa norm making it compulsoryto display a labelof origin on goods importedinto the EU meets withthe need to equalise theEuropean market with allthe other market areas ofthe world that alreadyadopt this mandatoryindication of origin onproducts.“Here, ” stated RossanoSoldini, “we must expressour disappointment thatresults have not yet beenobtained. This is inexplicable,not only because somany Italian and Europeaninstitutes havedeclared to be in favourof a label of origin, butalso because the “madein” label could give Italyback at least 30% of whatis today produced outsideour national boundaries.In fact, many of thosewho currently importfrom abroad could nolonger afford to put suchhigh prices on productsmade in China.”So, Fiamp complains ofthe lack of interest insuch an important productivesystem, not onlyin Italy but also in Europeand proposes the promotionof specific commercialand industrialactions.“There are two manoeuvrethat Fiamp thinks areurgent,” explained theChairman, “the firstregards the internationalpromotion of our production.We must establish adialogue between publicfinancing and the flow ofexports, considering thelatter as an indicator ofthe competitiveness of singlesectors.Focusing on sectors thathave demonstrated theircompetitiveness on internationalmarkets, as hasthe Fiamp system, even indifficult economic situations,is no longer anoption but a necessity.Fiamp’s Chairman considersequally importantthe backing of the industry’ssmall and mediumfirms to help them sustainthe costs of creativity,which goes hand in handwith innovation for producersof fashion accessories,“we need to facilitatecreative and designresearch and the productionof samples. In fact,these are the instrumentsthat have given Italianproducts the leadership ina global market dominatedby imitations andstandardisation. Forindustries represented byFiamp, the continuousinnovation of products iswhat represents the realcompetitive chance.”FOTOSHOE15 16