 Vito Artioli, president of ANCI, the Italian Footwear Manufacturers’ Association, was appointed as President of the European Confederation of the Footwear Industry (CEC) during the Annual Assembly, held in Cracow.
Vito Artioli takes over from the Spaniard Rafael Calvo, and chairmanship of the organisation that represents the European Union's Footwear Federations thus returns to Italy.
Assignation of CEC chairmanship to Italy is particularly meaningful, because Italy is one of the main footwear producing countries and the choice of our country and of ANCI, always in the front line for the promotion of the growth of the European footwear industry, also stands as a decision to emphasise and lend continuity to the activity carried out so far by the Confederation for development of companies in this sector.
“I feel greatly honoured by this prestigious appointment”, comments the newly elected CEC president, Vito Artioli, “which I believe mainly rewards commitment by myself and by ANCI to two important questions: our request for the introduction of compulsory origin labelling for non-EU products and our fight against dumping.
I remind you that the battle led by ANCI and CEC together has resulted in the European Commission approving opening of new investigations into trade practices carried out by China and Vietnam regarding leather footwear. This new investigation automatically brings with it an extension until the end of 2009 of the duties currently in force for imports from these two Asian countries”.
“I am firmly convinced”, continues Vito Artioli, “that it is more necessary than ever to confirm our commitment as European footwear manufacturers to these two questions, over and above everything else, and for all initiatives in support of evolution and growth of our industry. I also believe that this objective cannot be pursued unless we work towards geographical expansion of our membership base and develop dialogue between entrepreneurs and between the Associations that represent them. These will therefore be the guidelines for my mandate”. |