Key roles achieved by four signatories of the Fair Trade Manifesto in the European Union´s institutions

The Vote4FT Campaign brought to commit to the Fair Trade Manifesto three candidates to the EC Presidency and more than 500 candidates running for the EP elections, with 118 of them actually now being elected Members of the European Parliament for the next term 2014-2019.

As the European Union is taking its final new shape, four signatories of the Fair Trade Manifesto have been appointed to key roles in the institutions.

vote4ft 4signers

With 422 votes in favour the European Parliament (EP) elected on 15 July Jean-Claude Juncker (EPP, Luxembourg) President of the European Commission. Martin Schulz (S&D, Germany) was re-elected President of the EP on 1 July, with 409 votes out of 612 valid votes cast in the first ballot. Two other Fair Trade-supportive representatives of S&D are now Chairs of key EP Committees: Linda Mc Avan (United Kingdom) for Development and Bernd Lange (Germany) for International Trade. Linda Mc Avan is a long-standing Fair Trade supporter and chair of the Fair Trade Working Group in the European Parliament (EPFTWG).

The Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO) congratulates them for the deserving positions achieved, and looks forward to closely working together in this new legislative term. All the Manifesto´s signatories will be invited to the Fair Trade Breakfast in October in the European Parliament.