| The Foreign Trade Association (FTA) |
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| 2009-05-14 09:57 |
The Foreign Trade Association (FTA) is the association for European commerce specialised in international trade issues. Its members are national trade associations and companies from all over Europe. For 30 years, FTA has provided them with monitoring and lobbying services in support of their commitment to free trade.
FTA seeks to influence trade policy at the International, European and national levels in a transparent and open manner. The FTA is based in Brussels to be close to the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament, the strategic actors of the European decisive and legislative process.
At the international level, the long-term switches in trade policy influencing the day to day business are set in Geneva which is the seat of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and of other international organisations with relevant to trade. The FTA is active in Geneva, has access to the influential decision makers and collaborates closely with governmental organisations, as e.g. the ITCB, the International Textile and Clothing Bureau.
It is important to be active at the National level also since the decisions of the European Union are made by the Council of Ministers, the European institution representing the national governments. Hence, the FTA conducts regional conferences for their members that are also attended by representatives of the governments of the Member States.
FTA develops constructive dialogue with policy-makers, public authorities, embassies and media in Europe and third countries in order to voice its members´ concerns directly. The FTA maintains a close relationship with the European Institutions and thus is in the position to achieve results quickly. It fights against all protectionist tendencies of the foreign trade policy of the European Union. The FTA keeps also up intensive and permanent contacts with the governments and diplomatic representations of the supplier countries and maintains personal relations at Ministerial level. Therefore, the FTA is able to intervene directly in the exporting countries whenever difficulties arise. It also reports on new purchasing markets and on purchasing sources.
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