Utrecht sets example for other European cities by affiliating to Electronics Watch
Following an initiative by the Green Party ('GroenLinks'), Utrecht's municipal council has decided to affiliate to Electronics Watch. The municipality is walking in the footsteps of other European public purchasers who have rallied forces to stimulate structural improvements among their suppliers of electronics. Utrecht is the first municipality to affiliate to Electronics Watch. The city's university hospital UMC Utrecht has already affiliated.
Jeroen Kreijkamp, member of the City Council said: "Electronics Watch has developed a code of conduct and carries out monitoring activities. It provides very valuable objective information about the electronics supply chain, which helps us engage our own suppliers in a dialogue."
Pauline Overeem of SOMO, one of the organisations behind Electronics Watch explained: "The combined purchasing power of public institutions is very considerable. If they rally together, they will be able to exert their influence on market players and achieve worldwide structural improvements to labour conditions in the electronics sector. We are therefore delighted that the municipality of Utrecht is taking this step."
With more than 330,000 inhabitants, Utrecht is the Netherlands' fourth city, and is the capital of the province of the same name which has 1.2 million inhabitants.
Electronics Watch are excited to welcome their first municipality affiliate, and expect others across Europe to shortly follow their example.
If you are interested in affiliating, please write to affiliate@electronicswatch.org.
If you want to read more about our Founding Members Scheme and how to affiliate, click here.