Euratex/industriAll Europe
(Source: Euratex)
The European textiles and clothing (T&C) sector is set for a major transformation which will affect both industry and workers. The EU’s strategy for sustainable and circular textiles aims to ensure that by 2030, textile products placed on the EU market are long-lived and recyclable with the industry moving from a linear to a circular business model. This strategy is accompanied with the EU’s transition pathway for a more resilient, sustainable, and digital textiles ecosystem linking the green transition with the digital transition while stressing the need for the sector to remain competitive.
industriAll European Trade Union (industriAll Europe) and the European Apparel and Textile Confederation (Euratex), both Brussels/Belgium, representing the workers and employers in the textiles and clothing sectors respectively, jointly highlight both the challenges and opportunities of the giant forthcoming transformation of the sector and call for action to ensure that European industrial policy is fit for purpose and enables the sector to transform without negatively impacting workers or European industry.
Specifically, the European social partners jointly call for EU action to guarantee that the European textiles ecosystem remains competitive, including ensuring a level global playing field; measures to increase the demand of sustainable products including awareness raising campaigns, incentives such as lower VAT rates, and sustainability criteria in public procurement; and measures to ensure access to green and affordable energy.
Furthermore, the partners want policy gaps to be addressed, such as promoting a harmonized extended producer responsibility approach across the EU and ensuring that SMEs can use product environmental footprints, and action to ensure that the Sustainable Products Regulation and the forthcoming Digital Product Passport will offer a transparent, predictable and SME-friendly framework.
Investment in attracting, training and reskilling workers including through concrete support for the EU Pact for Skills as well as appropriate funding, sound metrics and legal incentives at regional, national, and European level to support the green and digital transitions of the T&C sectors are also being demanded.
Finally, industriAll Europe and Euratex want the regional and national authorities to coordinate with sectoral social partners to ensure that the green and digital transitions are fair and just and do not leave the industry, regions or workers behind.
Social dialogue will be more vital than ever in order to ensure that the European T&C sector can transform into a more sustainable and digital industry while also remaining competitive on a fierce global market.
industriAll European Trade Union (industriAll Europe) and the European Apparel and Textile Confederation (Euratex), both Brussels/Belgium, representing the workers and employers in the textiles and clothing sectors respectively, jointly highlight both the challenges and opportunities of the giant forthcoming transformation of the sector and call for action to ensure that European industrial policy is fit for purpose and enables the sector to transform without negatively impacting workers or European industry.
Specifically, the European social partners jointly call for EU action to guarantee that the European textiles ecosystem remains competitive, including ensuring a level global playing field; measures to increase the demand of sustainable products including awareness raising campaigns, incentives such as lower VAT rates, and sustainability criteria in public procurement; and measures to ensure access to green and affordable energy.
Furthermore, the partners want policy gaps to be addressed, such as promoting a harmonized extended producer responsibility approach across the EU and ensuring that SMEs can use product environmental footprints, and action to ensure that the Sustainable Products Regulation and the forthcoming Digital Product Passport will offer a transparent, predictable and SME-friendly framework.
Investment in attracting, training and reskilling workers including through concrete support for the EU Pact for Skills as well as appropriate funding, sound metrics and legal incentives at regional, national, and European level to support the green and digital transitions of the T&C sectors are also being demanded.
Finally, industriAll Europe and Euratex want the regional and national authorities to coordinate with sectoral social partners to ensure that the green and digital transitions are fair and just and do not leave the industry, regions or workers behind.
Social dialogue will be more vital than ever in order to ensure that the European T&C sector can transform into a more sustainable and digital industry while also remaining competitive on a fierce global market.
