Euratex president Alberto Paccanelli and Spanish CIE president Jose Vte Serna have urged leaders to bring together trade, energy, state aid, and sustainability policies into a single, integrated, comprehensive approach, that can support a robust and modern European manufacturing industry.
The European Apparel and Textile Confederation is the voice of the European textile and clothing industry. Euratex represents the interests of the European textile and clothing companies, which are primarily small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Euratex works to promote the European textile and clothing industry both within the European Union and globally. The Inter Textile Council (CIE) is the Spanish textile body that looks after textile affairs in Spain.
Both want the EU to secure on priority a supply of clean energy at a competitive cost; support innovation and foster the necessary talent pool; and be more assertive in achieving an international level-playing field on sustainability, based on the European model.
They were critical of the implementation of incoherent and conflicting objectives under the trade, energy, industrial, and sustainability policy. They supported the stance of a circular economy that may make the industry competitive in the future but at the same time, this stance may push the EU industry out of the market and drive investment elsewhere than in Europe.
They warned if this approach were to continue in the next few years, it would result in a de-industrialized Europe, depending on imports from abroad. It would expose Europe to geopolitical turmoil, with no agency to deliver its vision of peace, well-being, and a healthy environment to its citizens.”
They noted that it was fundamental for Europe to pursue a more coherent set of policies that put the competitiveness of its domestic industry at the core.
The statement adds all the industrial manufacturing sectors should be in the scope, including the textile industry. A first impactful action that can be taken in this direction, would be to expand the scope of the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) to include the textiles and clothing industry.
Euratex warns of deindustrialization if the circular economy concept not reformed
