How can EU policy drive circularity in textiles?

Start/End date
Event type
EU Circular Talks
Country
EU
City
EU
Sector
Textiles, apparel and leather
Scope
EU,
Coordination Group 2020-2023
Key Area
Innovation and investments
Organising Body
Euric
RREUSE
RVO
SMEUnited
Final report

The European Green Deal, the new Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) and the New Industrial Strategy for Europe identified the textile industry as a priority sector for the EU’s move towards sustainability.

The upcoming EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles aims at shifting the European Union to a circular economy. In that framework, textiles should be made more durable, reusable, repairable and recyclable. This future comprehensive framework will set conditions to boost the competitiveness and sustainability of the European textile sector while improving the European market for circular textiles. But what is needed to create a functional policy framework for textiles?

EuRIC, RREUSE, RVO, SMEunited and the ECESP organised a #EUCircularTalks policy Q&A to bring elements of answer to this question. The event brought together policymakers and stakeholders at a virtual table where they discussed challenges and opportunities of the upcoming EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles to ensure a proper future policy framework for textiles.

The event aimed first to inform about existing EU & national policy initiatives on textiles in light of the upcoming EU Strategy for Textiles. And second, the section on Policy Impact Showcases briefly demonstrated what various stakeholders already do today to reach a circular economy for textiles. They also highlighted their concerns and perceived bottlenecks in the legislation.

Draft agenda

10:00 - 10:05 Opening remarks

10:05 - 11:00 Policy panel

11:00 - 11:55 Stakeholder Panel & Q&A session

  • Guido Lena, Director, Sustainable Development, SMEUnited
  • Emily Macintosh, Policy Officer for Textiles, European Environmental Bureau
  • Matthias Neitsch, President, RREUSE
  • Mariska Zandvliet, President, EuRIC Textiles
  • Baptiste Carriere-Pradal, Chair, Policy Hub
  • Roberto Vannucci, Multisectoral Research & Innovation Manager, Centrocot

11:55 - 12:00 Closing remarks