The EU to invest 2.3 billion euros on sustainable fashion

«By 2030, textiles in the Eu market must be durable and recyclable» the European Parliament stated in a resolution of June 1st, 2023, on the Eu strategy for sustainable and circular textiles (2022/2171(INI)). On this topic, for the first time in the history of the EU institutions, the fashion chambers of 23 countries, united in the European fashion alliance (efa), were received yesterday in Brussels in the Altiero Spinelli building of the European parliament.

«Efa is only 10 months old, but it was essential to speak with one voice in Brussels», the president of National chamber for Italian fashion (cnmi), Carlo Capasa, told MFF. «In the past, both my French counterpart Pascal Morand (President of the fédération de la haute couture et de la mode, ed.) and I had spoken to the Brussels institutions, but Efa’s broad representation now gives us the political attention that creative fashion deserves». The regulation proposed by the Commission, which is a revision of the 2009 directive currently in effect, proposes to broaden the range of products covered by the legislation, which is currently limited, as well as introducing new requirements for goods that last longer, with the possibility of being repaired rather than thrown away. In particular, the digital passport requirement for all products that will be regulated by this framework requires that information on the composition of the products must be indicated to make them easier to recycle, repair, or to ensure that hazardous substances within them are traced along the supply chain.

The meeting was held with European commissioner for internal market Thierry Breton. «Until now we had no interlocutor in fashion. The Eu commission does not want to apply the rules from above, but to arrive at a shared regulation that can make the fashion industry radically more sustainable and circular, and drive change in the rest of the world». Christian Ehler, Coordinator of the european parliament’s research and Industry committee, explained. «The transition requires investment (not only for fashion, ed.). With regard to that, we are providing 2.3 billion euros and an additional billion for textile research alone,» he continued.

The vote on the regulation (the Eu standard is immediately applicable in all Member States, ed.) on ecodesign will be voted on July 20, leaving little time to introduce specifications on some important points for high-end fashion, since it has very different requirements from fast fashion. The Eu standards within the new circular economy package unveiled in Brussels include garments that last longer instead of fast fashion (i.e., increasingly produce at lower and lower competitive prices), fabrics with higher recycled fiber content, economically repairable and with minimal incineration and landfilling. Finally, the introduction of a digital passport for traceability, with attention to the protection of trade secrets, and modulated rules for Smes as well on the issue of reuse and/or recycling, with penalties for those who destroy unsold product. (All rights reserved)