From the Sector

• European textile industry needs to prepare for a paradigm shift, and become global leader in sustainable textiles

Organised by EURATEX in partnership with the Portuguese Textile Association (ATP), the Porto Convention – Sustainability meets Competitiveness: How to Square the Circle? – took place on 13-14 October in Porto, Portugal, with nearly 250 entrepreneurs attending from all over Europe. They discussed the current challenges of the European textile industry and set the grounds for a bright future, based on some strong foundations: innovation, creativity, quality and sustainability.

In his keynote speech, Mr. Pedro Siza Vieira, Former Minister for the Economy and Digital Transition of Portugal, assessed the geopolitical and macroeconomics changes, and how this will impact on the future of the textile industry: nearshoring and friend-shoring, independence from foreign gas through the use of European sustainable energy, as well as circular and automated production lines. While the current turbulence causes uncertainty, he sees a better future for our industry.

The first CEO Panel, addressing the theme of How to Measure and Communicate about Sustainability, focused on the challenges to translate “sustainability” towards the consumers. The panel addressed the issue of greenwashing and the role of brands in communicating about sustainability. It looked at how the new European Commission regulations on eco-label, digital product passport (DPP) and product environmental footprint (PEF) will create a new framework.

The second CEO Panel, discussing Financing Sustainability, looked at the cost of sustainable investments, and how this cost should be managed within the entire supply chain, including the brands and retailers.

Four workshops with industry experts followed in the afternoon, addressing the themes of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Textiles, Digital Product Passport (DPP), Recycling Textile Waste and Labelling Textiles (Product Environmental Footprint). As these initiatives will roll out in the coming years – as part of the EU Textile Strategy – participants got a better understanding of the future framework for our industry.

Dirk Vantyghem, Director General of EURATEX, commented on this: “to prepare for a brighter future requires a new regulatory framework, where quality and durability become the norm, where transparency and sustainability is rewarded, where free riders – who do not comply with rules and standards – are kept outside the market. The EU Textile Strategy aims at creating such a framework, which must be fair and balanced, and requires a close and constant dialogue between the regulator and the industry.”

During the 2nd day of the convention, participants had the opportunity to visit state of the art textile companies (Têxteis J.F. Almeida, RIOPELE, and TMG Automotive) and the Portuguese textile  research centre CITEVE. They showcased how the Portuguese textile industry is making this transition, while remaining globally competitive.

Alberto Paccanelli, President of EURATEX, concluded: “We need to attract creative people in our companies, we need to produce top class quality products, and we need to become more sustainable. That is the recipe for our success in a globalised and highly competitive industry.” Paccanelli is positive about the future: “While we face very tough times, I am optimistic about the future of our European textile industry. The rest of the world is watching us, as we move forward with our strategy. We should become their benchmark and Europe should become a global leader in sustainable textiles.”

DOMO Chemicals, a producer of engineered polyamide materials, and Hynamics, a 100% subsidiary of EDF Group specializing in the production of low-carbon hydrogen, have entered into a partnership project with the objective of achieving zero-carbon for 100% of the hydrogen used at the Belle-Étoile industrial site, in Saint-Fons (south of Lyon, France), in the heart of the French Vallée de la Chimie (“Chemistry Valley”).

For the first time in France, the “HyDom” project will enable the installation of an 85-megawatt (MW) hydrogen production plant using the water electrolysis process at the Belle-Étoile site, with a production capacity of 11,000 metric tons of low-carbon hydrogen per year. The plant will be powered by the French low-carbon electric power mix. By 2027, it will supply 100% of the annual production of hexamethylene diamine, a key component used in the production of plastics.

The project will eventually prevent the emission of 84 kilotons of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year. Hexamethylene diamine, and ultimately, durable and low-carbon polyamides, will be used in various applications in major industry sectors, such as automotive, electronics, and heating & cooling.
This project is a major step towards the decarbonization of industrial sites that use grey hydrogen (produced from fossil fuels). The location in the Vallée de la Chimie within the vicinity of major transport routes opens up opportunities for the creation of a more complete hydrogen ecosystem.

The first phase of the project will consist of building up and ascertaining technical concepts and integrating the low-carbon hydrogen production plant within the larger production process of hexamethylene diamine.

Considering the high-power scale of the future electrolytic hydrogen production facility, the HyDom project is being developed in close collaboration with RTE (an organization in charge of managing the French power grid), to solve connection issues. As a priority project for the industry's zero-carbon strategy and for the “France 2030” investment plan, HyDom is supported by the French government and has been presented to the European Commission for public funding.

Italian textile entrepreneur, Alberto Paccanelli, has been re-elected as President of EURATEX during its General Assembly on 17 June; he will thus extend his mandate with 2 more years, until June 2024. Paccanelli is CEO of the Martinelli Ginetto Group, active in the high-end home textiles. He is also a Board member of Sistema Moda Italia and Confindustria Bergamo.

On the occasion of his re-election, Paccanelli presented his vision on the future of the European textiles industry: “With the adoption of the EU Textile Strategy on 30 March, the European Commission  has launched a very ambitious journey that will change the nature of our industry: more focus on sustainability and durability, more transparency within the supply chain, more communication with the consumer, but also a better level playing field for our European companies, and more investment in innovation, digitalisation and skills development. That is a very ambitious agenda, which needs to result in a more resilient European textile industry. The coming 2 years will be critical to translate that vision into specific legislation and concrete programmes. This requires a strong EURATEX, to actively contribute to that process. I am honoured to continue leading the organisation and fulfil this challenging task.”

EURATEX GA also elected 4 other members of the Presidency Team: Bodo Bölzle (Amann, Germany), Jean François Gribomont (Utexbel, Belgium), Grégory Marchant (UTT, France) and Ismail Kolunsag (Cross Tekstil, Turkey). During the Assembly, EURATEX also welcomed new memberships from Ukrlegprom (Ukraine) and Astrico (Romania), and a partnership with Inditex (Spain).

Policymakers and industry stakeholders recently convened for an enlightening conversation on the challenges that the apparel and footwear industry is facing regarding the communication of reliable information to consumers and the drastic change that is needed through smart regulation. Hosted by the Policy Hub, Circularity for Apparel and Footwear, and Global Fashion Agenda, the non-profit that fosters industry collaboration on sustainability to drive impact, the masterclass presented media with views on the steps that must be taken to prevent greenwashing and empower consumers.

The Policy Hub - Circularity for Apparel and Footwear – represents more than 700 brands, retailers, manufacturers, and other stakeholders from across the globe, covering more than 50 per cent of the apparel and footwear sector. During the masterclass, Baptiste Carrière-Pradal, Chair, Policy Hub, presented its position on the EU Consumer Empowerment Initiative and the importance of Substantiating Green Claims through the new standardised methodology of the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF).

A first panel was kicked off by the European Commission representative who provided attendees with an overview of what is new about the PEFCRs for apparel and footwear. That led to an interesting and informed discussion with brands and other organisations which showed both the benefits of the PEF and the improvements needed in its methodology for it to fully reflect the complexity of the industry.

Overall, discussions showed the need for the topic to be addressed globally, apply a clear solid method to measure the environmental impact and for much more stringent legislation to regulate and ban greenwashing. As put by Baptiste Carriere-Pradal, Chair of the Policy Hub: “There will be challenges, the journey is long but now is the time for clear and ambitious regulation that will help us change the industry.”

You can watch the Media Masterclass here.

Today, March 30, the European Commission released its long-awaited Strategy for Sustainable Textile, with the ambition to move the sector towards the path of sustainability. EURATEX welcomes the EU ambitions to act on sustainable textiles and investments, in order to change how textiles are made, chosen and recovered, but calls for a smart and realistic implementation. Many European companies have already chosen this path, therefore the strategy should support them in this process, especially considering today’s energy crisis.

The strategy recognises the strategic importance of textiles, which are not only used as apparel or furniture, but applied in cars, medical equipment, agriculture, etc. It acknowledges the European Industry pro-active initiatives to tackle microplastics, to solve challenges of market surveillance and the skills needs. More cooperation is needed for re-use and recycling of textiles and to set up an EU market for secondary raw materials. On this last point, EURATEX ReHubs initiative is developing proposals to size EPR potential, to transform waste into value, and create a new capacity and jobs.

The proposed “transition pathways”, which will translate the strategy into action, will be critical in this respect: how will these sustainability targets be reached, what will the cost for SMEs be, how can companies be supported in that green transition, what about the impact on global competitiveness? These are essential questions to be addressed in the coming months.
The Textile strategy is part of much broader package, including as many as 16 new legislative actions and other policies which will directly impact on textile value chain. In particular the Sustainable Product Initiative Regulation released on March, 30 includes game-changing provisions on Digital Product Passport, Eco-Design, SMEs and Green Public Procurement.  The Regulation has an overwhelming ambition and, to be realistic, it would require a new way of joint working between institutions and business, and which builds on lessons learned on data flow across value chains, interoperability, conformity assessment and effective measures to support SMEs.

If wrongly implemented, such an unprecedented wave may cause a complete collapse of the European textile value chain under the burden of restrictions, requirements, costs and unlevel playing field. On the contrary, the changes ahead can boom the entire textile ecosystem and create a model of successful green and digital transition in manufacturing, which starts in Europe and expands globally.

Already in 2019, EURATEX asked policy makers to work together and remove barriers to circular economy, solve the market surveillance paradox in which laws are made but not checked, and to help create scale economies to make sustainable textiles affordable, hence the norm.

For example, there are 28 billion products circulating per year in EU, which is an impressive task for market surveillance authorities including customs. EURATEX has been stressing non-sufficient market surveillance and it is actively working on solutions for a fair and effective market surveillance of textile products through Reach4Textiles. EURATEX very much welcomes that the European Commission recognizes our work and the need for market surveillance by establishing more harmonised efforts in the EU.

EURATEX also welcomes the establishment of the Digital Product Passport. It has a high potential to improve every step in the textile value chain, from design and manufacturing to recycling and purchasing. At the same time, EURATEX calls the co-legislators to take into account the role of SME’s in this transition and to put forward pragmatic initiatives, supporting SME’s across the EU in a systematic approach.

Alberto Paccanelli, EURATEX President, concludes: EURATEX calls for true cooperation with all policy makers and other stakeholders across the value chains to advise, pressure-test and use this opportunity for a successful transition. Our ambition must be to reconcile sustainability, resilience and competitiveness; we know it can be done”.

The current energy crisis is impacting on the competitiveness of the European textile and clothing industry. Because there are limited alternatives to the use of gas in different parts of the production process, production costs increase sharply. EURATEX asks the European Commission and Member States to urgently support the industry to avoid company closures. At the same time, we need a long term vision to move towards climate neutrality, while keeping the T&C industry internationally competitive.

EURATEX presented ten key requirements to Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy, to develop such a vision:

1. The apparel and textile industry needs a safe supply with sufficient green energy (electricity and gas) at internationally competitive prices.
2. The transformation of industry requires access to very significant amounts of renewable energy at competitive costs. Additional investments in infrastructure will also be needed to guarantee access to new renewable energy supplies.
3. Until a global (or at least G 20 level) carbon price or other means for a global level playing field in climate protection are implemented, competitive prices for green energy must be granted at European or national levels (e.g. CCfDs, reduction on levies, targeted subsidies).
4. As the European textile and clothing sector faces global competition mainly form countries/regions with less stringent climate ambitions, it is of utmost importance that the European textile and clothing companies are prevented form direct and indirect carbon leakage.
5. EU-policy should support solutions, e.g. through targeted subsidies (for hydrogen, energy grids, R&D, technology roadmap studies etc.).
6. A dedicated approach for SMEs might be appropriate as SMEs do not have the skills/know-how to further improve their energy efficiency and/or becoming carbon neutral.
7. CAPEX and OPEX support will be necessary for breakthrough technologies, like hydrogen.
8. The Fit-for-55-Package must support the European Textile and Clothing industry in decarbonization and carbon neutrality. The EU must therefore advocate a global level playing field more than before. The primary goal must be to establish an internationally uniform, binding CO2 pricing, preferably in the form of a standard at G-7 / G-20 level.
9. EU-policy must not hinder solutions, e.g. we need reasonable state aid rules (compensating the gap between national energy or climate levies and a globally competitive energy price should not be seen as a subsidy).
10. The European Textile and Clothing industry has made use of economically viable potentials to continuously improve energy efficiency over many years and decades. The obligation to implement further measures must be taken considering investment cycles that are in line with practice. Attention must be paid to the proportionality of costs without weakening the competitive position in the EU internal market or with competitors outside the EU.

Please see the attached position paper for more information.

118 organisations signed today the TCLF (= Textiles, Clothing, Leather and Footwear) Pact for Skills, an initiative promoted by the European Commission and coordinated by EURATEX. The signatories acknowledge the skills challenge in the textiles ecosystem, and commit to invest in reskilling and upskilling workers, integrating green and digital skills and improving the attractiveness of the sector. Members of the Pact will benefit from networking, guidance and resources offered by the EC to implement the targets which are proposed in the Pact.

The Pact for Skills is part of the EU Industrial Strategy, addressing the competitiveness of 14 critical ecosystems, including textiles. The main aim of the Pact is maximising the impact of investments in improving existing skills (upskilling) and training in new skills (reskilling). To reach such an ambitious goal, the Pact gathers various actors in the TCLF sectors: industry, employers, social partners, national and regional authorities, education and training providers. These actors should work together and invest in large-scale skills partnerships, guarantee exchange of best practices and increase the attractiveness of the sector.

Specifically, the TCLF Pact for Skills focuses on 5 objectives and for each of them, the signatories identified a certain number of target actions:

1. Promoting a culture of lifelong learning for all: one of the actions is to design and roll out courses promoting latest technologies and digital tools such as VR and AI (digital skills) and promoting durability, repair and waste management activities (green skills), in particular circular design skills.
2. Building a strong skills partnership with relevant stakeholders: signatories foresee to build regional and cross-sectoral partnerships between industry, education providers and authorities, which are adapted to their specific needs. .
3. Monitoring skills supply/demand and anticipating skills needs: to reach it, industry, policy and education stakeholders will establish the TCLF Skills Observatory.
4. Working against discrimination and for gender equality and equal opportunities: signatories will launch a TCLF manifesto of diversity and a supporting initiatives to improve the gender balance and ensure equal opportunities for all.
5. Raising awareness & attractiveness on the TCLF industries, i.a. though dedicated information campaigns, showcasing the opportunities in the sector and promoting mobility for young workers.

As of early 2022, the European Commission will offer signatories of the Pact for Skills to benefit from collaboration at EU, national and regional levels and in particular gain access to networking, knowledge and guidance & resource hubs.

“EURATEX is proud to coordinate this initiative” says Alberto Paccanelli, EURATEX President. “Our companies’ success is based on finding the right people with the right set of skills. This becomes increasingly difficult, so this Pact is a wake-up call to work together and develop a forward looking strategy, where people are put at the heart of our sector.”

The REACH4texiles project just kicked off. Funded by the European Commission, it aims at exploring solutions for fair and effective market surveillance on textile products.

Every year, about 28 billion of garments circulate across Europe, 80% of which are imported from outside the EU and its jurisdiction.
 
Inevitably, such huge volumes pose enormous challenges for market surveillance authorities which are called to ensure that uncompliant dangerous products are kept away from the EU citizens.

The European Union has the world most comprehensive chemical legislation which is set to protect consumers, the environment and, theoretically, even the competitiveness  of the business.

Such EU chemical legislation evolves constantly, increasing scope and ambition. New restrictions impact authorities and sectors like the European textile value chain and generate new costs for all actors.

Evidence suggests that such advanced regulatory framework is not completed with an equally advanced or effective EU-wide control system capable of ensuring compliance, especially in the case of imported products.

The REACH4texiles project aims at exploring solutions for fair and effective market surveillance on textile products; it pools together the key actors to address three objectives:

• Keep non-compliant products away from the single market.
• Increase skills and knowledge.
• Support a Network addressing chemicals in textiles and applying the EU regulation 2019/1020

The 2 years project will share best practices, identify efficient approaches against non-compliant products, offer training and support for a more effective surveillance and for level playing field.

The project welcomes collaboration with concerned authorities across the EU Member States.

Details:

A well-functioning EU market surveillance system is an essential prerequisite to protect citizen, the environment and competitiveness of responsible business. When it comes to textiles, the broad range of products, the large set of REACH subjected chemicals used in textiles as well as industrial strategies like fast fashion make this a challenging task.

Challenges may include lack of resources, difficulties in identifying higher risk products, cost and management of chemical tests, lack of test methods and knowledge of best practices. These challenges are yet likely to increase with the upcoming REACH restrictions and the growth of e-commerce.

Because of this, products that do not comply with REACH regulations encounter today little or no barriers to enter the market. This creates not only a health risk for Europeans but also undermines the competitivity of responsible businesses that take all necessary measures to comply with these regulations.

Addressing the challenges requires more knowledge at market surveillance and stronger collaboration between these authorities, the textile and clothing industry and testing laboratories. More knowledge about the identification of risk baring textile products and REACH chemicals likely to be used in these products, suitable test methods and strategies such as fast screening on REACH chemicals, trustworthiness of labels, etc can increase the effectiveness of market surveillance considerably.

The REACH4Textiles first objective (keep non-compliant products away from the EU Market) will be pursued by increasing knowledge on market surveillance functioning by and working on a risk-based approach to identify products at higher risk.

The second objective supports a network to address the specificities of chemicals in textiles with market surveillance authorities and involving other relevant stakeholders. The third objective focuses on sharing knowledge with market surveillance actors on textile products and suitable test methodologies.

Supported by the European Commission DG Growth, the project team is coordinated by the Belgian test and research center Centexbel and include the European Textiles and Apparel industry confederation, EURATEX, the German national textile and fashion association Textile und Mode, t+m, the Italian association Tessile e Salute. Several other European industry associations and national authorities are welcomed to become involved through the project activities.   

Following the European Commission’s update of the 2020 New Industrial Strategy: ‘’Building a stronger Single Market for Europe’s Recovery’’, the European Social Partners for the Textile, Clothing, Leather, and Footwear (TCLF) sectors came together to call for support via a dedicated strategy.  The Strategy aims to help guide the TCLF industries through the current green and digital transition, while facing tough global competition, stressing the need to safeguard the industries and protect jobs in Europe.

On 25 May, employers’ and workers’ representatives for the European TCLF sectors met with the European Commission to discuss the current challenges facing the TCLF industries and potential EU action to help support the sectors and their workers.  Following discussions on the terrible impact of COVID-19 on the sectors and the need for a strong EU action, the Joint Statement: ‘’The future industrial strategy of the EU Textiles Ecosystem (TCLF sectors)’’ was adopted.

The Joint Statement highlights the need for a dedicated strategy with support at national and EU level to help the TCLF sectors survive following the COVID-19 pandemic, while they continue to face tough, and, sometimes unfair, global competition. The Social Partners of the TCLF industries fully support the EU’s ambitions for a green and digital transition of the sectors, but insist on concrete European measures to help the industries transform while the continues to suffer from an unlevel global playing field.

Specific joint demands include: full engagement with Social Partners in both the recovery and the transition of the industries, support for the EU Pact for Skills for the relevant ecosystem, a revision of the GSP which doesn’t negatively impact the sectors and its workers, support to decarbonise the sectors, careful consideration of the Due Diligence Legislation and quality dialogue with Social Partners ahead of the EU Sustainable Products Initiative and the Consumer Agenda to ensure that all policy gaps are addressed. Special attention must also be given to the forthcoming EU Textiles Strategy which should fully represent the needs of the EU’s entire textiles ecosystem.

• Members of TMAS – the Swedish textile machinery association – have adopted a range of new strategies in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, aimed at assisting manufacturers of textiles and apparel to adjust to a new normal, as Europe and other regions emerge cautiously from lockdown.

“Many European companies have been forced into testing new working methods and looking at what it’s possible to do remotely, and how to exploit automation to the full, in order to become more flexible,” says TMAS Secretary General Therese Premler-Andersson. “Others have been taking risks where they see opportunies and there’s a new sense of solidarity among companies.

“It’s extremely encouraging, for example, that over five hundred European companies from across our supply chain are reported to have responded to the shortages of facemasks and PPE – protective personal equipment – by converting parts of their sites or investing in new equipment.”

New supply chains

Amongst them are TMAS members of the ACG Group, who quickly established a dedicated new nonwovens fabric converting and single-use garment making-up plant to supply to the Swedish health authorities. From a standing start in March, this is now producing 1.8 million square metres of converted fabric and turning it into 692,000 finished medical garments each month.

“In 2020 so far, we have seen new value chains being created and a certain amount of permanent reshoring is now inevitable,” says Premler-Andersson. “This is being backed by the new funding announced in the European Union’s Next Generation EU plan, with €750 billion marked for helping industry recover. As the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stressed, “green and digital” transitions hold the key to Europe’s future prosperity and resilience, and TMAS members have new solutions to assist in both areas.”

Remote working

Automated solutions have opened up many possibilities for remote working during the pandemic. Texo AB, for example, the specialist in wide-width weaving looms for the paper industry, was able to successfully complete the build and delivery of a major multi-container order between April and May.

“Our new Remote Guidance software now makes it possible for us to carry out some of the commissioning and troubleshooting of such new lines remotely, which has been helpful” says Texo AB President Anders Svensson.

Svegea of Sweden, which has spent the past few months developing its new CR-210 fabric relaxation machine for knitted fabrics, has also successfully set up and installed a number of machines remotely, which the company has never attempted before.

“The pandemic has definitely led to some inventive solutions for us and with international travel currently not possible, we are finding better methods of digital communication and collaboration all the time,” says Svegea managing director Hakan Steene.

Eric Norling, Vice President of the Precision Application business of Baldwin Technology, believes the pandemic may have a more permanent impact on global travel.

“We have now proven that e-meetings and virtual collaboration tools are effective,” he says. “Baldwin implemented a home office work regime from April with only production personnel and R&D researchers at the workplace. These past few months have shown that we can be just as effective and do not need to travel for physical meetings to the same extent that was previously thought to be necessary.”

Pär Hedman, Sales and Marketing Manager for IRO AB, however, believes such advances can only go so far at the moment.

“Video conferences have taken a big leap forward, especially in development projects, and this method of communication is here to stay, but it will never completely replace personal meetings,” he says. “And textile fabrics need to be touched, examined and accepted by the senses, which is impossible to do via digital media today. The coming haptic internet, however, may well even change that too.”

Social distancing

The many garment factories now equipped with Eton Systems UPS work stations – designed to save considerable costs through automation – have meanwhile benefited from the unintentional social distancing they automatically provide compared to factories with conventional banks of sewing machines.

“These companies have been able to continue operating throughout the pandemic due to the spaced nature of our automated plant configurations,” says Eton Systems Business Development Manager Roger Ryrlén. “The UPS system has been established for some time, but planned spacing has proved an accidental plus for our customers – with improved productivity.”

“Innovations from TMAS member companies have been coming thick and fast recently due to their advanced know-how in automation concepts,” Premler-Andersson concludes.  “If anything, the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic have only accelerated these initiatives by obliging our members to take new approaches.”