EU Textile Strategy: what the Parliament should include to make sustainable textile products the norm
ECOS participated in the S&D ENVI Seminar title "Sustainable textiles: Making fast fashion out of fashion", where we illustrated how to move to sustainable production and the use of textiles. To ensure circularity in the sector, ECOS and 6 other organisations propose a list of 12 actions that the European Parliament should consider for the Textiles Strategy to succeed.
In the context of the consideration of the European Parliament’s draft report on the EU Strategy for sustainable and circular textiles, ambitious actions are essential to make sustainable textile products the norm. We want the textiles strategy to be an effective tool to shift the sector towards circularity, as well as environmental and social sustainability.
This joint paper calls on the European Parliament to take action and include the following recommendations in the report:
- Developing ambitious and holistic eco-design requirements
- Tackling global overproduction
- Ensuring a Just Transition
- Ensuring fairer purchasing practices
- Enabling the transparency of supply chains
- Implementing due diligence accountability
- Taking action on ultra-fast fashion
- Putting green and social washing to an end
- Implementing EU trade policy that rewards sustainability
- Maximising local re-use of textiles
- Phasing out hazardous chemicals in textiles
- Ensuring sustainable textile production in Europe
Read the full joint paper HERE.
The Commission’s EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles aims to provide a comprehensive approach to sustainability in the textile sector. However, it focuses mainly on environmental aspects and lacks a sufficient actionable strategy when it comes to ensuring good working conditions and fair and sustainable international trade. It remains crucial that the European Parliament provides a political perspective relating to international trade in the garment sector. Find our joint letter on the need for an INTA INI on ensuring fair and sustainable international trade for the global textiles ecosystem.
Download the document
