Debate: The need for an ambitious EU Strategy for sustainable textiles
Date: THURSDAY, 10 MARCH 2022
Speaker: Virginijus Sinkevičius
Language: EN

I can assure you that we are on the same line as regards our ambition to protect the environment and to give our citizens long-lasting and quality textiles. And I fully share your sense of urgency too, and I can assure you we have a good plan. Our vision is that all textile products placed on the EU market should be durable, repairable and recyclable to a great extent made of recycled fibres and free of hazardous substances, that consumers benefit longer from high quality textiles, that fast fashion is out of fashion and economically profitable reuse and repair services are widely available. In a competitive, resilient and innovative textile sector, producers should take responsibility for their products along the value chain, including when they become waste. In this way, the circular textile ecosystem can thrive with growing capacities for innovative fibre-to-fibre recycling. The incineration and landfilling of textiles has to be reduced to the minimum.  With these goals in view, we expect the upcoming strategy to initiate the transformation of the sector, to foster concerted action across the sectors and across policies, and with everyone on board, policymakers, local authorities, citizens, businesses and entrepreneurs, scientists and researchers, we are intensively working on finalising the strategy. And you will see it very soon as part of the package of the circular economy initiatives.  Now, let me briefly address some of the key points you raised in today’s debate. First of all, I’m aware that some of you are very engaged with the textile sector and thus you know your contribution is crucial. The green and digital transition of the textile ecosystem is a key priority for us. The twin transitions will demand the textile industry to reshape their business models, integrate the proper technologies, ensuring a more efficient production process and more sustainable products, and develop the right skills to manage this transition. And to support the textiles ecosystems in its greening and digitalisation efforts, the Commission is preparing the ground for a transition pathway. The transition pathway aims to identify with stakeholders what specific actions and commitments are needed to accompany the green and digital transitions. The co-creation of the transition pathway will kick-off during the second quarter of 2022.  Speaking about the concrete programmes, there are a number of projects in the textile sectors that the EU has funded and will continue to do so. Under Horizon Europe, there was programme from 2021 to 2022, which set out calls focusing on reality of textile value chains. There is an example of a project to develop nanomaterials, so really going into innovative areas. I cannot list all the projects that we have supported under Horizon Europe, under LIFE, also under PULSE. But I can assure you that this is a priority, and I think with our strategy it will continue to do so and more and more projects will be launched.  Continuing, the Commission will continue to support, of course, research and investments and innovation through a series of EU initiatives aiming at strengthening also digital and sustainable technologies. And moreover, Member States have a key role to play in supporting research and innovation, including by using loans and grants of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and I am happy to see that some countries are already going in this direction.  The skills aspects is important for textile ecosystems and up- and re-skilling is yet another tool to empower women who represent two-thirds of the workforce. Our collective efforts need to result in making the ecosystem attractive to skilled and young entrepreneurs, and the ecosystem employees.  The textile industry needs to take advantage of the employment opportunities brought by the digital and green transitions. A strong alliance has been built under the EU Pact for Skills with commitments that now need to be implemented through the national and regional skills partnerships.  Let me also mention a very important part. The life of a product starts with design. Textiles are indeed a key product to be addressed under the broader ecodesign framework, and we are going to propose this together with the strategy. Binding product specific eco design requirements can increase textiles’ performance in terms of durability, reusability, fibre-to-fibre recyclability and mandatory recycled fibre content. And we can strive to minimise and track the presence of substances of concern and reduce adverse impacts on climate and environment. We also can take measures to stop the destruction of unsold or returned textiles. We can have better transparency on the number of textile products big companies discard and destroy. Citizens should also know how these products are treated in terms of preparing for re-use, recycling, incineration or landfill. We can also do much more in terms of information to consumers through a digital product passport and labelling. All these aspects have a place in a future-oriented textile strategy.  You also spoke about sustainable sourcing, both in social and environmental terms, human rights’ worsening condition. The European Commission has presented a legislative proposal on sustainable corporate governance. It is part of the implementation of the European Green Deal. It’s a corporate sustainability due diligence obligation – a duty to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for actual and potential adverse sustainability impacts in companies’ own operations and their supply or value chains.  Let me also highlight a very important and powerful tool – extend the product’s responsibility. It can be a really effective instrument to improve waste management and work well together with other measures such as separate collection, pay-as-you-throw schemes and targets. EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) schemes can also improve design and support waste prevention objectives. We are aware of Member States planning to set up EPR schemes for textiles and France already has it in place for several years. We will consider the role of EPR as a tool to improve textile waste prevention and waste management in the context of the waste legislation review foreseen in 2023.  Microplastic pollution. It is indeed a source of serious and growing concern. It has become widespread in the environment, and one of the main sources of the unintentional release of microplastics are textiles made of synthetic fibres. About 60% of fibres used in clothing are synthetic, of which polyester is predominant and this amount is growing. Synthetic fibres shed into the environment at different stages of the textile lifecycle. Reduction measures can therefore target the design of products, improve manufacturing processes and pre-washing in industrial manufacturing plants, labelling and the promotion of innovative materials. Further options include washing machine filters, which can reduce release from laundering by up to 80%, development of mild detergents, caretaking and washing guidelines, end-of-life textile waste treatment and regulations for improved wastewater and sewage sludge treatment.  The proposal introduces corporate sustainability due diligence obligations, a horizontal cross-sectoral duty to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for actual and potential adverse sustainability impacts in companies’ operations. So, the textile sector was identified as a priority sector for its implementation.  Sustainability and circularity of the textile sector in Europe and the world is critical to address current environmental challenges, and this needs to become a joint endeavour, together with business, public authorities and consumers. And I’m glad to count on the European Parliament’s support to this goal, and it will be essential to mobilise, first of all, our citizens, in particular, our young generation.  So with this, let me conclude and really thank you for today’s exchange, for your work and for such a passionate approach to this topic.