On the 16th of January 2026, COTANCE took part in the EU “Shaping the Future of a Competitive Textiles Ecosystem” event in Brussels, organised by DG GROW (European Commission).
The meeting brought together TCLF stakeholders from across the EU to share industry needs and challenges with the Commission and get updates on the regulatory agenda shaping textiles, clothing, leather & footwear (TCLF) sectors.
Key topics included:
✔️ Textile Labelling Regulation: labelling & authenticity
✔️ Ecodesign, in particular the criteria for Recycled content and durability
✔️ New EU waste rules, EPR and the creation of a market for the ecosystem's waste recycling
…and more.
There is a complex regulatory puzzle ahead, and it’s crucial that our SMEs not only understand the change but are actively involved in shaping it.
From the European leather industry perspective, we emphasised the need for RECOGNITION & ASSISTANCE
"Leather is part of the Textile ecosystem, but if it is not specifically named, nobody thinks of it in policymaking," said Gustavo Gonzalez-Quijano, Secretary General of COTANCE
Overlooked in the EU Bioeconomy strategy, marginalised in the new EU Vision for Agriculture & Food, misunderstood in the ideas for the Circular Economy Act, the leather industry needs DG GROW's assistance to:
🔹 Guarantee leather authenticity and the protection of article 5 in the revised Textile Labelling Regulation
🔹 Ensure durability, recycled content and other Ecodesign criteria are designed also for leather, not just textiles
🔹Differentiate natural materials such as leather, wool and silk from their petrol-derived “fashion alternatives,” and incentivise the use of the former rather than supporting more plastics.
🔹 Open doors for our sector in R&I funding and EU policy frameworks
We do this to preserve leather made in Europe — because leather made in Europe is not just a material of superior quality; it is a material that embodies the circular bioeconomy and conveys Europe's cultural values, heritage and diversity.
COTANCE is committed to working with EU decision-makers and our partners across the TCLF ecosystem to ensure EU policies work for our industries, not against them