Euroleather

European Social Partners of the Leather Industry Hold First Steering Committee Meeting of SER2026

Brussels, 16 June 2026 - The European Social Partners of the leather sector, the trade association COTANCE and industriAll European Trade Union , convened the first Steering Committee Meeting of the SER2026 project today, bringing together national partners from six EU Member States to advance work on the 2026 Social and Environmental Report (SER) of the European Leather Industry.

The meeting, , marked a key milestone in the project’s 20-month timeline. Partners aligned on the work programme and upcoming deadlines, and took a series of decisions that will shape the next phase of the project.

Survey Questionnaire Approved

A central item on the agenda was the review and approval of the SER2026 survey questionnaire, presented by UNIC - Italian Tanneries, the Italian national partner leading this workstream. The questionnaire covers more than 37 social indicators and around 39 environmental parameters, including new ones added for this edition, and will be used to collect data from a representative sample of European tanneries.

Compared to the 2020 edition the updated questionnaire: introduces a three-year reference period (2023–2025), restores the original structure of several social indicators to allow direct comparison, expands the accidents and occupational diseases indicator, adds a new work-life balance section, updates environmental and waste classification data.

A further addition is a dedicated questionnaire for Wastewater Treatment Plants (WTP/ETP), also developed by UNIC, which captures data on effluent treatment and environmental performance at plant level - a critical dimension of the sector’s environmental footprint that was not covered in the previous edition. Both instruments were discussed, refined, and approved at the meeting.

The criteria for selecting participating tanneries in each country were also agreed. National partners: ACEXPIEL (Spain), APIC (Portugal), FFTM (France), MKSZ (Hungary), UNIC (Italy) and VDL (Germany) will now proceed to finalise translations and launch data collection in their respective markets, with a target deadline of end September 2026.

Edoardo De Paola, Secretary General, COTANCE: “ The Social and Environmental Report provides a periodic pulse check of the European tanning industry. SER2026 will update our identity, revealing how previous challenges have shaped our sector and demonstrating how resilience and innovation are continuing the legacy of this millenarian industry. We are doing this while we bring a renewed visual identity, showing how the industry is evolving and integrating social and environmental matters in its development plans.”

Judith Kirton-Darling, General Secretary, industriAll Europe: “ SER2026 offers a valuable reflection on the social and environmental reality of the European leather industry. It shows a sector that continues to evolve through resilience and adaptation, but whose future strength depends on investing in people, in their skills, in

decent working conditions, and in quality employment in Europe. Preserving this legacy requires ensuring that workers remain at the centre of the industry’s transformation, supported by strong social dialogue at every step.“

Communications and Visual Identity

The Steering Committee adopted the project’s communications and dissemination plan, designed to ensure that SER2026 results reach tanneries, trade unions, EU & national decision-makers and the wider policy community.

For the first time, the project has its own visual identity and logo - giving SER2026 the recognisable presence it needs to carry the industry’s message consistently across national and EU-level channels throughout the years.

“SER2026 is more than just a data collection exercise - it is the leather industry holding up a mirror to itself, with rigour and pride. The previous edition remains the most downloaded document on the COTANCE website and has become a benchmark not only for the European leather industry, but also for the global one. It is, in every sense, the standard the industry measures itself against. Giving SER2026 its own visual identity for the first time was the right decision, because what we are building here shapes how the world sees leather, and that image deserves to be widely and lastingly recognised” - says Vita Kobiela, SER2026 Project Coordinator, COTANCE

Next Steps

Following the meeting, the project moves into its data collection phase. National partners will now proceed with the finalisation and translation of the questionnaires before launching the survey across participating countries. The next Steering Committee Meeting is scheduled for February 2027 at Lineapelle in Milan.

On 9 April 2026, Edoardo De Paola (COTANCE) and Camille Franger (industriAll Europe), the European Social Partners of the leather/tanning sector, officially launched a new joint Social Dialogue project aimed at delivering the 2026 Social and Environmental Report of the European Leather Industry (SER2026).

The initiative, supported by the European Commission, will run for 20 months and builds on the previous 2020 edition of the report. The 2026 version will update the previous one to reflect the latest regulatory and sustainability developments shaping the sector. This initiative will be carried out with the collaboration of affiliates in 6 EU Member States (see hereunder).

The project will collect and analyse data from a representative sample of European tanneries and trade unions, on more than 37 social indicators and about 39 environmental parameters. This exercise will provide reliable benchmarks on social and environmental performances to support companies in adapting to new EU requirements, including the ESPR and CSRD/CS3D frameworks.

Company data will be anonymised and aggregated at national level before being computed at European level for drawing the conclusions that will flow into the SER2026 report.

The project will also include a dedicated social dialogue workshop, bringing together employers and workers to discuss key findings. Also, a wide communication and dissemination campaign is included in the project’s scope to ensure strong visibility and uptake of the results.

“With SER2026, we are taking an essential step forward in strengthening transparency, credibility and data-driven decision making for the European leather industry. This report is truly by the industry, and for the industry. It will fill a critical gap where no national, European, or comparable international data exists. The previous edition, SER2020, remains the most downloaded document on the COTANCE website, and has become a key benchmark in our dialogue with the European Commission. By aligning social and environmental performance with the latest EU policy developments, we are reinforcing the sector’s commitment to high standards and continuous improvement” — Edoardo De Paola, Secretary General, COTANCE

“The SER2026 project represents a milestone for the European leather sector, reinforcing the importance of social dialogue between workers and employers, advancing sustainability across the entire industry, and ensuring that good quality, secure jobs remain at the heart of our sector’s development. By combining reliable data with collaborative discussion, we are building a stronger, more responsible, and future-ready leather industry for all” - said Judith Kirton-Darling, General Secretary of industriAll Europe.

The initiative will conclude with a final conference in Brussels, where the findings of SER2026 will be presented to stakeholders, policymakers, trade unions and industry representatives.

Through this project, European Social Partners reaffirm their joint commitment to high social and environmental standards, transparency and continuous improvement in the leather industry.

Download the press release here

Project details:

Reference: ​​Project 101262556 — SER2026

Coordinator: COTANCE

Co-coordinator: industriAll European trade union

Partners: ACEXPIEL (Spain), APIC (Portugal), FFTM (France), MKSZ (Hungary) UNIC- Concerie Italiane (Italy), VDL (Germany).

Website: https://euroleather.com/ser-2026