Commission President State of the Union – From promise to practice:
how will the European Commission deliver on its ambitious promises?
EURATEX , on behalf of its 160,000 textile and clothing companies, has followed President von der Leyen’s state of the union, presented today in the European Parliament. The Commission President has touched upon a vast range of topics and shown great ambition for a forward-looking Europe. The question remains how to ensure effective implementation of those plans; EURATEX calls for a strong public-private partnership to build a competitive and sustainable future.
EURATEX welcomes an ambitious Commission, in particular when it calls to strengthen the Internal Market, to invest in digitalisation, to ensure free but fair trade, to enhance our industrial strategy and build up resilience, to insist on the level playing field in relations with UK, China or the US.
Such ambitions will help to sustain a competitive European textiles and clothing industry, including 160,000 companies and offering 1,5 mln quality jobs. But the question remains how such intentions will be implemented effectively.
Director-General Dirk Vantyghem commented: “In today’s health and economic crisis, we need a strong European Union, which supports our SMEs to survive, to innovate, to become more sustainable, to grow international. That requires effective measures implemented today, not tomorrow. We have put our ideas on the table, and look forward to discussing how to make them happen.”
EURATEX presented its “Recovery Strategy” in June; it includes both short term and long term measures, and concrete “flagship proposals” (e.g. building recycling hubs for waste textiles). Effective implementation will depend on a close dialogue between the EU, its member states and the private sector, and quick decision making.
About EURATEX
As the voice of the European textile and clothing industry, EURATEX works to achieve a favourable environment within the European Union for design, development, manufacture and marketing of textile and clothing products.
The EU textile and clothing industry, with around 160,000 companies employing 1.5 million workers, is an essential pillar of the local economy across many EU regions. With over € 61 billion of exports in 2019, the industry is a global player successfully commercializing high added value products on growing markets around the world.
Working together with EU institutions and other European and international stakeholders, EURATEX focuses on clear priorities: an ambitious industrial policy, effective research, innovation and skills development, free and fair trade, and sustainable supply chains.
