Bebiana Rocha
In his first major public intervention as the new president of EURATEX, the European textile confederation, Mário Jorge Machado, also president of ATP, pointed out the need for reciprocity and to level the playing field. The debate, on the theme of ‘Textiles and clothing, Europe’s great challenges’, took place during a Talks session at the recent edition of Première Vision Paris and included the participation of Olivier Ducatillion, president of the ITU – Union des Industries Textiles.
Mário Jorge Machado emphasized the importance of the textile industry for Europe and pointed to innovation and sustainability as fundamental pillars. ‘We are producing through more sustainable processes, and we need to convey this revealing information to our European and national leaders,’ he said. ATP’s president also emphasized the need for a strong lobby in Brussels to ensure that the textile industry is an integral part of the new European industrial agreement, citing competitiveness as a key factor for the future.
Olivier Ducatillion complemented this view by discussing the shared costs of sustainability. ‘There is always a cost associated with less sustainable production, and someone will have to pay that cost, be it the consumer, the brands or the planet itself,’ he stated. The president of the French ITU association also emphasized the need for transparency and data sharing to ensure a fair and accurate approach to evaluating products.
The debate between these two strong voices in the European textile sector also covered environmental legislation and its impact on the sector. Mário Jorge Machado assured that compliance with new legislation, such as eco-design and the Waste Framework Directive, is imperative to move towards a circular economy. ‘We need to digitalize and retrain our sector to simplify and comply with these new rules,’ assured the EURATEX president, adding that we need a Europe that makes it easier to do business.
The president of the ITU, for his turn, emphasized the importance of reciprocity in trade policies and the need to compete on a global level playing field. ‘We cannot accept competition using tricks that unbalance the market. We need fair competition to guarantee a fair deal in Europe,’ he argued.
Both leaders couldn’t help but agree that cooperation at European level is essential to meet the challenges ahead. Mário Jorge Machado also stressed the importance of EURATEX and national associations in harmonizing legislation and policies across Europe, fostering a more competitive and sustainable market. ‘Our mission is clear: to ensure that the European textile industry continues to be an example of innovation and sustainability, capable of competing on equal terms in the global market,’ concluded the president of EURATEX.