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The Brussels Textiles Forum, organized by the EURATEX, brought together representatives from the textile industry and European institutions today at De Warande to discuss the future of the sector. Key topics on the agenda included industrial competitiveness, sustainability legislation, energy, innovation, and global supply chains.
Opening the event, Mário Jorge Machado, President of EURATEX—which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year—delivered a strong message: “Europe does not have a textile problem. Europe has a competitiveness problem.”
His speech focused on three priorities: competitiveness as the foundation for investment, innovation, and sustainability; the need to ensure a level playing field, with the same product, in the same market, under the same rules; and a decarbonization process that does not lead to deindustrialization. He also highlighted the importance of accessible financing for SMEs, competitive energy prices, stronger border enforcement, and investment in automation, digitalization, and artificial intelligence.
The forum was divided into two complementary sessions: an initial reflection on the sector’s challenges and a second, solution-oriented segment led by representatives of the European Commission.
Throughout the afternoon, EURATEX shared highlights from the discussions on LinkedIn. Among the key contributions was that of Heinz Jansen, Head of the Task Force on the EU’s Future Competitiveness at the European Commission, who outlined the Commission’s perspective on competitiveness, emphasizing the urgency of the clean transition, reducing bureaucracy, and mobilizing investment, while calling for coordinated action with Member States.
Karel Lannoo stressed that strengthening Europe’s competitiveness requires scaling innovation, reducing uncertainty, and improving enforcement, while also advocating for coordinated policymaking.
The Brussels Textiles Forum also featured four distinct perspectives on the future of the textile and apparel industry through a panel discussion involving Arnaud Closson, Dario Nardella, Gerald Kreuzer, and Agustín Reyna. The discussion concluded that industrial strategy must be aligned with consumer expectations and social considerations.
Additional topics included the role of traceability and transparency tools, fair competition, the transition towards more circular and data-driven business models, and the need to balance sustainability with industrial resilience.
The solutions-focused segment was introduced by Aurel Ciobanu, Director for Circular Economy at the European Commission, who provided an in-depth analysis of how ecodesign requirements and the Digital Product Passport (DPP) can make circularity operational through data, traceability, and implementation across the value chain.
Fernando Perreau de Pinnick, Head of Unit for Risk Management and Security in the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union, addressed customs reform and its implementation.
On the energy front, Eric LeComte discussed energy costs and the decarbonization pathway, while Sofia Muñoz Albarran focused on trade opportunities, market diversification, and how companies can strengthen their positioning.
Finally, Luís Planas Herrera explored the future of textile waste management, with an emphasis on harmonization, and Felicia Stoica concluded the presentations with reflections on market surveillance and enforcement.
The event reinforced a common message across industry and institutional stakeholders: Europe’s textile and apparel sector has the capacity to innovate and lead, but maintaining its global position will depend on creating the right conditions for competitiveness, investment, sustainability, and fair competition.