Revision of the textile labelling regulation

In “A new plan for Europe's sustainable prosperity and competitiveness”

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In March 2022 the European Commission presented an EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles. The strategy is part of the 2020 circular economy action plan and includes in particular actions under the new regulation on ecodesign requirements for sustainable products and the new directive empowering consumers for the green transition directive (see separate files).

The new circular economy action plan identified textiles as a key product value chain that requires urgent EU action due to its high use of resources and high impact on the environment. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), textile consumption in Europe has the fourth highest impact on the environment, after food, housing and transport.

The strategy presents the Commission’s vision for the textile industry and lists a number of key actions the Commission intends to take on. By 2030, textiles on the EU market should be durable and recyclable, largely made of recycled fibres, free of hazardous substances and produced in an environmentally friendly way while respecting social rights. Fast fashion should be ‘out of fashion’ and re-use and repair services would be widely available. Textiles should be collected at the end of their lifetime and their incineration and landfilling reduced to a minimum thanks to innovative fibre-to-fibre recycling.

The Commission will revise the textile labelling Regulation (planned for the 4th quarter 2024) to introduce specifications for physical and digital labelling of textiles, including sustainability and circularity parameters based on requirements under the proposed Regulation on eco-design for sustainable products.

The Commission has carried out a stakeholder public consultation from 19 December 2023 to 15 April 2024, with a view to collecting evidence in relation to the functioning of the current Regulation regarding pre-identified problems and to seek opinions on envisaged solutions.

References:

Other relevant files in the European Parliament legislative train page

Further reading:

Author: Stefano Spinaci, Members' Research Service, legislative-train@europarl.europa.eu

Visit the European Parliament homepage on circular economy and climate change.

As of 24/01/2025.