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Environment

EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles

To create a greener, more competitive textiles sector

Objectives

The strategy aims to create a greener, more competitive sector that is more resistant to global shocks. The Commission's 2030 Vision for Textiles is that

  • all textile products placed on the EU market are durable, repairable and recyclable, to a great extent made of recycled fibres, free of hazardous substances, produced in respect of social rights and the environment
  • fast fashion is out of fashion” and consumers benefit longer from high quality affordable textiles
  • profitable re-use and repair services widely available
  • the textiles sector is competitive, resilient and innovative with producers taking responsibility for their products along the value chain with sufficient capacities for recycling and minimal incineration and landfilling

Actions

The Strategy lays out a forward-looking set of actions. The Commission will

  • set design requirements for textiles to make them last longer, easier to repair and recycle
  • introduce clearer information on textiles and a digital product passport
  • empower consumers and tackle greenwashing by ensuring the accuracy of companies’ green claims
  • stop overproduction and overconsumption, and discourage the destruction of unsold or returned textiles 
  • harmonise EU Extender Producer Responsibility rules for textiles and economic incentives to make products more sustainable
  • address the unintentional release of microplastics from synthetic textiles
  • address the challenges from the export of textile waste  adopt an EU Toolbox against counterfeiting by 2023
  • publish a transition pathway by the end of 2022 - an action plan for actors in the textiles ecosystem to successfully achieve the green and digital transitions and increase its resilience

Timeline

Key dates related to the strategy

  1. 26 January 2023
    European Commission launches ReSet The Trend campaign

    The campaign aims to engage Europeans in the battle against fast fashion and raise public awareness about the EU textiles strategy. Find out more about the campaign

  2. 30 March 2022
    European Commission adopted the EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles

    Find out more in the press release, questions and answers, and factsheet

    The Commission also presented an outline with possible scenarios for a textiles ecosystem transition pathway, inviting stakeholders to express their views on how best to realise the transition.

  3. 11 March 2020
    European Commission adopted new circular economy action plan

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