#Associations

2024-07-12

Launch of the TCLF skillbridge project

EURATEX together with COTANCE and CEC hosted the TCLF SkillBridge Stakeholder Event, an important step towards forming regional skills partnerships by bringing together various stakeholders from industry, education, and public sectors.

Co-financed by the European Commission, TCLF SkillBridge aims to establish and nurture regional partnerships between TCLF industries, regional authorities, and local universities and VET providers. The project will target up to 25 European regions with a strong concentration of textile, clothing, leather or footwear industries. This regional focus will allow the development of specific action plans related to reskilling and upskilling, which meet the needs of each target region. The project will support the creation of such partnerships, facilitate community exchanges for knowledge sharing, and provide support to SMEs, enabling them to upskill and reskill their workforce in tune with the evolving demands of the industry.

The TCLF SkillBridge project complements 2 other initiatives – AEQUALIS4TCLF and METASKILLS4TCLF – which have already been launched under the Erasmus+ Programme. As a result, the industry has now a coherent set of instruments across the EU to address the skills challenges.

During the event today, stakeholders from the Emilia Romagna Region, ATEVAL, and Verband der Deutschen Lederindustrie e.V. gave insights in their experiences in skills collaborations in their regions. An interactive session then followed, where stakeholders discussed how to successfully establish such regional partnerships under the Pact for Skills.

Dirk Vantyghem, EURATEX Director General was excited to host the event as coordinator of the TCLF SkillBridge project: “This project confirms the importance of working at regional level, close to the SMEs and understanding the specificities of each region. We hope TCLF SkillBridge will act as a trigger to mobilise relevant stakeholders to co-invest in their TCLF industries.”

In this relation, Carmen Arias, Secretary General in the European Footwear Confederation (CEC), added: “By investing in education and training that align with the region's economic priorities, policymakers can ensure that workers have the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the evolving labour market. As CEC, we will continue helping these industries build a competitive advantage and position themselves in the global market.”

COTANCE Secretary General, Gustavo González-Quijano: "In the SkillBridge project, COTANCE is leading the charge by offering tailored mentorship to TCLF stakeholders aimed at guiding their regional skills partnerships towards developing educational strategies for higher levels of sustainability and competitiveness in their respective industries. Working closely with partners across Europe, we are united in our mission to drive the EU leather, textiles, clothing, and footwear sectors towards a greener, more resilient and innovative future”.

New European initiative to promote TCLF skills development at regional level © 2024 EURATEX

EURATEX calls for urgent action on industrial competitiveness

EURATEX, the European Apparel and Textile Confederation, welcomes today’s State of the Union Address by European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and in particular her recognition of Europe’s need to rebalance unfair trade, cut red tape, and strengthen its industrial and strategic autonomy.

European textile industry calls for €10 handling fee on ultra-fast-fashion imports

The introduction of the €3 customs duty on low-value imports marks an important milestone in Europe’s efforts to address the challenges created by the rapid growth of ultra-fast-fashion imports. Together with the abolition of the €150 customs duty exemption, it demonstrates that policymakers are willing to act when market distortions become impossible to ignore. However, the European textile and clothing industry considers this a first step rather than the final destination.

Towards pragmatic and harmonised labelling in the EU

EDANA, alongside 14 European associations, urges the European Commission and Member States to adopt a pragmatic approach for the future harmonised packaging labels, in line with the EU’s agenda for the EU Single Market, simplification and competitiveness. The system should rely on text-free pictograms, available in achromatic or monochromatic versions matching the packaging palette, with the possibility of using digital labelling as a core element. Our associations represent manufacturers of consumer goods across Europe.

Textile PRO Forum calls for greater harmonisation of textile EPR systems across Europe

The Textile PRO Forum has published a new analysis highlighting the need for greater harmonisation of textile Extended Producer Responsibility systems across Europe. The document, Toward harmonised Textile EPR Systems in Europe: analysis and recommendations, presents the results of work carried out by Workstream 1 of the Textile PRO Forum, led by Dr. Eng. Viola Corbellini, Strategic Development and Innovation Expert at Erion Textiles, and Eng. Luca Campadello, General Director at Erion Textiles. The workstream focused on reducing administrative burden for textile producers by identifying areas where procedures could be better aligned across countries.

ITMF names three winners of the Sustainability & Innovation Award 2026

Three projects from the UK, Korea and China have been selected as winners of the ITMF Sustainability & Innovation Award 2026. The projects address textile-to-textile recycling, chemical recycling for automotive textiles and a regenerative approach combining silk production with ecological restoration.

Italian textile machinery at TITAS 2026: strategic partnership and tailor-made solutions for the Taiwanese market

The excellence and innovative capabilities of Italian textile machinery technology are coming to Taipei for TITAS 2026 (Taiwan International Textile & Garment Machinery Show), the leading event for the island’s textile industry and the wider Asian region, scheduled to take place from 6 to 8 October 2026.

KARL MAYER invites the Global Textile Industry to celebrate its 90th anniversary at its German Headquarters in 2027

KARL MAYER is turning its anniversary year 2027 into a milestone for the textile sector. To mark its 90th anniversary, the industry leader is inviting customers, partners, and experts from around the world to a unique event series in September aimed at pushing boundaries, unlocking new opportunities, and jointly setting the course for a new era in textiles – just as KARL MAYER has done throughout its history. The company’s headquarters in Obertshausen, near Frankfurt, is the place to be.

Durak Maxibalance thread supports users’ movement and balance comfort

Durak Tekstil, a leading brand in its industry, has developed Durak Maxibalance, a new product engineered with bio-ceramic and FAR IR technology. Ushering in a new era for sportswear, activewear, and medical textiles, this technology offers features designed to support balance and movement comfort by reflecting the energy absorbed from the body back into it.