Commission President State of the Union - From promise to practice: how will the European Commission deliver on its ambitious promises ?

EURATEX welcomes an ambitious Commission, in particular when it calls to strengthen the Internal Market, to invest in digitalisation, to ensure free but fair trade, to enhance our industrial strategy and build up resilience, to insist on the level playing field in relations with UK, China or the US.

Such ambitions will help to sustain a competitive European textiles and clothing industry, including 160,000 companies and offering 1,5 mln quality jobs. But the question remains how such intentions will be implemented effectively.

Director General Dirk Vantyghem commented: “In today’s health and economic crisis, we need a strong European Union, which supports our SMEs to survive, to innovate, to become more sustainable, to grow international. That requires effective measures implemented today, not tomorrow. We have put our ideas on the table, and look forward to discuss how to make them happen.”

EURATEX presented its “Recovery Strategy” in June; it includes both short term and long term measures, and concrete “flagship proposals” (e.g. building recycling hubs for waste textiles). Effective implementation will depend on a close dialogue between the EU, its member states and the private sector, and quick decision making.