#Associations

2022-09-23

Social Partners from the European textiles industry call for stronger action to manage the energy crisis: companies and jobs are at stake

On 14 September 2022, EC President von der Leyen announced initiatives aimed at tackling the dramatic energy crisis which Europe is facing. The Social Partners from the European textile industry welcome some proposals, such as decoupling the TTF gas price from the electricity market and the proposed amendment to the state-aid framework. However, we believe that the Commission proposal is not ambitious enough and will come at the cost of losing European industrial capacity and jobs.

Already today, several textile companies have decided to stop or relocate their production outside the EU, and chances are that they will never come back. This goes against the EU’s ambition to build a resilient textile industry, reduce our external dependency and offer quality jobs.

Dirk Vantyghem, EURATEX Director General commented: “Our companies are preparing for a green and digital transition, which requires significant efforts and investments. The current energy crisis jeopardises that entire process. We risk losing a unique opportunity to move our sector towards a sustainable and competitive future.”

Luc Triangle, General Secretary of IndustriAll Europe commented: “Workers across Europe are facing a social, industrial and climate emergency: a perfect storm threatening our industrial fabric today. The scale and urgency of the current crisis do not seem to have been grasped yet by those leading the European Commission. We cannot wait any longer for a unified European industrial response. We must support our industries and workers in Europe’s textiles industry to weather this storm, to maintain the compass on a just, green and digital transition and avoid long term economic damage through lost industrial capacity.”

The Social Partners demand measures that allow companies to safeguard their global competitiveness and European jobs, avoiding competition between member states: a single EU level approach is required.

Europe is losing its textile industry

EURATEX has released its latest Economic Update on the performance of the European textile and apparel industry in 2025. For the third consecutive year, the sector recorded negative results across all key indicators — production, turnover and employment — confirming a continued erosion of competitiveness across Europe.

FITA, ABIT and EURATEX underline strategic importance of Mercosur – EU Partnership Agreement for the textile and apparel industry

The Argentine Textile Industry Federation (FITA), the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (ABIT), and the European Apparel and Textile Confederation (EURATEX) continue to monitor the process of internalizing the Mercosur-European Union Partnership Agreement. This agreement is essential for the competitiveness of our industries, on both sides of the Atlantic.

Young talents honoured – 60 years Walter Reiners Foundation

At the Techtextil trade fair in Frankfurt at the end of April, Peter D. Dornier, chairman of the VDMA’s Walter Reiners Foundation, presented awards to five successful young engineers. Promotion and sustainability awards were presented in the categories of bachelor’s/project theses and diploma/master’s theses. Academic theses are eligible for the sustainability awards if, for example, they develop solutions for resource-efficient products and technologies.

BTMA backs global growth while investing in future UK leaders

As one of a number of new initiatives launched this year, the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) is launching the UK-India Textile Machinery Coalition. The UK-India Free Trade Agreement, signed in July 2025, has implications that extend across sourcing, competitiveness and long-term trade dynamics, believes BTMA CEO Jason Kent.

China projected to increase cotton production, yields, and imports in 2026/27

World cotton production in the 2026/27 season is projected at 25.9 million tonnes, exceeding global consumption of 25.2 million tonnes, according to the May 2026 issue of Cotton This Month. That means both production and consumption are expected to remain close to current season levels, while global cotton trade is projected to decline by 2.7% to approximately 9.6-9.7 million tonnes.

Itema to showcase weaving excellence at ITM 2026

From June 9 to 13, Itema will exhibit at ITM 2026 in Istanbul (Hall 8 – Stand 806D), unveiling a distinctive exhibition concept designed to highlight the Company’s expertise across the entire weaving value chain. For this year’s edition, Itema will introduce an innovative stand experience built around two core areas: advanced weaving and spare parts solutions and an immersive textile gallery featuring fabrics produced by Itema Customers worldwide.

Last chance to apply: ITMA 2027 Start-Up Valley closes tomorrow

Applications for the Start-Up Valley at ITMA 2027 close tomorrow, offering young technology companies the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of several successful participants from the 2023 edition. The initiative, organised under the CEMATEX Start-Up Grant programme, has already helped a number of textile start-ups accelerate their transition from early-stage concepts to industrial partnerships, funding rounds and commercial deployment.