Activities of Manuela RIPA related to 2022/2171(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on an EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles
Amendments (9)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Notes with concerns that global textiles production almost doubled in 15 years, due to the development of fast fashion in clothing industry which represents 81% of EU textile consumption; urges the Commission and stakeholders involved in the Transition Pathway to urgently reverse the steam and put an end to this trend, including via binding EU targets for 2030 to introduce recycled content requirements, significantly reduce the EU material and consumption footprints of textiles ecosystem and bring them within planetary boundaries by 2050 at the latest;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that more than 99 % of the EU textiles ecosystem consists of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); underlines that EU textiles companies face intense competition from Asia, mainly China1 , where environmental regulations are less strict or non-existent; _________________ 1 European Commission, Directorate- General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, ‘Data on the EU Textile Ecosystem and its Competitiveness: final report’.deplores that women hold less than 25% of leadership positions in top fashion companies, and only 14% of major brands are run by female executives, while representing more than 70% of all employees in textiles industry;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that ever-increasing regulation, which directly and indirectly affects the EU textiles industry, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, is seriously threatening the competitiveness of EU businesses;Emphasises that an ambitious EU legislative framework is decisive to foster innovation in the single market and in turn, to boost competitiveness of a European industry aligned with the Paris Agreement; stresses that ever-increasing regulation, which directly and indirectly affects the EU textiles industry, contributes to the competitiveness of EU businesses; recalls that the EU textiles ecosystem is in front-runner position in terms of uptake of sustainability practices, and calls on the Commission and the Member States to only implement additional regulations if they facilitateto foster circular and sustainable business models, as many obligations drastically increase costs, especially for SMEsbearing in mind that many EU businesses, especially SMEs are already based on circular business models such as focusing on return, repair or reuse;
Amendment 56 #
3. Acknowledges the challengesimperative to achievinge a fully circular business model for textile compani, toxic-free and climate positive European textiles industry by 2050 at the latest, in particular owing to current technological and physical constraints on production and recycling, such as the use of chemicals, the lack of circular design, digitalisation gaps and the workforce’s up- and reskilling needs, and calls on the Commission to support circular business models as a lever to ensure a Just Transition by preventing the generation of textile waste while creating job and training opportunities;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Estimates that upcoming challenges faced by the EU textiles industry also require that the Commission launch a dedicated EU industrial alliance and consider the use of an Important Project of Common European Interest to enable the deep transformation of this industry;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Welcomes the Digital Product Passport (DPP) as a decisive tool for circularity and social justice; the DPP should empower consumers in their sustainable and circular choices, enable traceability of chemicals and ensure toxic free fibres, and allow to further reward more ethical, just and sustainable industrial practices; considers that, as a complement to the DPP, products must behold the essential information in analog format for consumers to make a well- informed choice when purchasing goods;
Amendment 103 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that research and innovation is key to maintaining the EU textiles industry’s leading position in innovation2 , especially in sustainable fibres such as bio-based fibres, in inventing and scaling up circular production and recyclistrengthen the competitiveness of EU textiles industry including in the re-use and recycling sector; recalls that several EU funding opportunities exist, such as via Cluster 2 of Horizon Europe or the European Innovation Council; calls for the creation of a long -technologies, and in harnessing the opportunirm EU research and innovation agenda, inspired by the transition pathway for the textiles offered by digitalisation, e.g. with the Digital Product Passport or smart textiles; _________________ 2 Ibid.ecosystem, towards a complete phasing out of non-recyclable and non- biodegradable synthetic fibres, and a fully circular, toxic-free and climate positive European textiles industry latest by 2050;
Amendment 120 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. RecCalls that several EU funding opportunities exist, such as via Cluster 2 of Horizon Europe or the European Innovation Council; calls for the creation of an EU research and innovation agenda aligned with the transition pathway for the textiles ecosystem; underlines the leading role on the Commission to prioritise funding for next generation materials, especially sustainable fibres such as bio-based fibres, plant-based leather, and biodegradable textiles to enable the transition towards a sustainable and regenerative textiles industry, in line withe European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) on Culture & Creativity3 and Manufacturing4 should play in this process. _________________ 3 https://eit.europa.eu/eit-community/eit- culture-creativity. 4 https://www.eitmanufacturing.eu/U climate targets for 2030 and 2050, and to support inventing and scaling up circular production and recycling technologies to maximise textile products’ reusability.
Amendment 122 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Underlines the high potential of entrepreneurship of the EU textiles ecosystem, populated by numerous designers, retailers and SMEs offering circular products, and suffering from the unsustainable competition from large companies marketing fast fashion products; considers that the innovative and entrepreneurial potential of textiles ecosystem is not yet fairly recognised within the innovation community and calls on the Commission to set up a future EIC Accelerator challenge on breakthrough innovations in green and innovative textiles; considers that EU R&I funding must also contribute to deeply understand the fast fashion phenomenon and the levers to address it from an SSH angle.