The European Fashion Alliance (EFA) held its first political round-table conference last week. The European Parliament in Brussels held a conference on the fashion industry. As part of this, a Europe-wide study was announced, the results of which will be a report on the state of European fashion. The final report and the European fashion industry's position on sustainability and the political framework will be presented at the next conference in Brussels at the end of 2023.

The event was opened by Thierry Breton , EU Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services, and Dr. Christian Ehler , Member of the European Parliament. "We are here to support you at this turning point for your sector. The fashion industry has a strong influence on European supply chains. We are committed to ensuring that all textiles entering the European market are durable, recyclable, and ethically produced, and we have several EU initiatives in the pipeline. First, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation to promote sustainability and a circular economy. Second, the Digital Product Passport labeling system. Third, the revision of the Waste Framework Directive, which aims to reduce textile waste. These goals and initiatives will only bear fruit if we can translate them into binding and achievable measures with the entire ecosystem," said EU Commissioner Thierry Breton regarding the upcoming EU regulations. He particularly emphasized the importance of creativity and innovation, as well as the traditional craftsmanship of the European fashion industry. The central theme was the European Fashion Alliance's positioning regarding the upcoming European legislation on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the associated obligation to create a Digital Product Passport (DPP).

The European Fashion Alliance supports providing consumers with relevant, accurate, and reliable information, as well as the digitization of this information, as envisaged by the Digital Product Passport . However, they caution against implementing measures that would impose a disproportionate administrative and technological burden, particularly on SMEs, and that would disregard the challenges associated with the long and multidimensional supply chain of textiles.

At the roundtable conference, the EFA also announced its first European study, "Status of European Fashion ." This study will serve as the basis for an industry report to be presented at the next EFA conference in autumn 2023, to which decision-makers from the European fashion industry and EU politicians will be invited. "With our Europe-wide study, which is now available at europeanfashionalliance.org , we will capture the current state of knowledge regarding upcoming European legislative proposals and directives, as well as the sustainability status of brands. Not only figures and facts, but also the experiences of the fashion industry are of great importance to us, as this enables the EFA to propose concrete and measurable calls to action," says Scott Lipinski , Chairman of the European Fashion Alliance and Managing Director of the Fashion Council Germany.

Further information on the first EFA round-table conference in Brussels can be found at the following link: https://www.europeanfashionalliance.org/

Direct link to the survey "Status of European Fashion": https://www.surveymonkey.de/r/5YN339H