The CIE welcomes the unanimous will of the European Parliament for a more sustainable textile

Barcelona, ​​April 29, 2017. The CIE welcomes the new working paper of the European Commission and the European Parliament’s efforts to implement sustainability throughout the value chain of the textile sector but warns of the impact it could have on Binding and compulsory legislation.

In this sense, the Spanish Intertextil Council claims the success of voluntary initiatives in the area of ​​sustainability by companies, institutions and organizations.

In the parliamentary vote on Thursday, the majority of House MPs unanimously called for a normative road map to achieve the common goal of sustainability throughout the textile supply chain.

The European Commission now draws up a new working document which will set out measures for companies in social, environmental and financial matters to avoid human rights violations by promoting new and more responsible business practices.

Faced with this global challenge, the CIE recognizes the need to address it jointly, following the guidelines set by the ILO (International Labor Organization) and by the last OECD handbook of diligence last February.

These initiatives by the European institutions are an opportunity for companies in the European textile sector, and in particular Spanish, which should allow them to compete on equal terms. The CIE hopes that the proposed solutions will be taken up by all the members of the global garment value chain.

In particular, and together with the European Confederation of Textiles and Apparel (EURATEX), the CIE calls for fair and effective solutions and the need to take advantage of this momentum so that society, institutions and industry work in:

Build on the achievements of successful voluntary initiatives,
Refrain from creating new mandatory standards,
Diversity along the value chain, especially the characteristics of European industry and SMEs and
Facilitate transparency and information for consumers, to ultimately help people to choose sustainable products.

About the Intertextil Spanish Council

Currently the Spanish Intertextile Council is made up of five members: the Federation of Textile Industry Lanera (FITEXLAN), the Textile Industrial Association of Cotton Process (AITPA), the Textile Sedera Federation (FTS) and the National Federation of Finishers, Stampers and Dyers Textiles (FNAETT) – grouped in the Confederation of the Textile Industry (Texfor) -; And the Association of Textile Entrepreneurs of the Valencian Community (Ateval). With an integrating will, the CIE keeps the doors open to the different business associations that make up the textile industry and the clothing sector. In this sense, it invites them to join the project of the most important business organization of fashion in Spain to continue contributing in the defense of the interests of the textile industry as a whole, as the CIE has done since its founding in 1979.

More information:

Anna Becerra. Abecerra@comunicas.es. 626 59 19 45

Adrià Palacín. Apalacin@comunicas.es. 663 45 45 08