European Associations Welcome Commission’s Opinion on French Draft Textile Law: Call for EU Leadership in Proportionate, Impact-Driven Sustainability Policy

Joint Press Statement

Brussels, 15 October–The undersigned organisations welcome the European Commission’s opinion on France’s draft legislation aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the textile sector (Notification 2025/0336/FR). This marks a vital step towards preserving a predictable, balanced, and evidence-based regulatory framework across Europe. We hope this inspires closer cooperation and harmonisation between EU institutions and national governments to meet EU sustainability ambition.

We would like to repeat our support to the objectives of the EU Strategy for Sustainable textile as the enabler to advance sustainability in the sector. We also call for ensuring a level playing field with all players placing products in the EU regardless of their business model, size, or origin.

The Commission’s detailed opinion rightly identifies that several provisions of the draft law risk creating disproportionate barriers to the free movement of goods, fragmenting the Single Market, and introducing legal uncertainty. This notification follows a concerning pattern of national initiatives being introduced ahead of harmonised EU legislation, which risks undermining the integrity of the Single Market. Notably, the Commission acknowledges that the French proposal exceeds and contradicts ongoing EU efforts under the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).

We believe that EU competitiveness must be underpinned by a regulatory environment that fosters innovation and growth within a unified Single Market, while upholding high environmental standards. It is essential that eco-design criteria under ESPR and WFD are proportionate, harmonised at EU level, science-based, and impact-driven—supporting sustainability without compromising economic resilience.

As the EU advances its sustainability agenda, we call for stronger coordination between Member States and EU institutions, and for the consistent application of Better Regulation principles. This includes robust impact assessments, legal proportionality, and alignment with the Single Market Strategy and Communication on e-commerce to ensure that new measures are both effective and enforceable.