Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have voted overwhelmingly to end fast fashion and help consumers make more ethically responsible and sustainable choices.
- On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted recommendations for the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, with 600 votes in favour, 17 against and 16 abstentions.
- The text calls for textile products sold in the EU to be more durable, easier to reuse, repair and recycle. Their production should respect human, social and labour rights, the environment and animal welfare throughout the supply chain.
- The MEPs have also called for both EU and national measures to put an end to fast fashion.
Specific measures in future EU legislation: The MEPs said consumers should have more information to make sustainable choices, and called for a ban on the destruction of unsold and returned textile goods in the upcoming revision of the ecodesign regulation.
- The MEPs have demanded clear rules to stop greenwashing by producers, through—for example—the ongoing legislative work related to empowering consumers in the green transition and regulating green claims.
- They also want the upcoming revision of the Waste Framework Directive to include specific separate targets for textile waste prevention, collection, reuse and recycling.
- The MEPs have urged the European Commission to launch the initiative to prevent and minimise the release of microplastics and microfibres into the environment, without further delay.
Background: The Commission presented the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles on 30 March 2022 to address the entire lifecycle of textile products and propose actions to change how we produce and consume textiles.
- It aims to implement the commitments of the European Green Deal, the new circular economy action plan and the industrial strategy for the textiles’ sector.
- In adopting this report, the European Parliament is responding to citizens' expectations to build a circular economy by promoting sustainable EU products and production, and to support the shift to a sustainable and resilient growth model, as expressed in Proposals 5(3), 5(9), 5(10), 5(11), 11(1) and 11(8) of the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
