The European textile and fashion sector has joined a coalition of industrial leaders to demand a robust emergency rescue package from the European Union, warning, the region's manufacturing core is reaching a breaking point. During the European Industry Summit held in Antwerp on February 11, 2026, Euratex - representing 200,000 companies and 1.3 million workers - officially aligned with the Antwerp Declaration Community. The group is pressuring EU Heads of State to implement immediate measures within the current calendar year to counteract a deepening competitiveness crisis fueled by prohibitive energy costs and a surge in unregulated imports.
Countering the influx of non-compliant goods through market surveillance
A primary grievance shared by industry stakeholders involves the unchecked entry of millions of low-quality, non-compliant products into the EU via global online platforms. These imports frequently bypass the rigorous environmental and safety standards imposed on domestic manufacturers, effectively subsidizing unfair competition. Mario Jorge Machado, President, Euratex argued, European producers are being undermined by a lack of enforcement, calling for aggressive market surveillance to sanitize the internal market. The industry is specifically advocating for a transition from high-level political announcements to tangible delivery, ensuring that any product sold within the EU, regardless of origin, adheres to the same sustainability and labor transparency benchmarks.
Reshaping public procurement to prioritize strategic autonomy
Beyond trade enforcement, the sector is pushing for a fundamental overhaul of how public institutions purchase textiles. The proposed strategy urges a shift in public procurement criteria to look beyond the lowest price, instead prioritizing regional origin, security of supply, and environmental footprints. This is particularly critical for ‘strategic textiles’ used in defense, medical, and automotive applications, where Europe seeks to maintain technological sovereignty. By utilizing procurement as a tool to stimulate demand for high-quality, EU-made fabrics, leaders believe they can stabilize the manufacturing base and protect the million-plus livelihoods currently threatened by market volatility.
Bridging carbon costs and global trade parity
The summit highlighted the urgent need to reconcile Europe’s ambitious climate goals with the commercial reality of global trade. Industry leaders, including representatives from major economies like Germany and France, discussed a coordinated package aimed at reducing carbon and energy costs to prevent further industrial flight. The textile ecosystem is currently caught between the high costs of decarbonization and a global market that does not always reward sustainable practices. The Antwerp Declaration Community maintains that without strong trade instruments to ensure a level playing field, the EU risks losing its capacity to produce the very technical and sustainable textiles required for its own green transition.
Euratex acts as the chief advocate for the European textile and apparel industry in Brussels, representing a diverse network ranging from luxury fashion houses to technical textile producers. The organization is currently spearheading the transition toward a circular textile economy, focusing on high-performance materials for the automotive, medical, and aerospace sectors. Historically, the industry has pivoted from mass-market apparel to high-value technical textiles, though it now faces unprecedented pressure from rising operational costs and global geopolitical shifts.
