Last night, the European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement on the upcoming Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation launched by the European Commission on 30th March 2022. By establishing a framework for setting ecodesign requirements for the large majority of consumer products, this piece of legislation represents a cornerstone for the achievement of the EU Green Deal ambitions.
The European Footwear Confederation (CEC) welcomes the outcomes of the interinstitutional negotiations as an opportunity to boost the transition of footwear companies towards a more sustainable production, and wishes to underline the following:
Consumer products fit for purpose must not be destroyed
The horizontal provision requiring large companies to disclose every year’s data on discarded products is a measure with solid dissuasive potential to tackle the unjustified destruction of goods. More specifically, the ban on destruction of unsold textiles and footwear will also contribute to the objectives of the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, namely to decreasing the production of fast fashion models anchored in our consuming patterns, and to revaluing the choice of more durable and repairable materials. Nevertheless, as representative of a sector consisting predominantly of SMEs, the CEC cheers the exemption of micro and small companies from the ban, as well as the longer adaptation period for medium enterprises. Moreover, we believe that these provisions will eventually support the “rehabilitation” of leather, a sustainable and durable material, victim of market demonisation in the last years.
Ecodesign requirements aligned to product requirements
Rethinking ecodesign criteria is a future the footwear industry is working on, with some pioneers leading the first steps, as presented in the recent CEC World Footwear Congress. While recognising a certain need for prioritisation the textile ecosystem emerged in the interinstitutional deal, the CEC keeps reminding that footwear is a complex product composed by a multitude of materials and components, assembled with different techniques, subject to specific health, ergonomic and safety standards, and requiring specific recycling models. Therefore, we reiterate the call for adequate research, time and funding in order to ensure feasible ecodesign requirements for footwear to be implemented at large scale.
In conclusion, the CEC looks forward to a timely entry into force of the Regulation and, consequently, a fruitful cooperation with the European Commission on the elaboration of the specific guidelines for footwear ecodesign that should respect both peculiarities and requirements of a shoe.
Press release
CEC
Brussels 5 December 2023