CONFERENCE PROGRAM
EURATEX brings you a full day of debates on the new paradigm for the European textile and clothing companies.
The conference on Tuesday 9 November will take place in the Antwerp Hilton Hotel, in the heart of the city.
The programme will include both plenary sessions with keynote speakers, and parallel breakout sessions with technical experts from the industry and EU institutions. A networking cocktail will offer an opportunity for further exchange, at the end of the day.
Time | Session | Overview | Speaker |
09:00 - 09:05 | Welcome | Welcome to all participants. | Alberto Paccanelli (EURATEX President) |
09:05 - 09:10 | Keynote Video Message | Setting the scene. | Thierry Breton (European Commissioner for Internal Market) |
09:00 - 10:00 | Opening Session | What are the future challenges for textile and apparel companies? Follow the panel debate with visionary CEOs. | Claudio Marenzi (CEO of Herno) Verena Thies (CEO of Theis) Robert Van De Kerkhof (CCO of Lenzing)
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10:00 - 10:30 | Coffee Break | ||
Morning Workshops | |||
10:30 - 11:30 | Traceability | Traceability becomes an essential condition in the textiles and apparel industry, with applications into the EU’s due diligence proposals and the digital product passport. How to prepare for that development and which technical options exist already today? | Maria Teresa Pisani (Economic Affairs Officer, UNECE) |
10:30 - 11:30 | Textile waste recycling | As of 2025, the collection of textiles will be mandatory across Europe. What will happen with collected textiles and how is the industry preparing itself to turn this valuable resource into a new business model? | Matteo Magnani (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Project Manager) |
10:30 - 11:30 | Going global | Can European companies conquer new markets, open facilities in other countries and at the same time keep their European ones? How does it fit into the European Trade policy? | Otakar Petracek (Mileta, Chairman) Dirk Vantyghem (EURATEX, Director General) |
11:45 - 12:45 | EU-Turkey Relations | Apparel and textile industry of Turkey is an integrated industry with the EU in many terms. The current political, legal and business environment, from EU-Turkey Customs Union modernization to the implications of EU Green Deal, is highly affecting the industry relations between the EU and Turkey and creates challenges. Within this environment, which strategies should be adopted to build further connection between the apparel and textile industries of the EU and Turkey is an important point of discussion. | Bülent Özipek (Board Member, ITKIB) |
11:45 - 12:45 | The skills challenge | Attracting young skilled workers is becoming the most important challenge for to the industry. Moreover, the new workforce needs to have digital and green skills. How can education and companies work together? How can the EU help solving the issue? | Roger Gerards (Director, Master Tailor Institute Amsterdam) |
11:45 - 12:45 | Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) | Measuring the environmental impact of products remains a major challenge. The Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method aims to help consumers recognising sustainable products and to support companies against greenwashing. How does PEF work in practice and what it can/cannot deliver? | Andrea Crespi (Eurojersey, CEO) |
13:00 - 14:00 | Lunch | ||
Afternoon Workshops | |||
14:30 - 15:30 | EU funding and programme opportunities | The new EU Budget offers a wealth of programmes where T&C can benefit from (innovation, digitalisation, etc.). Which are the most relevant programmes and how to successfully participate? | Lutz Walter (ETP, Secretary General) Jan Laperre (Centexbel, General Manager) |
14:30 - 15:30 | The new EU chemical strategy | The strategy foresees an action plan to phase the most hazardous substances out of the market, including PFAS – the use of which will be allowed only if essential. Amongst the challenges: better enforcement, setting criteria for safe-and-sustainable by design chemicals, revision of REACH, strengthening the investment capacity of the industry, etc. | Sylvie Lemoine (CEFIC, Executive Director Product Stewardship) Leigh Stringer (Chemical Watch, Managing Editor Europe) |
14:30 - 15:30 | Energy efficiency and decarbonisation | The European Commission launched its "Green Deal Package (former "Fit for 55" package), which aims to align EU rules with the newly agreed 55% emissions reduction target for 2030. The package will look at revising the ETS system, preparing for the introduction of a Carbon Border Adjustment system (CBAM), revising the Effort Sharing Directive and more. What will be the impact on T&C companies? How should we be prepared? | Michael Engelhardt (Senior Expert Energy and Climate Policy, T+M) Cecilia Tall (Secretary General, TEKO) |
15:30 - 16:00 | Coffee break | ||
16:00 - 17:00 | Closing Session | Can the industry come up with a new business model able to tackle all these changes? Speakers from the 9 workshops will present the debate in their own workshop, the challenges and solutions. | |
17:00 - 18:00 | Networking Cocktail | Finally, a moment to relax and enjoy the company of all participants! |
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