Brussels, 13th February 2024
The Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) welcomes today’s adoption by the European Parliament of its position on the Waste Framework Directive revision, which should pave the way for the establishment of a single European-wide register for textile and footwear producers to manage their waste. However, we have some major concerns regarding the extremely short timelines suggested by MEPs to establish Extended Producer Responsibility schemes, set at 18 months, which is deemed insufficient for our industry to adapt without incurring excessive costs and red tape.
“Improving textile waste management is crucial to ensure the implementation of a well-functioning circular economy. We welcome the European Parliament’s work on establishing an EU-wide register for textile producers, which will help enhance transparency and alleviate undue administrative burdens for businesses. However, for harmonisation to be effective, it must remain realistic and give economic operators sufficient time to comply with the new regulatory requirements.” stated Jérôme Pero, FESI Secretary General.
FESI highly welcomes the European Parliament’s support for the creation of a unique European register for producers of textile products and shoes, which will replace the obligation of following registration requirements in separate national Member State databases. The establishment of this single EU-wide register will serve to increase transparency and reduce administrative burdens for economic operators and Member State authorities.
FESI also welcomes the principles of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for the textile industry laid out in the current revision. Nevertheless, the industry raises significant concerns regarding the modifications introduced by the European Parliament on the implementation timelines of EPR schemes, shortened to 18 months. This reduced timeframe is seen to be overly ambitious and would pose significant infrastructure costs and administrative burdens. FESI advocates for a realistic timeline and therefore urges the Council to align with the Commission’s initial proposal of 30 months.
Moreover, in the interest of legislative coherence across the EU regulatory landscape, FESI believes that the eco-modulation of fees should be based solely on the parameters outlined in the Regulation on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products (ESPR). Indeed, the reference to microplastic release does not seem justified in the final phase of the product lifecycle particularly in the light of challenges in lack of data and test methods, acknowledged by the European Commission at the time of publication of the strategy on the unintentional release of microplastics caused by plastic pellets.
Ultimately, in order to consistently move towards a more harmonised approach within the EU Single Market, we recommend emphasising the harmonisation of reporting obligations for companies, including timing, frequency, and operationalisation. This will not only reduce costs associated with the process but also streamline it, while encouraging business participation.
FESI now looks forward to seeing the Council’s position on this revision and hopes that the above-mentioned concerns will be taken into account by co-legislators in light of the upcoming trilogues. These adjustments are crucial to establish a balanced framework that can effectively promote circular practices across European industries.
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About FESI: Founded in 1960 FESI, the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry, is the unique pre-competitive platform representing the interests of the sporting goods industry in Europe, advancing its members’ priorities and promoting initiatives that benefit the sector, EU citizens and the society as a whole. FESI represents the interests of approximately 1.800 sporting goods manufacturers (85% of the European market) through its National Sporting Goods Industry Federations and its directly affiliated member companies. 70-75% of FESI’s membership is made up of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. In total, the European Sporting Goods Industry employs over 700.000 EU citizens and has an annual turnover of some 81 billion euro.
Media contact: Ariane Gatti – FESI Communication & Policy Manager / [email protected] / +32 (0) 2 762 86 48
