They make coarse dyes for textiles. The complex economic situation and the European Union’s (EU) new regulations on sustainability and circular economy have increased concerns in the sector.On the one hand, he complains about the decline in consumption in Europe, and on the other hand, about the tight deadlines to comply with the demands of society. The strategic plan presented by the Association of Textile Entrepreneurs of the Valencian Community (Ateval) also fully factors in the adjustments that need to be made when exploring new business opportunities.
The Spanish Intertextile Council, chaired by Pepe Serna, who is also the president of Ateval, organized the executive committee, which is a forum where the situation of the industry is analyzed. The economic situation in Europe is particularly worrying. A significant stagnation in consumption, which is already reflected in exports, We must also add to this the increase in financial costs faced by companies. Also on the table is what the EU defines as “over-regulation” of the sector in the field of sustainability and circular economy, with compliance deadlines changing between 2025 and 2030.
Pepe Serna did not hide the anxiety that these problems created in companies, both regarding the operation of the relevant businesses and the deadlines that turned out to be too short to adapt to the demands of a complete transformation of the industry. However, he wanted to give a message of peace. «the sector is functioning and adapting without any exceptional circumstances, at least for now».
During the steering committee, all national and European aid, programs and projects coordinated by the Texfor and Ateval employers’ associations were reported, which companies could benefit from to implement these arrangements.
In line with social demands, Ateval presented a strategic plan that fully captures the challenges companies face. These are free studies supported by the Generalitat General Directorate of Industry and open to all companies.
Different initiatives include the Eco-Hometex project. A market research on the application of ecological design techniques in home textilesIn addition to reviewing the current legislation on this subject, it will analyze experiences at the product development level in foreign markets. A course on the fundamentals and trends of sustainability will also be developed, aiming to learn trends in product development, regulations, legislation, decarbonization and customer needs.
Another initiative is the Persistent project on persistent pollutants in the textile industry. The aim is to identify and describe the chemical products that regulations will limit in the coming years..
All this together with the identification of opportunities in digital commerce as well as innovation management programs in textile companies.