The meeting took place at a critical moment for Europe’s industrial base.
As highlighted by industriAll Europe, only one out of 18 key EU industrial sectors remains competitive — signalling an urgent need for investment, strategic coordination and a rebalancing of EU industrial policy. The leather sector, a core pillar of the EU Textiles Ecosystem, is no exception.
“We must address the structural challenges that threaten our competitiveness. The European leather industry remains a sizeable, strategic sector — 1,500 companies, 30,000 direct jobs, and a unique role in the circular bioeconomy. But we must be recognised, consulted, and supported accordingly,” - said COTANCE Secretary General, Gustavo González-Quijano.
Key Policy Discussions with the European Commission
The meeting featured exchanges with DG GROW & DG EMPL on EU legislation, including:
Textile Labelling Regulation (proposal expected Q2/Q3 2026), including EU-wide leather and fur authenticity rules;
Ecodesign & Digital Product Passport for textile apparel — with indirect but significant implications for leather durability, recyclability and transparency;
EU Bioeconomy Strategy & Circular Economy Act and the treatment of by-products, LCAs, public procurement and waste management;
EUDR implementation, simplification measures, and the need to remove hides, skins and leather from the scope given that there is no scientific evidence linking leather to deforestation.
The Social Partners jointly underlined the need for traceability systems that are achievable, fair, and aligned across the value chain, as well as for EU policies to better reflect the realities, strengths, and contributions of natural materials that already support Europe’s green transition.
2026–2030 Social Dialogue Work Programme: A Strong Roadmap
The newly adopted roadmap builds on three pillars — People, Planet and Prosperity — and sets out a shared commitment to:
- strengthen the sector's skills, working conditions, and social sustainability;
- advance leather’s environmental performance, traceability, and science-based policymaking that reflects its intrinsic values and exceptional performance;
- reinforce industrial resilience, innovation, and global competitiveness.
The Social Partners stressed the need for stronger scientific evidence and social policy, enhanced cross-sector cooperation, and full involvement of the leather industry in EU policy processes — particularly in areas where leather’s unique characteristics require tailored approaches.
Judith Kirton-Darling, industriAll Europe’s general secretary says: “At a time when Europe is losing industrial ground, protecting good jobs must be a political priority. The leather sector sustains thousands of skilled workers and is rooted in circularity. This work programme shows that the social partners are ready to drive a just transition, but we need coherent EU action, a level playing field, and investments in skills and quality jobs to make it happen. Through strong social dialogue and our long-standing cooperation with COTANCE, we will continue defending these jobs and shaping an industrial future where workers are respected, protected, and central to Europe’s competitiveness.”
“EU policies cannot succeed if they overlook industries. Leather must be visible, consulted, and integrated into the EU’s strategic vision. We are committed to doing our part — but we need a level playing field, coherent policies, and decisions grounded in science, not assumptions,” - stated Gustavo González-Quijano.
Despite turbulent times, COTANCE reaffirmed its strong commitment to the Social Dialogue, to ensuring a just, green and digital transition, and to working closely with industriAll Europe and the European Commission throughout 2026 and beyond.