EU news and archive

EU dismisses case against fashion companies accused of ‘cartel’ practices

Antitrust regulators for the European Union (EU) have reportedly scrapped an investigation into a group of fashion companies that it had raided over claims of “cartel practices”. According to a report by the European Commission seen by Reuters, the dismissal of the two-year investigation was down to “priority reasons”. The competition watchdog...

Business

European Parliament reaches due diligence law agreement

The European Parliament has reached an agreement on the 'Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive' coming more than two weeks after the agreement first failed when several member states rebelled. As such, the directive took on a watered down form due to pressure from Germany, Italy and France. EU member states have agreed that only...

Business

The European Parliament wants EU member states to implement EPR rules more quickly

The European Parliament has taken another step to tackle the problem of textile waste and food waste within the European Union. The vast majority of the group of people who make EU laws voted in favour of revising waste policy (known as the Waste Framework). This is an important step in the European Union's legislative process. More ambitious...

Fashion

EU Parliament and Council unite to ban products made by forced labour

In a landmark move, the European Union Council and the European Parliament have forged a provisional agreement aimed at prohibiting the importation of goods manufactured using forced labour into the expansive European single market. The agreement delineates clear roles for both the EU Commission and member states in the identification of...

Business

Zalando reprimanded by EU regulator: will misleading sustainability claims soon be a thing of the past?

Primark Netherlands was recently reprimanded for greenwashing. Prior to this, retail chains H&M and Decathlon were also reprimanded by the Dutch regulator ACM for unclear and vague green claims. The Advertising Code Committee ruled in 2023 that certain advertising statements from Primark Netherlands clothing were misleading after a complaint...

Business

Germany stalls EU supply chain law to protect human rights

A new European supply chain law that would hold companies accountable for any abuses against workers in the global supply chain, has been placed on hold as a German government coalition partner has not greenlit Germany’s support. The law would protect those most vulnerable from child and forced labour, unsafe and exploitative working conditions...

Business

EU supply chain law threatens to fail because of Germany

The newly planned EU supply chain law is in danger of failing because of Germany. The Federal Ministry of Justice and the Federal Ministry of Finance could not support the plans, according to government circles on Thursday. "In the Council of the European Union, this will result in Germany abstaining, which will have the effect of a 'no' vote,"...

Business

EU court rejects Brussels appeal over Amazon tax ruling

Brussels - A top EU court rejected Thursday Brussels' appeal against a ruling blocking its bid to force Luxembourg to recover 25 million euros (272 million dollars) in back taxes from Amazon. The ruling, the final word in the case, was a blow not just to the European Commission but to the EU's competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager. "The...

Business

European Parliament reviews eco-design framework, reaches agreement on destruction of unsold clothing ban

The European Parliament has reached a preliminary agreement to revise the EU eco-design framework for sustainable products. While rules had already been outlined for this, the parliament has now further shaped the rules as well as added new ones. For instance, MEPs agreed that eco-design requirements should also cover practices related to early...

Business

Euratex calls for European production to be restarted

'Re-launch European manufacturing and ensure it remains competitive in the decades to come,' echoes the call from Euratex and Spanish Intertextile Council (CIE). The two organisations are calling on the EU Presidency to bring manufacturing and production capacity back to Europe. Explanation 'EU Presidency' refers to the presidency of the Council...

BusinessFeatured

What to know about the EU’s upcoming Digital Product Passport

For many regions, it is now a race against the clock in an attempt to reverse environmental damages caused by various industries. Such efforts have become increasingly apparent within the European Union (EU), which has been drastically scraping together an array of legislations over the past year to tackle eco-issues in a bid to right the wrongs...

Business

European Commission to accelerate efforts to phase out animal testing

In a response to a proposal by the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), the European Commission has said that it will be accelerating its efforts to phase out animal testing in the region. The commission welcomed the organisation’s ‘Save Cruelty-free Cosmetics – Commit to a Europe without Animal Testing’ framework, through which the ECI offered...