Just Fashion

Workshop: Regulations and standards impacting the circularity of the fashion, clothing, and textiles sectors

26^th November 2025 
09:00 AM – 12:00 PM (GMT)
10.00 AM – 13.00 PM (CET)
Via Teams

Organised by The Centre for Sustainable Design® at UCA in collaboration with ECOSYSTEX TG4 Renewable materials and standards.

Background

The fashion, clothing, and textiles sectors are at a pivotal moment, with increasing focus on sustainability and circularity. Since its founding in 2023, ECOSYSTEX, Europe’s Community of Practice for a Sustainable Textile Ecosystem, has brought together more than 70 EU-funded projects dedicated to advancing circularity across the fashion, clothing, and textile industries. This workshop aims to bring together project leaders to explore regulations and standards affecting the circularity of the fashion, clothing, and textiles sectors, with a focus on sharing knowledge, experiences, and practical solutions.

This workshop is organised by The Centre for Sustainable Design® at UCA in collaboration with ECOSYSTEX as part of the EU Just Fashion project. Just Fashion is funded by the European Union in the framework of the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement No. 101178623. Just Fashion aims at accelerating climate transition in the fashion industry, by providing businesses in the partner countries with a reference framework and tools to shift their production methods, internal procedures and final products towards more sustainable models that are low carbon, circular and socially inclusive.

The objective of the webinar is to share information, knowledge, and experiences regarding the evolving landscape of European Commission (EC) and Member State regulations and standards impacting the circularity of the fashion, clothing, and textiles sectors. The event will explore both sector-specific initiatives and broader horizontal policies, with a particular focus on understanding compliance challenges and the impact of these initiatives on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), supply chains, and suppliers in key manufacturing countries. Through collaborative discussion, we aim to foster a shared understanding of current and emerging policies, exchange practical insights, and identify key knowledge gaps for future collaboration and learning.

Benefits of attending for other projects

• Gain insights into current and emerging EU policies and standards impacting the fashion, clothing and textile sectors.
• Share project’s experiences and learn from other EU-funded initiatives.
• Explore practical solutions to compliance challenges for SMEs, supply chains, and large businesses.
• Network and identify opportunities for future collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Agenda

10:00 – 10:15 Welcome & Introduction: Aims of the Just Fashion Project and ECOSYSTEX and the day’s objectives.

• Introductions
  • Just Fashion Project
    
    Professor Annick Schramme, University of Antwerp
    
• ECOSYSTEX
  Objectives: to share information, knowledge, and experience related to EU and Member State regulations concerning circularity policy, regulations, and standards in the fashion, clothing, and textiles sectors

Chaired by Professor Martin Charter, The Centre for Sustainable Design® at UCA

10:15 – 11:00 Overview of EU policies and standards in the Circular Economy impacting the Clothing, Fashion and Textiles sectors
Professor Martin Charter & Dr Virginie Litaudon, The Centre for Sustainable Design® at UCA and Karin Eufinger, Centexbel

11:00 – 11:45 Round table: EU-funded ECOSYSTEX member projects present and discuss current issues and experience in regard to EU policies and standards. Participants will highlight:

• EU-funded project overviews.
• Policy and standards interests, experiences, and issues.
• Compliance issues for:
  • Large businesses
  • SMEs
    Moderated by Professor Martin Charter, The Centre for Sustainable Design® at UCA

11:45 – 12:00 – Break

12:00 – 12:45 – Small Group Discussion: Identifying Knowledge Gaps and Future Needs

• Identifying key knowledge gaps related to current and emerging EU and Member State policies and standards impacting the sector.
• Explore future discussion needs and potential areas for collaboration.

Moderated by Professor Martin Charter, The Centre for Sustainable Design® at UCA and Karin Eufinger, Centexbel

12:45 -13:00- Summary of the day’s learnings and next steps

• Recap of shared understanding of current and emerging EU and Member State policies and standards.
• Summarise key insights and knowledge exchanged among participants.
• Discuss how to strengthen connections for ongoing collaboration, networking, and learning.
• Outline actionable next steps and potential follow-up activities.

Professor Martin Charter, The Centre for Sustainable Design® at UCA and Karin Eufinger, Centexbel

Registration

The event is free of charge, but you need to register via virginie.litaudon@uca.ac.uk by sending your name, job title, project and organisation names. 

Funding