When the 64th Dornbirn Global Fiber Conference (GFC) opened on September 10th in Austria, its 470+ delegates were already grappling with sweeping policy changes, economic pressures and new technological opportunities. With presentations spanning sustainability, recycling and innovation, the event underscored a pivotal truth – Europe’s textile and fibre industries are caught between legislative overload and transformative potential.

Political context

The conference coincided with European Commission (EC) president Ursula von der Leyen’s ‘State of the Union’ address, in which she reaffirmed a commitment to the EU Green Deal. Yet industry leaders argue that since the deal was launched in 2019, the global landscape has shifted dramatically.

Back in February 2024, 73 business leaders from 17 sectors presented the Antwerp Declaration, warning that Europe faced its worst economic downturn in a decade just as vast investments were needed to reach climate neutrality. Since then, the Declaration has gained the backing of more than 1,300 organisations – a sign of broad concern that European competitiveness is being undermined by escalating regulatory demands.

At Dornbirn, Hélène-Diane Dage of the EC acknowledged this tension, stressing that “competitiveness and simplification” now drive policy. Planned measures include ending tax exemptions on low-value imports and tightening customs enforcement, which would place real pressure on ultra-fast fashion giants like Shein and Temu. These steps echo US actions against such players. Yet the irony remains – simplification often means more complex rules, not fewer.

Pushback

For many, the legislative tide feels relentless.

“We are now facing a tsunami of legislation,” warned Frederic Van Houte, director of the Brussels-based manmade fibres association CIRFS. He highlighted overcapacity in global polyester production, state-backed dumping and the fragility of EU recycling goals, questioning whether a shift to recycled feedstocks is still feasible.

Robert van de Kerkhof, president of the Austrian Fibers Institute, was blunter.

“We are in crisis mode and systemic change is in motion,” he said, calling for tighter alignment between policy, science and innovation to avoid stalling momentum.

Such warnings highlight a central dilemma – regulation is intended to drive sustainability, yet over-regulation risks paralysing investment at a moment when the industry needs bold bets on technology and infrastructure.

Recycling imperative

Despite the headwinds, fibre-to-fibre (F2F) recycling remains the industry’s most dynamic front. Europe’s ReHubs initiative is pushing toward the ambitious target of recycling 2.5 million tons of post-consumer textile waste annually by 2025. Meanwhile, the newly formed T2T Alliance uniting players like Circ, Circulose, Samsara Eco and Syre has called for mandatory minimums of recycled content in textiles – 10% by 2028, 15% by 2030, and 30% by 2035.

The Alliance argues that only binding rules will drive genuine adoption, supported by rigorous traceability systems. Yet this raises difficult questions. Can Europe enforce these mandates consistently across member states and will higher costs make European products less competitive against imports from Asia, where similar obligations are absent?

There is also a practical challenge. Since January 2025, EU countries have theoretically banned the landfilling or incineration of textiles, but enforcement remains uneven. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, which require brands to fund collection and recycling, are slowly taking shape, but implementation varies widely. Without harmonised infrastructure, the ambitious recycling targets risk being aspirational rather than achievable.

Still, the opportunity is enormous. The T2T Alliance estimates fibre-to-fibre recycling could become a $30 billion global industry by 2030, provided policy, technology and investment align.

Protection and reality

One striking theme at Dornbirn 2025 was the clash between Europe’s protectionist instincts and the textile industry’s global reality. While Brussels pushes for tighter controls on imports, the industry remains globally interconnected. Recycling infrastructure and standards must be international to succeed.

This tension reflects a broader strategic challenge – Europe risks isolating itself with rules that, while well-intentioned, could disadvantage domestic producers unless mirrored by other regions.

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