Study on the “Socio-economic and Environmental Analysis of the Effects of Regulation 2023/1115/EU on the European Leather Sector,” commissioned by UNIC and COTANCE.
Conducted by Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies of the University of Pisa, as a tool in the review of the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
Key Findings:
- No Direct Link to Deforestation: The study, supported by an extensive technical analysis (94 million+ records, 29,200+ active serial titles, and 330,000+ books) and 28 stakeholder interviews, found no direct link between leather and deforestation. Leather is derived from cattle raised primarily for meat and dairy, and its production does not incentivise cattle farming.
- Severe Economic Impact: The EUDR's stringent traceability requirements could severely disrupt the European cattle & hide supply chain, leaving European tanners without needed raw materials. This could force businesses to close and result in significant job losses across the industry’s supply chain.
- Environmental Risks of Alternatives: The study warns that short-circuiting the European leather industry and replacing leather with synthetic alternatives like polyurethane leather-like materials (PU LLM) could increase environmental damage, in terms of higher emissions and resource use. Diverting cattle hides to landfills or to countries with weaker environmental standards would undermine the Green Deal’s goals.
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