BRUSSELS, 17 June 2026 - The European Union's Textiles, Clothing, Leather and Footwear (TCLF) sector convened in Brussels on 16 June for the annual Joint Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee meeting, bringing together trade union IndustriAll Europe, employer associations COTANCE, EURATEX and CEC, alongside representatives of the European Commission. The day after, on 17 June, COTANCE held its own Annual General Assembly, marking a milestone moment for the association as it formally welcomed its first new supporting members.
Social Dialogue: Trade, Industrial Policy and Sustainability on the Agenda
The Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee meeting opened with updates from each TCLF Social Dialogue partner - COTANCE, industriAll Europe, CEC and EURATEX - , followed by substantive discussions spanning industrial policy, trade and sustainability. Participants addressed the EU's Industrial Accelerator Act, the Made in Europe initiative and the upcoming Circular Economy Act, alongside developments in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology.
On this point, COTANCE presented the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation's (UNIDO) Guidelines for Assessing the Environmental Footprint of Leather, highlighting it as a key reference for any future methodology underpinning the Circular Economy Act. The presentation underscored the allocation rate of 1.50% attributed to bovine hides relative to the overall footprint of a bovine animal, a figure central to ensuring that leather, a non-determining by-product of the meat and dairy industries, is fairly and accurately accounted for in environmental assessments. Reiterating a message at the heart of its advocacy, COTANCE stressed the central role that leather plays in the European Union's bioeconomy and circular economy, as a natural, bio-based material derived from livestock residues.
Trade policy featured prominently, with guests from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Trade briefing participants on the EU-India Free Trade Agreement and the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement. Both files carry significant implications for the leather and broader TCLF supply chains, and social partners discussed their potential impact on competitiveness and market access.
The European Commission's Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs also briefed participants on the EU Forced Labour Regulation and its implementation timeline - a regulatory development with significant implications for global supply chains in which European TCLF companies operate.
On skills, participants received an update on the Pact for Skills projects in which COTANCE takes active part - Metaskills4TCLF, AEQUALIS4TCLF and TCLF SkillBridge - three EU-supported initiatives working to future-proof the workforce of the TCLF sector through upskilling, reskilling and cross-sectoral cooperation.
Finally, COTANCE presented SER2026 - the new Social and Environmental Report of the European Leather Industry, a joint Social Dialogue project with industriAll Europe, funded by the European Union (ref. 101262556). Building on the landmark 2020 edition, which remains the most-referenced benchmark for the sector globally, SER2026 will collect data from European tanneries and trade unions on up to 37 social indicators and 39 environmental parameters. The final report will be presented at a public conference in Brussels in November 2027.
COTANCE General Assembly: New Members and Renewed Priorities
On 17 June, COTANCE held its Annual General Assembly in Brussels. The Assembly marked a landmark moment for the association, formally welcoming its first new supporting members. This follows the membership expansion launched earlier this year through amendments to the COTANCE statutes, opening the association to a broader base of supporters of the European leather sector.
Manuel Rios, President of COTANCE:
"Thanks to our joint efforts, we are reinforcing our position in various policy files, from EUDR to Environmental Footprint methodology and Bioeconomy. The UNIDO Guidelines strengthen our position. SER2026 will be our compass - proving that sustainability and quality jobs go hand in hand. We have a new Secretary General, new offices, new members. The European Commission will know that we are here. COTANCE is the embassy of European leather in Brussels and we intend to act like it."
Members also reviewed the association's renewed priorities going forward. Central to these remains the positioning of leather as a crucial component of the bioeconomy and circular economy, alongside building alliances with other natural materials to jointly advocate for sustainable, bio-based solutions in European industrial development and environmental policy.
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COTANCE is the Confederation of National Associations of Tanners and Dressers of the European Community, representing the European leather manufacturing industry.
Organisations interested in joining COTANCE as Supporting Members are invited to express their interest at