COTANCE presses EU on trade, sustainability and leather competitiveness

Brussels turned into a rules-of-the-road meeting for leathercraft, with the European leather sector lobbying on trade, sustainability and competitiveness at the same time. COTANCE joined the Textile, Clothing, Leather and Footwear Joint Liaison Forum on 16 June 2026, then held its annual general assembly on 17 June, putting employers, workers and European Commission officials in the same room while the sector tried to stay visible across a growing pile of EU files.

The 16 June session was the annual joint Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee meeting for TCLF, bringing together industriAll Europe, COTANCE, EURATEX and CEC. COTANCE and industriAll Europe had already set the 2026-2030 EU Leather Social Dialogue Work Programme and the Action Plan for 2026 at a Brussels plenary on 10 December 2025, and that framework hung over the discussions. The message from the leather side was simple: if the sector does not speak with one voice in Brussels, other industries will define the terms of the next regulatory cycle for it.

Trade was one of the sharpest pressure points. Participants reviewed the proposed Industrial Accelerator Act, the Made in EU initiative, the Circular Economy Act and the EU Forced Labour Regulation, while talks on India and Mercosur also featured heavily. COTANCE flagged the long gap between diplomacy and market access, noting that liberalisation schedules can stretch to 15 years and that protected sectors in partner markets can keep their barriers in place long after agreements are signed. The Industrial Accelerator Act, proposed by the European Commission on 4 March 2026, is meant to boost manufacturing, grow businesses and create jobs in the EU, which explains why the leather sector was watching a file that reaches far beyond heavy industry.

Sustainability was just as central. COTANCE used the forum to present the UNIDO Guidelines for the Environmental Footprint of Leather, describing them as a new global benchmark for measuring environmental performance and a key reference for the Circular Economy Act. For tanneries and makers who have spent years arguing over inconsistent methods and selective comparisons, a harmonised framework matters because it can make performance data more comparable across factories, countries and product categories.

The assembly also gave SER2026 real weight. Launched on 9 April 2026, the project will collect data from a representative sample of European tanneries on more than 37 social indicators and about 39 environmental parameters. COTANCE says that data will help companies adapt to ESPR and CSRD/CS3D requirements, turning compliance into a strategic asset rather than a paperwork trap.

The broader line from Brussels was clear: leather wants to be regulated with the sector, not around it. COTANCE welcomed the European Commission’s 4 May 2026 proposal to exclude hides, skins and leather from the EU deforestation-free products regulation, another sign that the industry is trying to shape the rules before they harden into costs, labels and sourcing limits that reach all the way down to the bench.