中文EURATEX Stands Firm: Mario Jorge Machado Re-elected to Lead Europe’s Textile and Apparel Industry Through Turbulent Times
The European Apparel and Textile Confederation (EURATEX) has re-elected Mario Jorge Machado as its President, entrusting him with a renewed mandate at a critical juncture for Europe’s textile and clothing industry. The sector, which employs millions across the continent, faces a confluence of challenges: rising energy costs, fierce global competition, and the relentless pressure to accelerate sustainability and digitalisation.
A Clear Priority: Competitiveness as the Foundation
Speaking after his re-election, Machado was unequivocal about his priorities. “My priority for this new mandate is clear: to strengthen the competitiveness of our industry, ensure that the same rules apply to all products sold in Europe, and support our companies through the green and digital transition. Europe must decarbonise its industry, not deindustrialise it.”
This statement encapsulates the delicate balancing act facing European manufacturers. The continent’s textile and apparel sector is navigating an era where environmental regulations are tightening, yet the financial and operational burden of compliance threatens to outpace the capacity of many firms, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Machado, who holds a degree in Production Polymer Engineering from the University of Minho in Portugal, brings extensive industrial experience to the role. His renewed presidency is expected to focus on innovation, competitiveness, and a sustainable transformation that remains compatible with the realities of European manufacturing.
A Presidency Team with Diverse Expertise
The presidency team will include representatives from across Europe’s textile powerhouses: Franz Peter Falke of T+M in Germany, Barbara Cimmino of Confindustria Moda in Italy, Ismail Kolunsag of IHKIB in Türkiye, and Grégory Marchant of UIT in France.
This diverse team reflects the interconnected nature of the European textile ecosystem. From Italy’s luxury fashion houses to Germany’s technical textiles, Türkiye’s vertically integrated manufacturing, and France’s haute couture heritage, the confederation must balance vastly different national interests while advocating for a cohesive European strategy.
The Competitiveness Imperative
Competitiveness will be a central priority of the new mandate. Machado has argued that it must be the foundation of industrial policy. Investment, innovation, sustainability, and strategic autonomy all depend on companies being able to operate in a viable business environment.
In practical terms, EURATEX is expected to continue advocating stronger support for investment in automation, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, skills development, and innovation—particularly for SMEs. The aim is to strengthen companies’ capacity to adapt while remaining anchored in Europe.
This is no small ambition. The European textile industry competes globally against manufacturers in regions with significantly lower energy costs, less stringent labour regulations, and often more generous state support. Ensuring that European companies can invest in cutting-edge technology while managing these cost disadvantages requires both carrot and stick: incentives for innovation, coupled with robust enforcement of fair competition principles.
A Genuine Level Playing Field
A second priority is creating a genuine level playing field. Machado has called for the same rules to apply to all products sold in Europe, not only those manufactured within the region. This requires stronger market surveillance, border enforcement, and controls on imports sold through digital platforms.
This agenda is tied to growing concerns that European companies are placed at a disadvantage when imported goods bypass EU safety, environmental, and consumer protection requirements. EURATEX is therefore set to continue pressing for fair competition, equal enforcement, and a market where compliance is recognised rather than penalised.
The rise of e-commerce has magnified this challenge. Products that fail to meet EU standards can easily reach European consumers through online marketplaces, undercutting compliant domestic producers. Addressing this regulatory gap has become a litmus test for the credibility of the EU’s single market.
Green and Digital Transition: Strengthening, Not Crushing
The third priority is to ensure that the green and digital transition strengthens the industry rather than adding unmanageable pressure. Machado has stressed that sustainability should become a source of competitiveness, supported by realistic rules, affordable energy, workable implementation timelines, and targeted assistance.
European textile and apparel companies are subject to an array of sustainability directives—from the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) to the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. While these policies aim to position Europe as a global leader in sustainable fashion, they also impose significant administrative and financial burdens.
The risk is that well-intentioned regulations could accelerate “carbon leakage,” where production relocates to regions with weaker environmental standards, undermining both European industry and global environmental progress.
A Pivotal Moment
The re-election of Mario Jorge Machado comes at a pivotal moment. Europe’s textile and apparel industry is not merely facing economic headwinds; it is at the centre of a broader debate about the future of European manufacturing, the viability of ambitious climate policy, and the capacity of democratic institutions to manage structural economic transformation.
Whether EURATEX, under Machado’s continued leadership, can deliver on its ambitious agenda will have ramifications far beyond the textile sector. It will test whether Europe can chart a course that is environmentally sustainable, socially just, and economically viable—a trial that the entire world is watching.
Source: World Footwear (June 24, 2026)
