Interview With EBCA: Building a United Voice for EU Textiles

In my role at Ohana Public Affairs, I often have the privilege of meeting industry leaders who are shaping the future of sustainability in Europe. This time, I had the opportunity to host an insightful interview with Isabelle Maurizi, the Director General of the European Branded Clothing Association (EBCA).

Since July, Isabelle has taken on the challenge of guiding EBCA from an informal alliance to the reference point for the branded clothing sector in Brussels. Our conversation touched on the challenges and opportunities within EU sustainability and trade policies, the need for a “one-stop shop” approach and unified voice for textiles, and how collaboration can drive effective legislation.

If you’d like to hear more from industry experts about new sustainability policies and the green transition, have a look at Ohana’s complete interview series! Among other enlightening conversations, the series includes interviews with Textile Exchange, Sympatex, ChemSec, and a special chat about the power of collaboration for sustainable change, with the H&M Group.

Want someone with deep experience and connections in the EU to help guide your sustainability strategy? Get in touch!

Introducing Isabelle and EBCA’s Mission

With a wealth of experience in both EU policy and business, Isabelle Maurizi recently joined EBCA as Director General in July 2024. Since then, she has led the organisation’s efforts to advocate for the branded clothing sector across Europe, and elevate the industry’s role in creating a more sustainable and competitive EU market.

Initially founded as an informal alliance between industry players in 2007, EBCA evolved in response to the growing interest of EU legislators in the textile sector, becoming a fully structured organisation and a reference point in the EU.

“We represent companies that are aware of their responsibility toward the environment and have been actively investing in sustainable practices,” Isabelle explains.

Under her guidance, EBCA currently represents more than 70 brands. These companies account for a substantial share of the EU market, both in terms of economic value and in employment, totalling over 2,500,000 people in their European operations.

At the heart of EBCA’s work is a focus on balancing economic growth with a strong commitment to environmental stewardship and positive social impact. Explaining that the organisation advocates for policies that support responsible practices and fair competition, Maurizi outlines EBCA’s vision for the future:

“We envision a Europe where the branded clothing sector contributes to shared prosperity and is supported by global standards that enhance sustainability, trade, and create a levelled playing field.”

In regard to her role in making this vision a reality, our guest mentions that she wears “three different hats”. The first is the traditional director general role, overseeing strategy and expanding EBCA’s presence in Brussels. The second involves staying closely engaged with policymakers to ensure EBCA’s voice is heard in EU legislative discussions, while the third focuses on managing the association’s administrative functions.

For Isabelle, representing the branded clothing sector goes beyond policymaking.

“It’s really exciting to represent such forward-thinking companies, and I think we have many positive messages that need to be conveyed. And they’re not only about the industry’s role in terms of sustainability or the economy, but also about personal expression, meaning the cultural and creative value of fashion.”

Establishing a One-Stop Shop for the EU Textile Industry

Simply put, EBCA aims to serve a “one-stop shop” in Brussels to streamline the textile industry’s engagement with EU regulators. However, the focus of their initiative goes beyond sustainability policies. EBCA’s efforts are also aimed at guaranteeing appropriate investments to future-proof the sector, and ensuring free and open trade, as Maurizi details further in our conversation.

When I asked why this unified approach was such a central goal for the organisation, she explained that this unified approach was needed to foster clear and coordinated communication that benefits both sides and supports effective, realistic policy outcomes.

“It became obvious that the branded clothing sector needed a space where we could discuss among ourselves, in order to provide coherent advice to EU regulators.”

“The EU textile sector is extremely fragmented, with different business models and different deliverables. And it’s important to ensure that the regulators, and all other stakeholders in the ecosystem, would know who to talk to in order to collect evidence on what’s the best way forward regarding a piece of legislation.” she added.

Our guest also stressed the fact that the branded clothing industry is one of Europe’s most globalised sectors. As such, an open line of communication between industry players and policymakers is essential to ensure that regulations developed in the EU consider the conditions and challenges of supplying countries and international partners.

Focusing On The 3 Big ‘Cs’: Collaboration, Collective Intelligence and Consensus Building

As we have also often stressed in this blog, Isabelle believes that collaboration, on all levels, is the only way forward for textiles and for the EU.

“Two thirds of national EU legislation is actually a transposition of EU regulations, so it’s important to know and be present where the decisions are made. With the launch of the Green Deal, and especially of the EU Textile Strategy in the last mandate, we had to ensure that we also became a stakeholder in the political debate and in the overall decision-making.”

Throughout our discussion, she also highlighted EBCA’s commitment to leveraging collective intelligence, and it’s focus on consensus building.

“I’m a fierce supporter of collective intelligence.” she stated. “We talk a lot about engaging with EU regulators, but indeed, collaboration with all stakeholders is essential. At the end of the day, we all want legislation that can actually be successfully implemented.”

To that point, Maurizi commented on the importance of learning from other industries, such as packaging, which has a long history of dealing with extended producer responsibility (EPR) requirements, for example. She notes that the textile industry can benefit from the experiences of many sectors which have faced similar challenges, using those insights to better address the complexities of achieving circularity and reducing the environmental impact within clothing production.

EU Textiles: Sustainability Challenges and Opportunities

Specifically on the matter of sustainability, Isabelle offered us an overview of the textile sector’s challenges and potential, from her perspective.

“One of the biggest challenges is responding to the evolving definition of sustainability, which over the past decades expanded to include not only circular economy practices but also regenerative resource use and biodiversity preservation, for example. ”

She explains that these evolving standards create both competitive opportunities for and practical difficulties in meeting new regulatory demands. As the EU develops more stringent sustainability policies, maintaining a level playing field for all companies becomes crucial.

“It’s a real opportunity for brands to showcase what they do well and differentiate themselves, but at the same time a challenge. While we are raising the bar for sustainability requirements, we need to ensure that they are enforceable and that all players are meeting these standards.”

From a trade perspective, Isabelle expressed concern over the EU’s movement towards more protectionist policies, and how von der Leyen’s political guidance increasingly links trade and security.

“The challenge will be to find a balance between trade and security without leaning too heavily toward protectionism,” she remarked, underscoring the importance of being more vocal in highlighting the mutual benefits of rule-based, free and open trade for the EU and its global partners.

EBCA’s Strategic Priorities and The 2024-2029 EU Mandate

Looking closer at the outcomes of the 2024-2029 EU elections, Isabelle and I discussed the expectations for this new mandate regarding the textile sector, about which she stated:

“We were at the centre of attention in the last mandate, and I don’t think that is going to change.”

Once again, we both agreed that the focus in the next five years should be on collaboration. Policies are becoming more and more interconnected, and looking at the EU Council’s priorities and how the Commission was put together, there is no room for working in silos.

About her organisation’s strategic priorities for the future, Maurizi mentioned EBCA’s manifesto and explained that its advocacy is built on three core pillars: sustainability, trade, and investment.

The sustainability pillar focuses on advancing towards circular economy within the sector, with eco-design, waste management, and traceability standards that encourage environmental responsibility across the industry. The trade pillar is to promotes open and fair global markets, ensuring that branded clothing companies can compete internationally while benefiting from a harmonised regulatory approach within the EU. Finally, the investment pillar emphasises the need for a skilled workforce and strong infrastructure to support the industry’s transition towards a green and digital future.

When questioned about what the organisation’s key asks for the new mandate would be, our guest was quick to answer:

“Indeed, our key asks would be just echoing those three pillars.” to which she adds, “We must ensure that we implement the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles in an enforceable and competitive manner. In practice, this means guaranteeing that the eco design requirements are actually fit for purpose, taking a step-by-step approach, and basing it on global standards, so that everyone can abide by it.”

Moving Forward with Collective Purpose

In closing our conversation, Isabelle emphasises EBCA’s desire to work alongside a diverse range of stakeholders.

“We are really looking to go beyond just the policymakers and engage with the overall EU textile ecosystem. And we are always open to discussions and to finding common ground in order to achieve the EU’s sustainability ambitions.”

Maurizi explains that EBCA is also open to new members, and that those interested in joining can start by filling in the application form on their website. The admission criteria for companies essentially includes, being able to showcase a track record of commitment to sustainability, free trade, and playing by the rules, plus having an economic and a legal representative in the EU.

She finishes by reinforcing EBCA’s mission, stating, “We are promoting collective intelligence and consensus building with the goal of being stronger together. So we really want to ensure that EBCA grows in a collaborative way, becoming a trusted partner to EU stakeholders.”

Want someone with deep experience and connections in the EU to help guide your sustainability strategy? Get in touch!

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