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#Europe

ICAC to support European Commission on pending PEF legislation

The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) is proud to announce that it has been included as a member of the European Commission’s Technical Advisory Board (TAB) on the Product Environmental Footprint methodology. The Commission developed the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) to assess and communicate the life cycle environmental performance of products and organizations.


Since PEF will apply to all textile products sold in the EU, it could have a tremendous impact on demand for cotton and textiles in the world’s largest market.

Only four international organizations have been admitted to the Technical Advisory Board (TAB): ICAC, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the European Environmental Agency, and the United Nations Environmental Programme.

ICAC Executive Director Eric Trachtenberg and Head of Textiles Kanwar Usman will represent the global cotton and textile industry to support the EU in achieving its circularity goals by providing in-depth information on how cotton and all natural fibers can contribute to this process. ICAC supports Brussels’s goal of moving the European market toward products that are more durable, repairable, recyclable, and largely free of hazardous substances.

Although the Commission is not obligated to accept its recommendations, TAB members provide advice and expertise to the Commission on:

  • Technical issues regarding the implementation of EF methods, also in relation to the preparation of EU legislation in the field of product eco-design and sustainable production and consumption;
  • Scrutiny of PEF category rules under preparation and analysis of their coherence with EF methods and relevant EU policies;
  • New methodological developments that are necessary within the EF context.

“The ICAC looks forward to working with the European Commission and other stakeholders on the TAB and other fora so decision-makers have the data they need to ensure that cotton — and all natural fibers — are assessed fairly and accurately,” said ICAC Executive Director Eric Trachtenberg.

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