On 18 November 2025, the TRUSTex workshop “Enforceable Product Policies for Circular Economy Business Models”  took place in Brussels. Stakeholders from policy, industry, academia and civil society came together to discuss key conditions for enabling circular economy business models in the textile sector within the evolving EU regulatory landscape.

The discussions focused on three core areas: ensuring transparent visibility of product sustainability performance through the Digital Product Passport (DPP), creating effective incentive structures (including EPR schemes and end-of-waste provisions), and strengthening enforceability through robust market surveillance. Building on insights from European HORIZON and Interreg projects, participants explored concrete policy recommendations, particularly in relation to the upcoming delegated act on textiles under the ESPR.

Through keynotes, interactive formats and panel discussions, the workshop provided a platform for exchange among key stakeholders and generated important impulses for developing a reliable and effective governance framework across textile value chains.

You can access the full synthesis document with key findings and recommendations here: TRUSTex_Policy_Workshop_Summary

The textile industry is currently classified as the fourth largest polluter. The industry urgently needs to transform itself into a ‘Circular Economy’ (CE) that is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). According to the ‘Green Deal’-policies of the European Union, the textile industry of the future is resource-preserving, non- polluting and climate-friendly. In this context, ‘extended producer responsibility’ (EPR) plays a central role.

Against this backdrop, the main objective of TRUSTex is to provide the European Commission and Member States as well as businesses and other actors in the civil society with recommendations addressing EPR viability hotspot areas (collection, sorting, recycle, reuse, governance, and policy aspects), while laying the foundation for a more sustainable and circular textile industry (eco-design, transparent information system). The recommendations and strategies will align seamlessly with the EU´s Textile Strategy and fully support the Waste Framework Directive. To achieve this goal, the project will discuss, co-define, test, and recommend best practices to improve the feasibility and impact of the EPR schemes, relying on novel technologies and stakeholder cooperation.