The Informal Meeting of the EU ministers for competitiveness – the circular economy and its potentials in the field of textile industry
On July 21st and 22nd, 2021, Slovenia, as the presiding country of the Council of the European Union, namely the Ministry for economic development and technology, organized an Informal Meeting of Competitiveness Ministers (Internal Market and Industry).
The theme of the meeting under the heading "Building a Green, Creative and Smart Future" was based on two priorities of the Slovenian Presidency in the field of the Competitiveness Council: the transition to a circular economy and creative industries as a generator of added value in the economy.
Ladeja G. Košir held an inspirational presentation Sensing circularity that creatively invited the attendees to visualize the future we are building together – with the ongoing COVID and climate crises, with the EU instruments available, there are cracks through which the light gets in and from which we can create - through collaborations, connecting, networking - the future that will be Circular. Creative. Smart.
She addressed how the power of network of governance and the systemic approach help us in navigating and engaging of all stakeholders, empowering the individuals on all levels to make the decision and contribution based on the inner values within the planetary boundaries and limited resources we have at hands.
Best circular economy practices in the textile field were introduced at the meeting with Giulio Bonazzi of Aquafil as a special guest and a keynote speaker, presenting the company's successes as well as their circular economy experience in the field of textile.
Through creative videopresentations the ministers also got acquainted with other representative cases from the succesful Circular. Creative. Smart. textile and fashion industry in Slovenia: the award-winning sustainable luxury fashion designer Matea Benedetti, the Resyntex project of industrial symbiosis for producing secondary raw materials from textile waste, and Titera innovation, research and development company specializing in smart textiles.
Textile has been identified as one of the priority sectors in which the EU can pave the way towards a carbon-neutral, circular economy. The forthcoming EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles will address the opportunities for the EU textile industry and its structural weaknesses, for example, textile waste and textile recycling.
