Just one week after the European Commission's €2 handling fee on small parcels from third countries took effect, Europe's textile and apparel industry has publicly called for it to be raised to €10. On September 30, 2026, during the debate "Making Europe's Textile Circular Economy Viable: Transparency, Recycling and Industrial Competitiveness" held at the European Parliament in Brussels, representatives of the Portuguese and European textile industries explicitly put forward this demand, stressing that how the EU regulates imports and supports domestic industry will directly determine whether circular economy goals can be realized.

Key Points

  • The European Commission's handling fee on small parcels from third countries is €2, and César Araújo, president of the Portuguese textile association ANIVEC, is demanding it be raised to €10 per item.
  • The number of small parcels entering the European market rose from about 2.7 billion in 2023 to 4.1 billion in 2024, and has approached 6 billion in 2025.
  • Europe's textile industry comprises about 200,000 companies and 1.2 million jobs; Portugal's LUSITANO project brings together 17 partners with a total investment of €111.5 million.

César Araújo, president of ANIVEC (the Portuguese National Association of Clothing, Garment and Fashion Industries), pointed out during the debate that the current €2 fee is insufficient and should be raised to €10 per item. Citing data, he said the scale of small parcels entering the European market jumped from about 2.7 billion in 2023 to 4.1 billion in 2024, and has approached 6 billion in 2025. He argued that the previous "de minimis" regime effectively facilitated the large-scale influx of products from Asian e-commerce platforms.

Araújo stressed that this fee is not a tariff: "This is about fair competition, product safety, taxation and consumer protection." He proposed that the revenue from the fee should be invested in the human and technical resources needed to inspect millions of parcels. He also called for stronger monitoring of imports and the impact of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), so that the EU can act quickly when trade imbalances arise.

At the heart of the debate was the competitiveness of European industry. Araújo said the cost of transitioning to a more sustainable model cannot be borne by European producers alone: "Europe cannot become greener or cleaner at the cost of losing its industry. If production simply moves elsewhere in the world, emissions don't disappear, but European jobs do."

The debate brought together representatives from European institutions, industry and the fields of circular economy, recycling and innovation, including Mário Jorge Machado of EURATEX, Marc Puyuelo of Coleo, Eva Moalic of Refashion and Miguel Gonçalves of Nau Verde, and was moderated by journalist and event host Jack Parrock. The discussion also covered the Digital Product Passport, ecodesign requirements, the practical application of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, and the challenges of textile waste collection, sorting and recycling.

Araújo put forward three priorities to make the circular economy economically viable: establishing an effective market for recycled fibers; recognizing the value of recycled materials produced in Europe; and creating EPR schemes with eco-modulation mechanisms—rewarding products that are more durable, repairable, have a smaller carbon footprint and contain a higher share of recycled materials. He also argued that the "Made in Europe" label should let consumers know not only where a product was made, but also the conditions and methods under which it was manufactured.

In his concluding remarks, Araújo called on Europe to support recycled fibers, establish eco-modulation mechanisms that encourage sustainable investment, and develop a European solution for textile waste. He argued that the EU's next budget should allocate resources for the industry's transition. He stressed: "We are not asking Europe to protect our industry from competition; we are asking Europe to ensure that competition is fair."

According to the event organizers, this was the second such conference held in Brussels this year, and further meetings will continue to contribute to Europe's debate on competitiveness, sustainability and the future of the textile industry. According to a press release, Portugal's LUSITANO project brings together 17 partners with a total investment of €111.5 million, covering the entire value chain from fiber to consumer, with a focus on advanced technologies including artificial intelligence to develop sustainable circular solutions for yarns, fabrics, knitwear and garments based on natural and recycled fibers. CENIT (Textile Intelligence Center) is a Portuguese non-profit association whose main member organization is ANIVEC/APIV, working through the MODAPORTUGAL strategy to enhance the international competitiveness of Portugal's textile and apparel industry.

For the used clothing trade, the direction of this policy debate directly affects demand for domestically produced recycled fibers in Europe and the processing pathways for textile waste, and it also bears on the compliance costs of exporters of second-hand clothing and recycled raw materials destined for Europe. If the €10 handling fee is implemented, textile-related small parcels entering Europe through cross-border e-commerce channels will face a higher threshold, while eco-modulated EPR mechanisms could bring policy benefits to remanufacturing and resale businesses that use a high proportion of recycled materials.

Source: European textile stakeholders argue that levies and Europe's approach to its textile industry will determine whether circularity can work in practice · Originally published on 2026-10-02