Legislation for the framework still requires approval, but an Italian member of the European Parliament, Alessandra Moretti (pictured), said the new agreement spelled the end of “the ‘take, make, dispose’ model” for consumer products.

The European Commission has said it intends to prioritise a number of product groups in a first phase. Footwear and furniture are among the products included in this first group.

Leather industry commentators have raised concerns about a lack of due consideration in earlier stages of this discussion for the durability, repairability and circularity of leather. For example, there were suggestions that staying intact for 100 wears would be enough for a pair of shoes, made from any material, to be presented as long-lasting.

As a concession, manufacturers of leather shoes were to be allowed to claim that their products would last for 145 wears. This caused consternation because leather shoes can often last for years and their longevity is an important factor in convincing consumers that it is worth paying extra for leather.

Paying more would seem less worthwhile if the message to consumers was that more expensive shoes may only endure for an extra 45 wears.

In comments to World Leather, a spokesperson for the European Commission said these details “are definitely not contained in the framework legislation that has been agreed on”.

The spokesperson went on to say the Commission will first have to include the individual product groups in a working plan that it will draw up as part of a new, wider programme. This will only happen after European parliamentary elections in June 2024. The new programme will cover a number of years from 2025 onwards.

Questions about durability and other properties of specific products will be part of “a separate delegated act” that the Commission will draw up to detail the eco-design requirements for each product group. “This process may take years,” the spokesperson said.

Image credit: European Union/Brigitte Hase