On 20 October 2026, the European Parliament voted 612 to 8 to adopt its negotiating position on extended producer responsibility (EPR) for textiles — the latest milestone in a regulatory build-up that will reshape who pays for textile waste across the European Union. For apparel brands selling into the EU, and for the exporters and manufacturers who supply them, the message is no longer “prepare someday.” The directive is in force, national schemes are coming, and the details now being negotiated will decide what compliance actually costs.
This article explains what the EU textile EPR rules require, what the October 2026 vote changed, who is covered — including companies outside the EU — and what apparel businesses should do now.
The legal backbone: Directive (EU) 2025/1892
The foundation is a targeted revision of the EU Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC). Directive (EU) 2025/1892 was published in the Official Journal on 26 September 2025 and entered into force on 16 October 2025. It does two things that matter for apparel:
- Mandatory EPR schemes for textiles and footwear in every Member State. Each of the 27 Member States must set up its own scheme, and producers selling covered products on its market must register, work through a producer responsibility organisation (PRO), and pay fees that fund the collection, sorting, and recycling of used textiles.
- A uniform definition of waste for separately collected textiles. Textiles handed over through separate collection are treated as waste at the point of collection and must pass through professional sorting before any shipment — a direct response to the long-standing practice of exporting unsorted used clothing.
The timetable, according to legal analyses of the directive: Member States have until 17 June 2027 to transpose the revision into national law, and until 17 April 2028 to have their EPR schemes established and running. Fees can be modulated — eco-modulation — so products that are harder to recycle or tied to fast-fashion business models can be charged more.
Separately, the EU has required separate collection of textiles for reuse, preparing for reuse, and recycling since 1 January 2025. The infrastructure the EPR fees will fund is therefore already being built.
What the European Parliament decided on 20 October 2026
The October vote was not about whether textile EPR happens — that was settled by the directive. It was about administrative burden: under current EU waste legislation, a producer selling covered products in multiple Member States must appoint an authorised representative for EPR obligations in each Member State where it sells.
The European Commission had proposed suspending that per-country representative requirement broadly. Parliament narrowed it significantly. Under the position adopted on 20 October 2026:
- The suspension applies only to EU-based small and micro enterprises: fewer than 50 employees and annual turnover or a balance-sheet total below €10 million.
- It lasts until 2035, or until a more comprehensive Circular Economy Act supersedes it.
- Crucially, the relief is administrative only. It does not remove producers’ financial contributions toward textile collection, sorting, and recycling, nor their other EPR obligations. Parliament also called for harmonised reporting requirements and interoperable digital systems between national authorities.
Parliament’s position is a first-reading negotiating stance; it now goes into talks with Member States (the Council) on the final form of the law. But the direction is clear: broad exemptions are off the table, and the compliance architecture is being designed for durability, not delay.
Who has to comply — including companies outside the EU
The obligation generally falls on whoever first places textile products on the market of a given Member State. That includes:
- Domestic manufacturers based in that EU country;
- Importers bringing goods in from outside the EU;
- Cross-border e-commerce sellers shipping directly to consumers in that country.
The October 2026 vote confirmed an important boundary: non-EU exporters remain covered. A garment manufacturer in Bangladesh, Pakistan, or China that sells directly into the EU market cannot use the SME administrative relief, because it is restricted to companies established in the EU.
One nuance worth getting right: contract manufacturers supplying EU brands are not automatically responsible for EPR compliance. Obligations depend on how “producer” is defined in each national transposition and on the commercial arrangements — in practice, the brand or importer that first places the product on the market usually carries the obligation, and this is a point to settle explicitly in supply contracts rather than assume.
Where schemes already exist
Textile EPR is not entirely new. Several Member States moved ahead of the EU-wide mandate:
| Country | Since | Scope notes |
|---|---|---|
| France | 2007 | Clothing, footwear, household linens; obligation from the very first unit sold |
| Netherlands | July 2023 | Consumer and work clothing, bed/table/kitchen linens; no de-minimis threshold |
| Hungary | July 2023 | Clothing, accessories, footwear, carpets, household textiles; quarterly reporting |
| Latvia | July 2024 | Clothing, footwear, blankets, curtains, linens; natural-resources tax applies |
The pattern is consistent: no meaningful de-minimis threshold — in most cases the obligation starts with the first item sold. Brands that assumed small volumes would keep them out of scope should revisit that assumption.
The US parallel: California’s SB 707
The EU is not acting alone. California’s SB 707 is the first textile EPR law in the United States. Landbell USA was approved as the producer responsibility organisation in February 2026, producers were required to join by 1 July 2026, and a needs assessment is due on 1 March 2027. Businesses under US$1 million in global turnover are exempt — a threshold apparel exporters should compare carefully against the EU’s very different SME definition. The compliance playbook companies build for the EU will likely be reused, with adjustments, for California.
What apparel brands and exporters should do now
- Map where you are the “producer.” For each EU market you sell into, identify which legal entity first places the product on the market. That entity will register and pay.
- Watch national transpositions, not just Brussels. Fees, PRO structures, and reporting formats will differ by Member State. France, the Netherlands, Hungary, and Latvia show what early schemes look like; the other 23 will follow by 2028.
- Price the fee into landed cost now. Eco-modulated fees mean product design choices — fibre mix, durability, recyclability — will affect what you pay per unit. Sourcing and design teams should be in the conversation, not just compliance.
- Settle EPR responsibility in contracts. If you are a non-EU manufacturer selling to EU brands, clarify in writing who registers, who reports, and who pays. Do not assume the brand handles it — and do not assume you are exempt because you are “only the factory.”
- Track the Parliament–Council negotiations. The SME relief’s final shape, the 2035 horizon, and the promised harmonised reporting will all affect multi-country sellers.
The bottom line
Textile EPR in the EU has moved from proposal to implementation. The directive is in force, the Parliament has drawn its lines on administrative relief, and national schemes must be running by April 2028. For apparel businesses, the strategic question is no longer whether these costs arrive, but how early you build them into product, sourcing, and contract decisions. Companies that treat EPR as a design and commercial input — rather than a year-end compliance surprise — will have the advantage.
Key dates: Directive (EU) 2025/1892 in force 16 October 2025 · Transposition by 17 June 2027 · Schemes running by 17 April 2028 · EP first-reading position 20 October 2026 · SME relief until 2035 · California SB 707 PRO approval February 2026.
Related reading on EU apparel regulation: EU Green Claims Directive in 2026, EUDR for Apparel in 2026, CSDDD for Apparel, Digital Product Passport for Textiles.
Sources: European Parliament plenary news, 19–20 October 2026 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/agenda/plenary-news/2026-10-19/13/the-circular-economy-and-waste-rules-for-packaging-batteries-and-textiles); Directive (EU) 2025/1892, OJ L 2025/1892 (transposition and scheme deadlines per Beveridge & Diamond analysis of the directive). National scheme details: France (2007), Netherlands and Hungary (July 2023), Latvia (July 2024). California SB 707: Landbell USA approved February 2026.
