On 13 February 2026, the European Commission (DG GROW), EISMEA, EY, and SDA Bocconi hosted the ‘Finding the common thread: Joining the EU Textiles Ecosystem Platform’ online side event at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector. Bringing together expert insights from the European Commission, the platform’s project team, and its Ambassadors, the event provided an overview of the available functionalities, mission, and opportunities offered. 

The OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector is a leading international event on due diligence in the garment and footwear sector, connecting businesses, governments, civil society organisations, international organisations, and key stakeholders to address core and emerging labour, human rights, integrity and environmental matters in the industry. 

In this dynamic context, the side event aimed to introduce participants and stakeholders to the EU Textiles Ecosystem Platform, this year’s call for pledges, and the result from the first Challenge Campaign workshop, organised in collaboration with the EU Pact for Skills.

The event reached a wide and diverse audience, as of the 100 participants attending, 41% were not familiar with the platform, 31% had visited it before, and 28% were already members. Francesca Romana Rinaldi, Director of the Monitor for Circular Fashion (M4CF) at SDA Bocconi, welcomed participants and invited them to share their participation with their networks using dedicated communication materials. 

Ilona Husting Lelonek, Policy Officer at the Unit for ‘Textiles, Food and Retail’ under DG GROW, highlighted the importance of the platform to strengthen the textile ecosystem in its competitiveness, sustainability and resilience, within the context of the European Commission’s Transition Pathway. She then described the platform’s practical objective to foster stakeholder interaction and information on legislative developments and funding opportunities. 

Francesca Squillante, Manager at EY Belgium, explained the platform’s key features and benefits. Importantly, she guided attendees through the interactive and community-building sections, including pledge submission, community workspaces, and peer-to-peer discussions. For users who are unfamiliar with the platform, the Beginner Kit can be accessed through this link.

Francesca Romana Rinaldi then presented the 2026 Call for Pledges, which collects measurable stakeholder commitments to the Transition Pathway and its objectives. Participants are encouraged to submit their pledge, ensuring that it is based on concrete medium- and long-term goals bound by measurable criteria. She also emphasised the visibility and possible speaking opportunity benefits that are associated with submitting a pledge.

Then the ‘M4CF Circular Fashion Manifesto 2025’, which shares the Monitor for Circular Fashion SDA Bocconi’s pledge was then presented. Over the years, the M4CF has developed several projects aligned with the Transition Pathway building blocks, focusing on sustainable competitiveness, regulation and public governance, social dimension, R&I, and skills. The M4CF 2025 recommendations to policy makers can be found here. 

Frederick Ryan Wallace, Project Officer at EURATEX and Ambassador of the EU Textiles Ecosystem Platform, shared the insights driven by the first Challenge Campaign workshop, which addressed the Textile, Clothing, Leather, and Fashion (TCLF) Skills strategy to improve green and transversal skills for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In the breakout sessions, participants had emphasised their need to improve sustainability and circularity skills, as well as improving digital competences and analytics. In addition, the attendees highlighted the importance of attracting younger talent and promoting diversity and inclusion initiatives. More information on the workshop’s results can be found here. 

Finally, Francesca Romana Rinaldi closed the event and encouraged participants to join the platform and stay up to date on upcoming activities. To find out more about the EU Textile Ecosystems Platform and future events, viewers are encouraged to contact the HelpDesk or join the platform as a member.