Unravelling the Cost of EU Compliance – for Fashion Brands and Retailers

The rules on what fashion businesses must know, and prove, about their products are changing fast. The EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation will introduce Digital Product Passports, with textiles among the first product groups; EU rules on green claims apply from 27 September 2026; and UK consumer law now gives the CMA direct powers to fine for misleading environmental claims.

This event looks at the true cost of clothing, the environmental and social impacts upstream and downstream of every garment, and at what brands and retailers can practically do to get ready. It pairs University of Exeter circular-economy research with the experience of businesses already working through it.

PROGRAMME:

9:30 Arrival - Tea and coffee, with a marketplace of business support and research stands

10:00 Opening - Opening address from John Glen MP (invited), followed by an address from the British Fashion Council (invited)

Panel: Brands - How South West brands are tackling traceability, product data and green claims

Panel: Retailers - What changes on the shop floor and online, and what retailers need from their suppliers

Panel: Research - Circular economy (University of Exeter), microfibres (University of Portsmouth) and fashion education

Showcase - Live demonstration of a Digital Product Passport for fashion

13:00 Close - Networking and light lunch; the room stays open until around 14:30

Led by Dr Vinayak Sharma from the University of Exeter Business School, whose research examines how businesses manage the social costs of moving to a circular economy, with a live technology demonstration from Symolem-ID Ltd.

Open to the public.

Founders, sustainability, sourcing, product and compliance leads at fashion, footwear, textile and outdoor brands and retailers across the South West, particularly SMEs selling into the EU.