COTANCE to move to new headquarters
The president of Italian tanning industry association UNIC, Fabrizio Nuti, has insisted the European leather sector must build up its presence in Brussels, the home of the European Commission and the European Parliament.
At the start of July, after warning that legislative changes such as the forthcoming European Union Deforestation Regulation can present “an operational threat”, Mr Nuti told the UNIC general assembly that the leather industry in Europe needs to build “a much bigger garrison” in Brussels.
He explained that it was of great importance for the leather industry to remain vigilant and to build up early knowledge of the intentions of legislators. This knowledge, Mr Nuti continued, will inform the industry’s efforts to help shape political thinking so that any changes that come into effect “do not put our very survival at risk”.
He went on to say that this had led to helping install the industry’s main representative body in the European Union, COTANCE, in new headquarters in Brussels.
He said the new COTANCE office was spacious, centrally located and close to the European Parliament and the other important EU institutions.
Fabrizio Nuti said he hoped this new location would become an important point of reference for all industry bodies and associations with links to the leather supply chain. He went further and said it could even become a base in Brussels for organisations that focus on other natural materials, such as wool, silk and cashmere.
“They share with us the problem of suffering attacks that seek to cloud the facts and unfairly influence the choices of consumers,” the UNIC president said. “Unity is strength and having a common voice with which to counter these attacks and explain the dynamics of our sectors will make this investment worthwhile. I am deeply convinced that it will bring early benefits.”
