At its recent council session in Brussels, members of the European leather association COTANCE concluded that the outlook for the European leather industry in 2007 was looking more positive. 

Representatives of the leather industry from Hungary (BCE), Spain (CEC-FECUR), France (FFTM), Finland (FLIA), the Netherlands (FNL), Sweden (SG), United Kingdom (UKLF), Italy (UNIC), Belgium (UNITAN), Germany (VDL) and Switzerland (VSG), under the chairmanship of Jean-Claude Ricomard (Tanneries Roux, France), reviewed the state of the leather sector concluding that 2006 had been more positive for tanners compared with 2005. They agreed that the recession that has negatively affected leather markets in recent times appears to be over and that European tanners enjoyed a 5% increase in business in 2006, led by bovine leather and followed by the sheep and goat leather sector.

During the meeting, the COTANCE Council welcomed a small delegation from the European Commission which is tasked with reviewing progress on international trade issues relevant to the leather industry. Madeleine Tuininga, responsible for Market Access and Industry in DG Trade, assisted by Regina Piovesana and Friederike Afokpa, reported on the adjustments of the EU’s external trade policy and on how the interests of Europe’s leather industry will be addressed in multi-lateral and bilateral trade negotiations.