With a household consumption of nearly 500 Billion Euro, the EU 27 is the largest world market for textile and clothing products. The European industry is the world's second exporter of textiles and the third for clothing. The 2010 data include: annual turnover above 172 Billion Euro, exports outside the EU-27 reaches more than 34 Billion Euro, the 149.000 companies employ about 1,9 million workers.

EURATEX's main objective is to promote the interests of its members while taking into account the European Union's institutional framework and its international obligations.

As the voice of the European textile and clothing industry, EURATEX's main objective is to create an environment with in the European Union which is conducive to the manufacture of textile and clothing products. Its headquarters in Brussels are within touching distance of the major decision-making bodies of the EU, at Commission, Parliament and Council level. In this context, the major areas of concern to EURATEX are to foster a new framework for textile & clothing trade policy, to promote a further expansion of the EU exports of textiles and clothing, to promote legislation and its application in the field of intellectual property, to support measures which enhance environmental protection but which are at the same time acceptable to the industry, to promote and participate in research, development, innovation and other educational or social projects which bring value added to the industry at European level, to engage in a constructive social dialogue at EU level with our social partners, and to disseminate economic and statistical data to the membership.

EURATEX's organisation, located in Brussels, is staffed to address the above objectives, to provide a number of associated services and to supply its members with the information and data necessary for them to further their industry’s aims at national level and branch level