About European Confederation of the Footwear Industry

The CEC, or the European Confederation of the Footwear Industry, is the representative body of the European footwear industry. It advocates for the sector’s interests at both European and international levels, aiming to promote the competitiveness and sustainable growth of footwear companies.

In 2021, the European footwear industry directly employed 221,220 workers across 17,160 companies. These companies generated a total turnover of 23,115 million euros. The CEC works to support and enhance collaboration between various stakeholders in the footwear industry, including industry representatives, research and education providers, and public authorities.

The CEC also plays a role in EU projects and international initiatives, acting as a facilitator to strengthen collaboration and synergies among global footwear stakeholders. By representing the interests of the European footwear industry, the CEC aims to contribute to the overall development and success of the sector.

The full list of CEC Members and Observers is available here.

CEC is registered under the European Union “Transparency Register” – ID number: 13497369622-37.

What we do

CEC’s overall objective is to boost the competitiveness and sustainable growth of the European sector. The most specific objectives include:

• To promote the interests and values of the European footwear vis-à-vis EU institutions and international organisations with regard to policies and regulations with an impact on the European footwear (e.g. opening of third markets on a level playing field; internationalisation of SMEs; fight of counterfeiting goods; environment; social responsibility; etc.)
• To support research and innovation, through the participation in EU projects, which can help the sector to adapt to the new globalisation challenges such as contributing to climate change mitigation, energy efficiency, scarcity of materials, e-sales, new business models, consumer demands and needs, etc.
• To foster employment and the development of necessary skills, as well as the attractiveness of the sector to young generations, through European initiatives (e.g. Erasmus+ programme; Sector Skills Council; Social Dialogue at EU level).
• To serve as a platform and communication channel for all footwear stakeholders for the interchange of information and best practices, as well as the collaboration increase, both inside and outside Europe.