European leather goods associations form alliance

By

Matthieu Guinebault

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
May 11, 2017

On 27th April, the European Alliance for the Leather Goods industry (ELGA) was founded in Brussels, bringing together the local industry associations of France, Italy, Spain and the UK. The association's objective is to develop collective answers to the industry's challenges, and make the industry's voice heard at the EU level.

ELGA is made up of France's Fédération française de la Maroquinerie (FFM), Italy's Associazone Pelletieri Italiani (AIMPES), Spain's Asociacion Española De Fabricantes De Marroquineria (ASEFMA) and the British Travelgoods, Handbags & Accessories Association (BTAA).

ELGA's President elect is Arnaud Haefelin, the President of FFM. His Vice-Presidents are Riccardo Braccialini (AIMPES) and Roberto Sont (ASEFMA), while David Nathan (BTAA) was appointed treasurer.

The four founding members have outlined the alliance's four objectives: promoting the industry's expertise and innovations; championing the industry's reputation in the fight against counterfeiting; ensure the authenticity of leather and providing correct information to consumers, and finally, facilitating the growth of exports via fair access to different markets.