About Ecra

About ecra

The European Carpet and Rug Association (ECRA) is committed to helping our members develop a standard, coherent industry approach to making the transition to a circular economy. Here, we will seek to define a Strategic Plan marking a new phase in ECRA’s performance framework and addressing some of the key challenges facing the carpet and flooring sector in Europe.

Importantly, our plan will reflect our sector’s support of European Union (EU) circular economy policies, and particularly its plastics strategy.
Based in Brussels, Belgium, ECRA was established in 2004 and represents more than 40 leading carpet producers from six European countries. Together, our members account for approximately 90% of European textile wall-to-wall carpet production and 73% of EU consumption. As an international membership association, we encourage the exchange of knowledge, ideas and experience between our members and stakeholders.

We aim to continuously improve our industry’s environmental and health impacts in order to help conserve natural resources, prevent climate change and protect human health. To achieve this, we conduct industry research and analysis, and develop international and EU standards on product level related to progressive carpet design, as well as health and safety related aspects. We also engage with a broad range of stakeholders, encourage change and lead discussions on sustainability best practice both among national and international organisations and trade associations in our industry.

Structure

ECRA is governed by a Board of Directors who are responsible for the administration and coordination of all activities, and for developing policy and strategy. The Board is also responsible for developing and maintaining contact at a European level with organisations outside ECRA that can either influence or are related to the textile floor covering industry.

As a membership organisation, the members collectively set budgets and are responsible for the election of the Board. Within ECRA, dissemination of information on a technical level is organised through working groups, each designed to address a particular area.  ECRA is a founding member of the European Floor Coverings Association (EUFCA), the umbrella organisation of the flooring industry.

In addition, the European Resilient Floorings Institute (ERFMI) which represents the resilient flooring sector, the European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF) and Modular Multilayer Floorings Association (MMFA), both representing the laminate flooring sector, are also EUFCA members.  Additionally, ECRA is a member of the European Apparel and Textile Federation (Euratex), which represents the textile element of the carpet industry, and a member of the European Polymer Converters Association (EUPCA), which represents the polymer element of the sector.
ECRA also collaborates with the European Man Made Fibers Association (CIRFS), which is closely linked with the fibre industry and with the EMEA Synthetic Turf Council (ESTC), bridging the gap to the outdoor carpet sector.

Beyond this, ECRA has direct partnerships with national EU carpet associations, primarily in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Denmark. On international level, we also collaborate with colleagues in Australia (Carpet Institute of Australia and the United States (CRI) on technical and environmental issues.