5. Conclusion

We have tried to show that the problem of traceability is, and must necessarily be, linked to the authentication of textile products, right upstream in the value chain.

Regulatory constraints, legal risks and the need to respect intellectual property rights will eventually require professional organizations and governments to introduce binding regulations at European level. It is only through regulation that we will achieve a level of traceability close to that of the agri-food industry, and which will be able to protect the consumer.

Today, the emphasis is on the deployment of RFID technology, which is a real step forward for the world of distribution, but which does absolutely nothing to solve the problems upstream in the chain. The eternal problem of the additional cost of these technologies, which will inevitably be borne by manufacturers,...