Fact check: I've heard that UE wants to ban cotton in Europe. How true is that?

1. Summary of the results

The claim about the EU planning to ban cotton is definitively false. Multiple sources, including direct statements from EU Commission spokespersons, explicitly confirm that "There is no EU legislation banning cotton, and there are no plans to ban cotton in the future" ^{[1] [2]}. While there are ongoing discussions about textile regulations, these do not involve banning cotton.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original query misses several important pieces of context:

• The EU is actually working on sustainability guidelines for textiles, not bans ^[3]
• There are existing regulations focusing on preventing forced labor in manufacturing ^[4]
• The EU is planning to implement regulations about unsold textile destruction, which actually highlights cotton's positive environmental attributes ^[5]
• Future regulations may focus on recycled content requirements in textiles, but this is different from a ban ^[1]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The misinformation appears to stem from several sources:

• A Polish portal made unsubstantiated claims about cotton fiber being unsuitable for recycling ^[6]
• Some media outlets have misinterpreted sustainability guidelines and recycling requirements as potential bans ^[6]

This misinformation could benefit:

• Fast fashion retailers who might want to create panic buying or resistance to environmental regulations
• Media outlets seeking attention through sensationalized headlines
• Anti-EU groups who might use such claims to portray the EU as overreaching in its regulatory power

The reality is that the EU's focus is on sustainable textile practices and preventing forced labor ^[4], not on banning specific materials like cotton.