UNIC – Italian Tanneries and FILCTEM CGIL, FEMCA CISL and UILTEC UIL raise the alarm on the present and future of the national leather supply chain. What is worrying the Italian tanning sector which is already “experiencing an extremely complicated and very negative economic phase” are the consequences of the entry into force at the end of the year of the EU anti-deforestation Regulation n.1115/2023 (EUDR). “This regulation – we read in the official press release – sets objectives that Italian tanners fully share, to the point that for years the national tanning industry has been strategically committed to improving supply chain traceability and combating any possible phenomenon of deforestation”. The current formulation of EUDR, however, provides that operators who market bovine hides in the European Union must verify their origin from non-deforested areas, requiring the application of traceability tools which are currently absolutely inadequate, if not unavailable, and unsuitable. to satisfy, in a very short time, unnecessarily severe and stringent requirements. Tanners fear that the application of the anti-deforestation Regulation would cause a lot of damage to the sector “making its circular activity of recovery and transformation of raw hides substantially impracticable, and frustrating its own purposes, since it would not contribute in the slightest to the real fight against deforestation, to at the same time favoring competitive dumping by non-European countries”.
Together with the trade unions, the Italian tanners’ association therefore asks the national and EU institutions for “an urgent intervention to avert the unnecessarily devastating impact of the EUDR on the Italian leather industry, in order to avoid heavy repercussions on employment levels in the sector and to support the recovery of a virtuous economic system that is at the forefront on the international scene, which uses animal hides and skins from zootechnical processing, implementing the principles of the circular economy, and also carries out waste treatment and recovery cycles for an effective and efficient use of existing resources”.

On 7 March, the court of Venice recognised that Rotacoat, Barnini and Mr Diego Marcolin had committed no wrongdoing against Gemata, a Vicenza-based company that is a leading manufacturer of coating machines. A court case that, in a nutshell, began in October 2019 when Gemata employee Diego Marcolin moved to Rotacoat and was subsequently accused of stealing company data and documents from Gemata.
The order of the Court of Venice follows that of 29 February 2024 when also the Judge for Preliminary Investigations of the Court of Pisa, accepting the Public Prosecutor’s request for archiving, had ordered the archiving of the criminal proceedings initiated by Gemata against Mr Diego Marcolin, as no unlawful conduct attributable to him had emerged as a result of the extensive preliminary investigations.
“These are two decisions (the one in the civil court and the one in the criminal court) that we have been waiting for for a long time and that confirm what we have been clamouring for since the beginning of this affair. We are therefore very happy that clarity has finally been shed, bringing light and truth to the matter. The trial on the merits has also been started recently, with which we are certain, on the basis of the positive outcomes of the precautionary, appeal and criminal proceedings, to obtain further confirmation of the measures already issued by the Court of Venice, as well as compensation for the damages suffered to date”.

A wonderful story of people putting all their experience, tenacity and passion into making well-made, solid and functional machines. Todesco, a leading Italian company producing cutting-edge finishing lines used by the best tanneries around the world, has released its Corporate Video 2024 entitled “Never give up”.

Building on its recent commercial successes and the development of new innovative products, I-TECH S.r.l. continues its market expansion on different sectors. At the heart of the strategy is the recent appointment of Andrea Carandini as General Manager.
“This appointment,” explain the Modenese company specialised among other things in offering systems and technologies for the efficiency of leather finishing departments” will allow Bruno Bettelli, founder, president and managing director, to prepare the future of I-TECH S.r.l. through the strategy department, for which he is responsible.
With over 20 years of experience in the capital goods industry, Andrea Carandini is a true expert in Market development and structuring, after had succesfully completed in the executive General Management program at LIUC Business School / Luiss Business School in 2023 , he is now applying his expertise to the benefit of I-TECH S.r.l. to firmly establish the SME as a leading player in solutions for preparation and transferring of liquids colorants products in different fields.
Andrea Carandini receives the best wishes of the entire I-TECH staff.