The French Senate passed an amended bill on Tuesday (June 10) aimed at regulating the fast fashion industry. The bill specifically targets Chinese e-commerce platforms Shein and Temu, which sell low-quality clothing to Europe at extremely low prices, flooding the market with fast-paced and environmentally harmful products, disrupting the local traditional garment industry.
If the bill is implemented, it will prohibit advertising by Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Shein and Temu.
The law will also impose penalties on fast fashion companies that fail to meet certain environmental standards. By 2030, the fine for each garment will be at least 10 euros, or 50% of the product price (excluding taxes).
With a vote of 337 in favor and 1 against, the Senate almost unanimously passed the revised version of the bill, which the National Assembly approved with a unanimous vote on March 14, 2024.
Passing in both houses does not mean the legislative process is over. Senators and National Assembly members will form a joint committee in September to draft a common version for review by the European Commission to ensure compliance with European law, before final approval and implementation.
Supporters of the bill argue that low-cost garments produced by fast fashion companies promote overconsumption and waste, exacerbating the textile industry’s impact on the environment.
Fast fashion has rapidly expanded in France. From 2010 to 2023, the total value of fashion goods advertised increased from 23 billion euros to 32 billion euros.
According to data from the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME), the average French person buys about 48 clothing items per year, while 35 items are discarded every second.
At the same time, the revised version of the bill distinguishes between “ultra-fast fashion” and “classic fast fashion,” excluding the impact on European fashion brands such as Zara and Kiabi.
Jean-Francois Longeot, chairman of the Senate’s Regional Planning and Sustainable Development Committee, said, “The Senate’s clarification allows the bill to target operators who ignore environmental, social, and economic realities, especially Shein and Temu, without penalizing the European garment industry.”
In response to the vote, Shein stated, “Shein is not a fast fashion company,” and described its model as “part of the solution, not the problem.”
Facing fierce competition from low-priced products, several French fashion brands are experiencing significant difficulties, such as Jennyfer entering liquidation proceedings at the end of April and Naf Naf filing for bankruptcy since May.
French Minister of Energy and Climate Agnès Pannier-Runacher said, “Fast fashion poses a triple threat: it drives overconsumption, causes ecological disasters, and threatens our businesses.”
Pannier-Runacher condemned the “invasion” of these “short-lived” products and hoped that the bill would promote change across Europe.
(This article references relevant reports from Reuters and AFP)