San Francisco Frontiers - French parliament adopts bill to regulate fast fashion

The legislation, first tabled two-and-a-half years ago, seeks to regulate so-called "ultra-fast fashion" companies, known for selling large volumes of lower quality clothing at rock-bottom price.

Easy to order and replace, fast fashion items contribute to pollution from the textile industry, which accounts for nearly 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The Senate passed the bill Monday after the lower house National Assembly did last week.

It imposes a per-item fee for producing textile en masse that will increase over time, and a ban on advertising for ultra-fast fashion brands, including by social media influencers.

Lawmakers hope to rein in Asian e-commerce companies that have exploded in popularity in France in recent years.

Trade Minister Serge Papin last week said the bill would target the main players including three companies, which he said are driving the surge in ultra-fast fashion.

"Their names, which were still unknown three years ago... are now on everyone's lips in France: Temu, Shein and AliExpress," he said at the time.

But some have criticised the legislation for sparing European and French companies such as Zara and Kiabi, with some leftist lawmakers in both chambers abstaining during the vote.

Green Party lawmaker Charles Fournier said last week the original bill had been "considerably scaled back", arguing that brands such as Zara and H&M "have not become models of sustainable fashion".

Stop Fast Fashion, a coalition of organisations, also criticised what it called as a "greatly watered-down" version compared to the one originally put forward.

- Advertising ban doubts -

Anne-Cecile Violland, the centre-right member of parliament who proposed the bill, said they needed legislation that could be passed "very quickly and be operational".

"We're coming down very hard on Shein, and that's the first step," she told AFP, adding she understood the disappointment.

The legislation targets ultra-fast fashion based on two criteria: the volume of clothing placed on the market and the cost of repairing garments relative to their purchase price.

The per-item fee will vary on a set scale according to how each brand scores on both these standards.

The levy could reach up to 20 euros ($23) per item by 2030, though the cap remains at 50 percent of the product's pre-tax price.

Part of these penalties will go towards collection and recycling infrastructure.

The legislation also requires ultra-fast fashion companies to display messages on their websites promoting more moderate consumption, including reusing and repairing clothing.

A ban on advertising, including by influencers, is a central plank of the bill, though questions remain over how it could be enforced.

The European Commission has questioned whether the bill's advertising provisions comply with EU law.

The French government has argued that it is relying on similar principles that underline regulations on advertisements for alcohol or cigarettes, said Violland.

But if the Commission disagrees, France would not be able to enforce the measure, she said.

X.Roberts--SFF