French Senate Backs Law to Curb Ultra Fast-Fashion
France's Senate approved a revised version of a law regulating fast fashion on Tuesday, which if implemented would ban advertising by fast-growing Chinese e-commerce platforms like Shein and Temu.
Senators in the upper house of parliament voted almost unanimously for a modified version of a bill passed by France's lower house last year, which aims to reduce the environmental impact of the textile industry.
Critics say the low-priced garments produced by fast-fashion chains drive excessive consumption and waste, exacerbating the textile sector's impact on the environment.
An amended version of the bill distinguishes between 'ultra' fast fashion and 'classic' fast fashion, however, imposing less onerous restrictions on European fast-fashion players like Zara and Kiabi, but drawing criticism from environmental groups.
The 'clarifications (made by the Senate) make it possible to target players who ignore environmental, social, and economic realities, notably Shein and Temu, without penalising the European ready-to-wear sector,' said Jean-Francois Longeot, chair of the Senate's Committee on Regional Planning and Sustainable Development.
'Shein is not a fast fashion company,' said the Chinese firm in a statement in response to the vote, adding that its model was 'part of the solution, not the problem'.
Faced with competition from very low-priced products, several French brands are experiencing significant difficulties, such as Jennyfer, which went into liquidation at the end of April, and NafNaf, which has been in receivership since May.
The law would also introduce penalties for both fast and ultra fast-fashion companies if they don't meet certain environmental criteria, reaching at least 10 euros per item of clothing by 2030, or up to 50 percent of the product's price excluding tax.
The government needs to notify the European Commission of the vote, and will then need to set up a joint committee to reach a compromise between the Senate and lower house versions of the law before it is implemented.
By Florence Loeve; Editors: Dominique Patton and Mark Potter
Learn more:
Tariffs Won't Kill Fast Fashion, But They Might Kill Sustainable Fashion
Some have hailed America's escalating trade war as a means to finally curb overconsumption of cheap goods. Instead, the economic hardship its likely to bring on will eviscerate efforts to transform the industry for the better, writes Kenneth P. Pucker.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Michigan lawmakers unite in ‘bad blood' against ticket bots in Taylor Swift inspired bills
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 02: Taylor Swift attends the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor The Recording Academy) Just as Taylor Swift brought together over 100,000 people to her two Detroit concert nights in 2023 during her Eras Tour, the often partisan-split Michigan legislature seems to have laid its armor down to ban online ticket bots from skipping lines and getting past ticket number limits, preventing fans from getting tickets to see shows. This was the case when Eras Tour tickets went on sale in November of 2022, which fans refer to as The Great War, where glitches and online bots prevented many fans from being able to purchase a ticket for the tour off of Ticketmaster. But even as elected officials in Michigan's Legislature clash on appropriations in the state budget in the Democratic-led Senate and Republican-led House, they're coming together and have both passed bills out of committee to create an Event Online Ticket Sales Act. The bipartisan bills, House Bills 4262 and 4263 and Senate Bills 158 and 159, would prohibit individuals from creating or utilizing a bot that can circumvent ticket purchasing limits, hop the line in online queues or otherwise defrauding the online ticket buying experience through software or bot programs. On the House side, which cleared its bills out of committee with bipartisan support earlier this month, one of the sponsors, Rep. Mike Harris (R-Waterford Township) told lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee that bad actors are exploiting the system and preventing people and their families from experiencing sporting events and concerts important to them. 'As a father of six, yes, I have attended a Taylor Swift concert. That was my duty as a father of four girls,' Harris said during committee. 'I believe these are meaningful safeguards that will increase transparency and ensure a much fairer purchasing process for people here in Michigan.' The House bills cleared the committee unanimously. On the Senate side, Wednesday, the bills cleared the Finance, Insurance, and Consumer Protection Committee nearly unanimously, except for one pass by Sen. Lana Theis (R-Brighton) on Senate Bill 159, which like House Bill 4262, would place a $5,000 civil fine on each violation to the Event Online Ticket Sales Act and allow the Michigan Attorney General's Office to bring civil action against violators. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Pope names Chinese bishop as he keeps historic Vatican-Beijing accord
Pope Leo XIV has appointed the first Chinese bishop of his papacy, signalling that he will continue a historic agreement that sought to improve relations between the Vatican and China. Both sides have hailed the appointment of Fuzhou Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan as an affirmation of their commitment to the 2018 accord, which was reached under the late Pope Francis. The agreement gave Chinese officials some input on the appointment of bishops. However, its contents were never fully disclosed to the public. Beijing insists that the state must approve the appointment of bishops in China, running contrary to the Catholic Church's insistence that it is a papal decision. China has some 10 million Catholics. Currently, they face the choice of attending state-sanctioned churches approved by Beijing or worshipping in underground congregations that have sworn allegiance to the Vatican. On Wednesday, the Vatican said Yuntuan's ministry had been "recognised" by Chinese law. "This event constitutes a further fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese Authorities and is an important step in the journey of communion of the Diocese," the Vatican said. When asked about Yuntuan's appointment, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters on Thursday that this showed how the 2018 agreement had been "smoothly implemented", state media reported. China is willing to work with the Vatican to continue improving relations, he said. The Pope's move shows a "willingness to support reconciliation instead of antagonism", Michel Chambon, a research fellow at the Asia Research Institute in Singapore who has written extensively about the Catholic Church, told Reuters news agency. In September 2018, Pope Francis recognised seven bishops appointed by China. The Vatican also posthumously recognised an eighth bishop who died the year before. China first broke off diplomatic ties with the Holy See in 1951, and many Catholics were forced to go underground during former communist leader Mao Zedong's rule, emerging only in the 1980s when religious practices were tolerated again. China, the Vatican and a controversial deal Pope and China in historic deal on bishops
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
International Atomic Energy Agency: Iran in breach of non-proliferation commitments
June 12 (UPI) -- The U.N. nuclear energy watchdog ruled Thursday that Iran was in breach of its Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations by failing to come clean about undeclared nuclear material and activities at multiple sites. A meeting of the 35-member-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna voted 19-3 in a favor of the resolution, the first against Iran in 20 years, amid heightened tension over its nculear program and fears an pre-emptive military strike by Israel could be imminent. Russia, China and Burkina Faso voted against the U.S., British, French and German-sponsored resolution, 11 countries abstained and two did not take part at all. The vote came after IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, in a briefing on the body's quarterly report, told the board that Iran had not been cooperating and had sufficient 60% enriched uranium to build nine nuclear warheads. He said the IAEA had been seeking answers from Tehran ever since inspectors found man-made uranium particles at three undeclared locations in 2019 and 2020, including via a series of high-level meetings and consultations that he said he had been personally involved in. "We have been seeking explanations and clarifications from Iran for the presence of these uranium particles. Unfortunately, Iran has repeatedly either not answered or not provided technically credible answers to the agency's questions. It has also sought to sanitize the locations, which has impeded agency verification activities," Grossi said. The decision prompted a strong reaction from Tehran, which issued a statement criticizing what it called a "political" move that placed the IAEA's credibility and stature in doubt and that it would bring forward "a new [uranium] enrichment center in a secure location" and update first generation centrifuges at another site. Prior to the vote it threatened to quit the 1970 NPT, which Tehran has signed but failed to ratify the part that authorizes international inspection teams access to remote regions of Iran where they have reason to believe illicit nuclear development projects may be underway. On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned the so-called E3 [Britain, France and Germany] against punishing Iran for its own failures with regard to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action under which the United States, E3, Russia and China agreed to lift some sanctions in return for Iran reining in its nuclear program. "The E3 have had seven years to implement their JCPOA commitments. They have utterly failed, either by design or ineptitude. Instead of displaying remorse or a desire to facilitate diplomacy, the E3 is today promoting confrontation through the absurd demand that Iran must be punished for exercising its right under the JCPOA to respond to non-performance by its counterparts," he wrote on X. "As I have warned: Another major strategic mistake by the E3 will compel Iran to react strongly. Blame will lie solely and fully with malign actors who shatter their own relevance." A joint statement issued by the Foreign Office in London said Britain, France, Germany, and United States welcomed the action by the IAEA. "The board's collective action upholds the integrity of the IAEA safeguards system and the broader nuclear nonproliferation regime: states will be held to account if they do not live up to their obligations. "The action creates an opportunity Iran should seize. Iran still has a chance to finally fulfill its obligations, in full candor, and answer the IAEA's crucial, longstanding questions on undeclared nuclear material and activities," said the statement. However, ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations mediated by Oman that began in April were apparently unaffected with a sixth round between Araghchi and Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, scheduled to go ahead Sunday as planned, according to Omani Foreign Minister Bad Albusaidi. The negotiations, exactly five years after Trump pulled the United States out of the JCPOA during his first term, are aimed at replacement deal ensuring Iran does not and cannot develop a nuclear weapon in exchange for removing sanctions. Iran has always denied working toward developing nuclear weapons, insisting its nuclear program is strictly for energy and other peaceful purposes.
