French senate amends fast-fashion bill to target Shein, Temu
French senators are seeking to sharpen planned legislation aimed at regulating fast fashion to target sellers of ultra-cheap clothing such as Chinese-founded Shein Group Ltd. and Temu.
The right-leaning Senate is redrafting the bill, which passed unanimously in the lower house of parliament last year, to narrow its scope to mainly Chinese online retailers.
Senators are expected to vote on the bill next week, but the National Assembly will have the final say. The minister for ecological transition, Agnes Pannier-Runacher, has said the government backs the legislation, though the details are still under discussion.
The amended bill aims to limit environmental harm by clamping down on ultra-cheap clothing from brands like Shein and Temu. Critics of fast-fashion imports say the high-turnover clothing also leads to unfair competition for local brands as well as unsustainable consumption.
'This text will put the brakes on these Chinese giants who are invading us without any controls, without any standards, without paying any taxes in France,' said Senator Sylvie Valente Le Hir.
The revised legislation, however, waters down some provisions on banning advertising and financial penalties based on the environmental score for clothing, spurring criticism from nongovernmental organizations.
The bill could further complicate Shein's plans to list the company, which was founded in China and is now headquartered in Singapore.
Quentin Ruffat, a spokesman for Shein in France, decried the measures under consideration on RTL radio Monday, saying 'we are the only ones targeted.'
Separately, France is pushing to slap fees on small packages from discount retailers as soon as in 2026, as Paris fears that US tariffs will accelerate the flood of cheap goods entering Europe, mainly from China. There are currently no levies on parcels under €150 in Europe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
44 minutes ago
- France 24
EU backs 'cornerstone of international justice' after US sanctions ICC judges
The EU gave its backing on Friday to the International Criminal Court after Washington imposed sanctions on four ICC judges, and EU member Slovenia said it would push Brussels to use its power to ensure the US sanctions could not be enforced in Europe. EU member France also said it was renewing its call on the US to withdraw all sanctions against the court. 'The ICC holds perpetrators of the world's gravest crimes to account and gives victims a voice. It must be free to act without pressure,' European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said on social media platform X. Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, which represents national governments of the 27 member states, called the court 'a cornerstone of international justice' and said its independence and integrity must be protected. US President Donald Trump 's administration imposed sanctions on four judges at the ICC in retaliation for the war tribunal's issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a past decision to open a case into alleged war crimes by US troops in Afghanistan. The US order names Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin and Beti Hohler of Slovenia. The US sanctions mean the judges are now on a list of specially designated sanctioned individuals. Any US assets they have will be blocked and they are put on an automated screening service used by not only American banks but many banks worldwide, making it very difficult for sanctioned persons to hold or open bank accounts or transfer money. Trump's initial order announcing sanctions on the ICC also said that US citizens who provide services for the benefit of sanctioned individuals could face civil and criminal penalties. France said on Friday it backed the International Criminal Court after Washington imposed sanctions on four ICC judges, and said it was renewing its call on the United States to withdraw all its sanctions against the court. "France expresses its solidarity with the judges targeted by this decision, and reaffirms its unwavering support for the ICC and its staff, whose role is essential in the fight against impunity," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Slovenia urges EU to block sanctions Slovenia urged the EU to use its blocking statute, which lets the EU ban European companies from complying with US sanctions that Brussels deems unlawful. The power has been used in the past to prevent Washington from banning European trade with Cuba and Iran. 'Due to the inclusion of a citizen of an EU member state on the sanctions list, Slovenia will propose the immediate activation of the blocking act,' Slovenia's foreign ministry said in a post on social media site X late on Thursday. ICC president Judge Tomoko Akane had urged the EU already in March this year to bring the ICC into the scope of the blocking statute. The new sanctions have been imposed at a difficult time for the ICC, which is already reeling from earlier US sanctions against its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, who last month stepped aside temporarily amid a United Nations investigation into alleged sexual misconduct. The court's governing body, which represents its 125 member states, on Friday condemned the US government's decision to retaliate against judges. 'These ... are regrettable attempts to impede the Court and its personnel in the exercise of their independent judicial functions,' the Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties said.
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
EU states look to trim compensation for flight delays
At present, passengers in Europe have a right to between 250 and 600 euros ($285-685) in compensation, depending on flight distance, for delays of three hours or more. But airlines complain that leaves them a hefty bill, and often leads them to cancel flights rather than run them with a long delay, due to knock-on effects on flight schedules. A majority of EU states agreed late Thursday to change the rules, overcoming opposition from Germany in particular, following hours of painstaking negotiations in Luxembourg. Under the new system, the compensation threshold would increase to four hours for flights of up to 3,500 kilometres (2,175 miles), or connecting cities inside the European Union, with its amount set at 300 euros. For longer flights, the right to compensation of 500 euros would kick in after a six-hour delay. The European Consumer Organisation BEUC slammed the plan, saying the "new eligibility thresholds will deprive the majority of passengers from their compensation rights", as most delays are between two and four hours. It urged European lawmakers -- who have yet to approve the text -- to uphold passengers' rights. The compromise did not satisfy airlines either, with the umbrella group Airlines for Europe (A4E) -- which includes Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, Ryanair and easyJet -- complaining that it "introduced even more complexity" than the initial European Commission plan. But a spokesperson for the French aviation industry federation called it a "step forward" for consumers. The rules changes "clarify the law and will avoid many recurrent court disputes," said the spokesperson, Laurent Timset. Poland's infrastructure minister Dariusz Klimczak, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, meanwhile cheered the creation of "over 30 new rights" for passengers, in a statement announcing the deal. Those include a "right to be rerouted" at the earliest opportunity, including through flights operated by other carriers or alternative transport modes. The plan also creates a system for passengers to be automatically compensated for flights cancelled within 14 days of departure. And it spells out the right to assistance -- refreshments, food, accommodation -- when travel is disrupted. France's transport minister Philippe Tabarot declared himself satisfied with the compromise.
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Trump's student visa pause hits Indian and Chinese students hardest
11:54 From the show Recent student visa pauses by the US have left thousands of Indian and Chinese students in the lurch. On this week's show we bring you a report on how students in New Delhi are being forced to look for alternatives. Plus, we speak to the first Chinese woman commencement speaker in Harvard's history, as US President Donald Trump's feud with America's oldest university intensifies. Luanna Jiang tells us she's surprised her viral speech got politicised.
