France to ban ads for Shein and Temu in crackdown on 'ultra' fast fashion giants
On June 10, the French Senate nearly unanimously passed a bill that seeks to regulate 'ultra' fast fashion giants Shein and Temu with strict sanctions and ad bans
The French Senate has overwhelmingly approved legislation to regulate 'ultra' fast fashion giants Shein and Temu. On June 10, the Senate passed a bill which would sanction companies with low 'eco-scores' and prohibit fast fashion advertisements.
The bill directly targets Chinese e-commerce companies which have a reputation for selling products at extremely low prices. Environmental groups like Friends of the Earth have highlighted that Shein high product turnover "break[s] the market by selling at a loss" and "encourag[es] overconsumption and waste".
The minister for ecological transition, Agnes Pannier-Runacher, called the bill "a major step in the fight against the economic and environmental impact of fast fashion and a strong signal sent to businesses and to consumers'.
Pannier-Runacher has called fast fashion a "triple threat" that promotes overconsumption, causes ecological damage and threatens French clothing businesses. The new bill was modified from a previous version that was passed by France's lower house in 2024.
The new version focuses on 'ultra' fast fashion companies and is notably lenient on European offenders like Zara, H&M and Kiabi. The amendments have drawn criticism from environmental groups with Pierre Condamine, campaign manager at Friends of the Earth France, calling the bill a 'missed opportunity' for 'real environmental ambition'.
Jean-François Longeot, chair of the Senate's Committee on regional planning and sustainable development, defended the amendment saying: 'The [bill] clarifications 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'.
Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you!
The bill will see the introduction of an 'eco-score' system applicable to all fast fashion companies. Those receiving the lowest scores will face taxes of up to five euros per product in 2025, increasing to 10 euros by 2030 with a cap of 50 percent of the product's original price.
The legislation would also ban fast fashion advertising and impose sanctions on influencers who promote such products.
A joint committee of senators and lower house deputies is expected to meet in September to produce a joint text, prior to the final adoption of the law. The European Commission also has to be notified, to ensure the bill complies with EU law prior to its adoption.
Speaking to RTL radio on Monday, Shein spokesperson Quentin Ruffat said that regulation of the fast fashion industry will only succeed with 'collective effort' and not by targeting a 'single actor'. Ruffat said the new law would 'impact the purchasing power' of French people.
The approval of the French legislation comes just a few weeks after consumer watchdogs from 21 countries filed a formal complaint to EU authorities about Shein for 'shaming' customers into buying more than they can afford.
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) submitted a 29-page report to the European Commission citing 'dark patterns' and deceptive techniques to promote consumer purchases. The report lists fake countdown timers and low-stock warnings to create a false sense of urgency and scarcity.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
22 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Liverpool agree potential British record deal for Florian Wirtz
The Reds had two bids rejected, the last one of £113m which would have seen £100m paid up front with performance-related add-ons, but have finally got the deal over the line. Liverpool will still pay an initial £100m – comfortably surpassing their own record outlay – but the performance-related add-ons, if achieved, would make it a potential British record. Leverkusen had valued the 22-year-old Germany international around £125m but regardless, Liverpool's overall outlay could surpass the £115m Chelsea paid Brighton in 2023 for Moises Caicedo – who turned down Anfield after the Seagulls had accepted an offer which was subsequently matched by their Premier League rivals. Striker Darwin Nunez was their previous record signing in 2022, although they have not paid the full £85m as he has not met all the requirements for certain add-ons to be due. Liverpool, like a number of top European clubs, had been watching Wirtz for some time but did not consider themselves front-runners for his signature. However, after Manchester City pulled out, reportedly due to the spiralling costs of the whole package, and Wirtz expressed a preference for Merseyside over Bayern Munich, sporting director Richard Hughes changed gear. Talks were already ongoing with Leverkusen over Jeremie Frimpong, who became the first new addition to Arne Slot's squad in a £30m deal late last month, which made the line of communication easier. Hughes' connections with his former club Bournemouth mean he was also well-placed to progress talks with the Cherries over the signing of left-back Milos Kerkez, a player he originally brought to the Premier League. The full extent of Wirtz's fee will only be paid if Liverpool enjoy a sustained level of elite success and the club's view is that should that be the case, the considerable cost will have been recouped on the pitch. With Kerkez next on the list their summer spending could edge close to £200m, made possible by financial discipline in the last two windows which saw only Federico Chiesa brought in for a cut-price £10m last August. That approach was justified when Slot's team won the title but with their rivals strengthening it was apparent additions were required in certain areas. It is likely to be their biggest summer window since 2018 when Naby Keita, Fabinho, Xherdan Shaqiri and Alisson Becker were recruited for around £170m, with Virgil van Dijk having signed for £75m the previous January. Owners Fenway Sports Group have, despite their 'Moneyball' reputation, not been afraid to splash out big fees for transformative players like Van Dijk and Alisson – and Wirtz, one of the hottest prospects in Europe, falls into that category. The fact the forward, who only turned 22 a month ago, opted for Anfield over more lucrative offers from other European clubs is also seen as validation of the work Slot has done and the squad he already has at his disposal.
Scottish Sun
25 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
French cops with riot shields FINALLY launch bid to stop overloaded migrant boat… only to retreat & watch it sail away
HEAVY handed French police finally went into the sea to try to stop migrants getting onto a dinghy - but the small boats were still left dangerously overcrowded after the officers retreated. Riot officers dramatically threatened migrants with batons and pepper sprayed them in waist-high water during shocking scenes at Gravelines beach - near Dunkirk - in the early hours of this morning. 12 French Police finally entered the water to deter the migrants Credit: Getty 12 Dramatic scenes showed French cops using tear gas and batons to disperse the groups Credit: Getty 12 It is believed to be one of the first times French police have ever gone into the water Credit: Getty Harrowing babies' cries and screams rang out from the water as their parents carrying them refused to leave. Smugglers were caught off-guard when the French authorities, who have famously kept to dry land, started wading into the cold water. But 15 minutes later, riot cops were called back out of the water and watched on as the same group of migrants boarded the waiting dinghy. The Sun watched as Smugglers and migrants initially tried to fight back against the police, shouting at them, pushing them and splashing water at them. Then they tried moving along the coast, rather than towards land, to escape the cops and wait for the small boat, and the group slowly dispersed into smaller groups with cops pursuing them. Families began shouting at each other to come back when some moved towards the shore. The dinghy had arrived already with some migrants on, confirming theories that smugglers are now operating boats like a bus route picking people up at various spots. Tear gas grenades were thrown on land as the second group ran around, with smoke completely covering the miles-long beach in scenes comparable to a war zone. This is believed to be one of the first times French police have ever gone into the water. They have repeatedly refused to get their feet wet, claiming it is dangerous and legally complex. New maritime rules allowing cops to intervene at sea have not come into force yet. It has created accusations of officers just wanting to "put on a show" after being exposed in the press, while continuing to fail to stop any dinghies. French cops shrug as they stand & watch migrant family almost drown in bid to board small boat The first group entered Gravelines beach from the sand dunes at around 4.50am. They walked with pace along the beach before eventually running towards the sea with a very large number of young children and babies. People smugglers were yelling at them, directing them what to do and where to go while no police were on the beach. Parents adjusted their childrens' life jackets as the group of around 50 migrants stood at the edge of the sea. One dad's one-year-old son was crying as he asked for help adjusting the baby's ill-fitting life jacket, which heartbreakingly appeared to be choking him. The dad said he was terrified for his baby ahead of the journey, but insisted they were fleeing war and needed to go to Britain. 12 Officers clashed with migrants as they refused to leave the boats Credit: Getty 12 Dozens of migrants had piled onto the small boats this morning Credit: Chris Eades 12 Children could be heard screaming during the shocking scenes on the French coast Credit: Chris Eades 12 Riot police marched into the water and aggressively banged their riot shields Credit: Getty 12 Police used tear gas to try and stop migrants boarding the small boats Credit: Getty People smugglers were shouting at the group and aggressively threw sand at the onlooking media. They stayed at the edge of the water until around 5.15am, when around 40 police officers finally emerged from the sand dunes and began marching the three quarters of a mile towards the sea. The migrants were then instructed by smugglers to enter the cold water, which they believed would give them protection against the officers who famously have never been in the sea. At least six riot officers marched into the sea towards the group of migrants and aggressively banged their riot shield with batons as they shouted at the group to go back. It led to a stand-off, with the group refusing to budge. One officer then lunged towards the group and pushed them with his shield, causing them to almost fall. The officers then continued to push them as screams were heard from the group, and they then used pepper spray against them. Parents, carrying their children on their shoulders or in their arms, were among those remaining firm in the water. Other sporadic moments of jostling and pushing between police and migrants continued during the 15 minute standoff. But the police were then called back as tear gas grenades were thrown on the sand as a second group appeared on the beach. It meant the migrants a dinghy could approach the group that the cops had failed to remove from the sea. The Sun then watched as they struggled to get on the already-overcrowded dinghy. Children were hoisted up as adults struggled in the sea. Meanwhile on the beach, hundreds more migrants were running around in a cat and mouse game with the police as they also tried to get to a second boat that was further down the coast. Officers threw a line of tear gas grenades to try to stop them from getting near to the sea. But migrants still managed to get to that boat. Smugglers appear to always bring more migrants than can fit on the boat, to make sure they are as full as possible. It meant there was a large group that were left on the beach after the boats had gone. But this was because there was no more room on the boats, not because the police had stopped them. It comes after The Sun watched on Wednesday morning as police stood idly by on land while migrants almost drowned trying to get onto a boat. But around two hours later today, some miles east in Dunkirk, another group of migrants boarded a small boat as officers continued to look on from the shore. 12 Smugglers started fighting back when officers waded into the sea Credit: Getty 12 New maritime rules allowing cops to intervene at sea have not come into force yet Credit: Chris Eades 12 Children were hoisted up as adults struggled in the sea Credit: Getty
The Herald Scotland
29 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Liverpool agree potential British record deal for Florian Wirtz
Liverpool will still pay an initial £100m – comfortably surpassing their own record outlay – but the performance-related add-ons, if achieved, would make it a potential British record. Liverpool have broken their club record to sign Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz (Peter Byrne/PA) Leverkusen had valued the 22-year-old Germany international around £125m but regardless, Liverpool's overall outlay could surpass the £115m Chelsea paid Brighton in 2023 for Moises Caicedo – who turned down Anfield after the Seagulls had accepted an offer which was subsequently matched by their Premier League rivals. Striker Darwin Nunez was their previous record signing in 2022, although they have not paid the full £85m as he has not met all the requirements for certain add-ons to be due. Liverpool, like a number of top European clubs, had been watching Wirtz for some time but did not consider themselves front-runners for his signature. However, after Manchester City pulled out, reportedly due to the spiralling costs of the whole package, and Wirtz expressed a preference for Merseyside over Bayern Munich, sporting director Richard Hughes changed gear. The signing of Florian Wirtz will take Liverpool's summer spending close to £200million (Matthias Schrader/AP) Talks were already ongoing with Leverkusen over Jeremie Frimpong, who became the first new addition to Arne Slot's squad in a £30m deal late last month, which made the line of communication easier. Hughes' connections with his former club Bournemouth mean he was also well-placed to progress talks with the Cherries over the signing of left-back Milos Kerkez, a player he originally brought to the Premier League. The full extent of Wirtz's fee will only be paid if Liverpool enjoy a sustained level of elite success and the club's view is that should that be the case, the considerable cost will have been recouped on the pitch. With Kerkez next on the list their summer spending could edge close to £200m, made possible by financial discipline in the last two windows which saw only Federico Chiesa brought in for a cut-price £10m last August. Milos Kerkez has been linked with a move from Bournemouth to Liverpool (Nick Potts/PA) That approach was justified when Slot's team won the title but with their rivals strengthening it was apparent additions were required in certain areas. It is likely to be their biggest summer window since 2018 when Naby Keita, Fabinho, Xherdan Shaqiri and Alisson Becker were recruited for around £170m, with Virgil van Dijk having signed for £75m the previous January. Owners Fenway Sports Group have, despite their 'Moneyball' reputation, not been afraid to splash out big fees for transformative players like Van Dijk and Alisson – and Wirtz, one of the hottest prospects in Europe, falls into that category. The fact the forward, who only turned 22 a month ago, opted for Anfield over more lucrative offers from other European clubs is also seen as validation of the work Slot has done and the squad he already has at his disposal.
