Government 'should consider' €2 levy on online purchases of small parcels to counter fast fashion
The Government "should consider" a €2 EU levy on small packages of online purchases, a junior minister has said.
EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic has proposed a €2 handling fee on packages sent directly to peoples' homes, with a 50 cent tax on items sent to warehouses. Junior enterprise minister Alan Dillon said such a move should be considered for its potential economic impacts.
Mr Dillon on Wednesday launched a public consultation on a National Policy Statement & Roadmap on Circular Textiles, with the minister saying the Government wants people to consider more carefully the amount of textiles they consume yearly. Most recent data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that per capita consumption of new textiles in Ireland is 53kg per year, more than twice the European average of 26kg reported by the European Environment Agency (EEA).
The policy statement includes measures to promote circular design to make textiles last longer, to make them easier to reuse, repair and recycle, alongside better labelling through mandatory EU laws on eco-design. A government statement said it "will ensure that textile products entering the EU market are designed, from the outset, to minimise waste and maximise sustainability".
'It also contains measures to apply the 'polluter pays principle' which will make the fashion industry responsible for its textile waste. Plans to create an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for textiles will support efficient textile collection, sorting, reuse and recycling, while driving the use of sustainable fibres and sustainable business models.
"I believe that these ambitious proposals, among others, will help to curb fast fashion trends, boost the reuse and recycling of textiles and reduce the environmental footprint of the sector.'
On RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Dillon said some of the textiles being purchased in Ireland could be ending up in Africa and that consumer behaviour should change.
We need to buy less, wear our clothes for longer, and look at second-hand options.
"It's entirely possible that many of these textiles find their way into Africa or other countries, and at present the waste management industry in Ireland does rely on the export market to meet the processing needs and the volumes of textile waste that's being produced."
However, the Labour Party said the consultation is disingenuous from Fine Gael, given that former enterprise minister Simon Coveney had opened fast-fashion retailer Shein's HQ in 2023.
Dublin South West TD Ciaran Ahern said it "lacks credibility for Fine Gael to belatedly wake up to this crisis". "Just two years ago, then minister Simon Coveney proudly opened Shein's Dublin HQ. This was at a time when we already knew the shocking environmental impact that such producers have."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
For markets, end to ECB rate cuts just got closer
Traders are increasingly confident the European Central Bank will pause its run of interest rate cuts now that the central bank sees itself as well-positioned to deal with global economic uncertainty fuelled by US tariff policy. Following Thursday's quarter-point cut in rates to 2%, ECB chief Christine Lagarde said the central bank was in a "good place" and was getting to the end of the monetary policy cycle. That lit a fuse under markets: The euro rose to six-week highs against the dollar and rate-sensitive short-dated euro zone government bond yields jumped as investors trimmed their rate cut bets. Money markets now price in a roughly 20% chance of a July cut compared with almost 30% just before Lagarde started speaking, with market attention initially falling on downward revisions to the ECB's latest inflation forecasts. While traders still anticipate one more cut this year given US tariff uncertainty, the bigger picture is that the ECB's most aggressive easing cycle since the 2008/2009 global financial crisis was nearing an end, analysts said. "The phrase that turned markets was that the ECB is in a good place to navigate the uncertainties," said Aviva Investors senior economist Vasileios Gkionakis. "Absent a major shock on tariffs or an external shock, the most likely outcome is that the ECB is done." The euro rose more than 0.5% to $1.1481, while two-year German government bond yields rose 8 basis points to around 1.88% in their biggest one-day jump in more than three weeks . "The strength of the euro is coming from the ECB's surprisingly hawkish message that they are approaching the end of the cutting cycle with today's rate cut," said Commerzbank currency strategist Michael Pfister. Becky Qin, multi-asset portfolio manager at Fidelity International, said she took a positive view on the euro given expectations for European investors to bring money back home from the United States. The euro's trade-weighted exchange rate is up almost 4% so far this year while oil prices are down 13% , putting downward pressure on inflation. Data on Tuesday showed inflation slowed to 1.9% in May from 2.2% a month earlier. A cut in the ECB's inflation projections initially caught market attention, but that was quickly overshadowed by Lagarde's comments. "The language was tilted to a pause being the base case," said Gareth Hill, portfolio manager at Royal London Asset Management. "The objective for this meeting was to get the market prepared for rates staying near where they are right now in case something left-field comes." Inflation could dip in the short term - possibly even below the ECB's target - but increased government spending, including German fiscal stimulus and higher trade barriers, may add to price pressures later. Lagarde said policymakers were "virtually unanimous" on the rate cut. "Despite the downward revision on growth and inflation since the last forecast, given the uncertainty about trade negotiations for the ECB to be data-dependent is the right assessment," Fidelity's Qin said. "'Wait-and-see or pause' is probably the fair assessment for the next meeting." Europe's broad stock index trimmed its falls following the ECB decision Banking stocks rallied and their outperformance was another sign that investors were sensing an end to further rate reductions. ELEPHANT, ROOM Analysts said that US tariff policy remained the biggest challenge to the ECB outlook. US President Donald Trump last month backed away from his threat to impose 50% tariffs on imports from the European Union, restoring a July 9 deadline to allow for talks between Washington and the 27-nation bloc to produce a deal. "It's 3-4 months since Trump's inauguration and the world has changed and turned upside down, so forecasting with certainty what will happen in the next few months would be challenging," said RLAM's Hill. The ECB expects the economy to grow 0.9% this year and trimmed 2026 forecasts to 1.1%. Aviva's Gkionakis noted the euro zone economy was holding up better than anticipated at the start of the year, with the composite PMI -- a closely watched gauge of business activity -- holding around the 50 mark that divides contraction from expansion. "My view is that the ECB should stay at 2%," he added.
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Drogheda United coach claims ‘Drogs should be treated the same as PSG' by Uefa over European participation debacle
DAIRE Doyle insisted Uefa must treat Drogheda United like they would Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain. Drogs Advertisement 2 Drogheda United were crowned FAI Cup champions to earn a place in European Qualifications 2 The 44-year-old is hoping Drogheda United will be allowed compete in Europe Both clubs are owned by the US-based Trivela Group, who also own Walsall, and Uefa has strict rules regarding multi-club ownership models and competing in Europe. And the Drogs' position is in peril as rules dictate that where there is joint ownership, the club that finished lower in their league is the one to miss out. There are precedents from the past. Manchester City put their 47 per cent ownership of Spanish outfit Girona in blind trust so both clubs could compete in the Champions League. And Uefa are in discussions with Trivela — Crystal Palace and Lyon are in a similar situation — with a ruling expected next week. Advertisement Read more on Irish football Assistant boss Doyle said that it is important that Drogheda get the same treatment as any European giant. He said: 'You'd hope the procedures should follow. Drogheda should be treated the same as PSG. I know the club have been in contact with Uefa over the past number of months, they're doing all they can. 'And they've let me know that they're hopeful that we can see a positive outcome to it all. 'There has been work done over a period of time to do what we need to do to find a solution to it. Advertisement Most read in Football 'People will speculate on the bad side rather than the good side. If you take history, there are clubs and ownership models similar to ourselves where both clubs have been in competitions and in some cases the same competition. 'So we can take that precedent that has been set over the last few years and we will be hopeful that will be no different to ourselves. Watch Robbie Brady aim hilarious dig at Ireland teammates after winning Player of the Year award 'Obviously until that does come out, you are going to have the people of Drogheda, supporters, players — everyone is going to talk until a decision is there. That is to be expected.' Doyle acknowledged that it has been something Trivela have been looking into since they first proposed buying 80 per cent of Silkeborg in December. Advertisement That was a month after the Drogs secured European football by DISTANT RELATIVES And Doyle admitted that, while both clubs have the same owners, there have been few dealings between them. He said: 'There wouldn't be too much contact with Silkeborg to be honest. "The Walsall one, there would be more of a link there because obviously we've had players on loan from them, they've come over and played against us last year. Advertisement 'It was a situation that could arise with another top-level country, so it was something I'm sure Trivela were aware could arise and they have been talking over the last couple of months. 'Hopefully we are in a position where ourselves and Silkeborg can both play in Europe.' Meanwhile, Doyle was pleased that the Drogs have got a home draw for when their FAI Cup defence begins next month. They will host Leinster Senior League outfit Crumlin United. Doyle knows the league well as his son Jack plays for Home Farm, and he has regularly seen Crumlin this season. Advertisement The Drogs assistant said: 'I've seen quite a few games this year, they've quite a few good players. James Lee is an excellent manager and former player as well. 'We're really happy we got a home draw, that's the most important thing. 'We'll do our homework on Crumlin now and make sure we find out as much as we can about them before the game.'
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Tesla suffers suffers biggest one-day drop in market value after Trump-Musk spat
Tesla 's market value suffered its biggest one-day drop on record on Thursday as an escalating feud between Donald Trump and Elon Musk triggered a sharp sell-off in the carmaker's shares. The electric vehicle group's shares closed down more than 14 per cent, erasing $153 billion (€134 billion) from its market capitalisation, after the US president signalled he could terminate US government contracts with Mr Musk's companies. 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,' Mr Trump wrote on his platform Truth Social. Thursday's drop left Tesla's share price down 25 per cent since the start of the year. READ MORE The spat between two of the world's most powerful men included repeated barbs from Mr Musk on his platform X and Mr Trump's comment that the billionaire, who has been a close ally since the election, was 'wearing thin'. The Tesla sell-off reverberated through US stock markets, with the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ending the session down 0.5 per cent and 0.8 per cent respectively. Both indices began to decline at around midday, when Mr Trump and Mr Musk began exchanging insults. The pair's 'petulant drama shook up the stock market', said Mike Zigmont, co-head of trading and research at Visdom Investment Group. 'The bond market didn't care, nor should it.' Tesla investors have had a rollercoaster few months. The stock rallied hard in the final quarter of last year after Mr Trump won his second term as president, but fell between mid-December and early March amid a broader market sell-off fuelled by Mr Trump's trade wars. Shares in rivals to Mr Musk's space exploration group SpaceX and its satellite broadband network subsidiary Starlink rose on Thursday as Tesla fell. AST SpaceMobile gained 7.5 per cent while communications group EchoStar jumped 17.4 per cent. The breakdown of Mr Musk's relationship with Mr Trump comes as his public interventions in European politics, including support for far right parties, have contributed to falling car sales across Europe. In March, JPMorgan strategists wrote in a note to clients that they 'struggle[d] to think of anything analogous in the history of the automotive industry, in which a brand has lost so much value so quickly'. The cuts Mr Musk made to federal government spending as head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency also sparked a backlash. The Tesla boss stepped back from his government role at the end of May, having blamed 'blowback' against his businesses. Some investors said the market should have anticipated Mr Musk's feud with Mr Trump, despite their earlier bonhomie. Renowned short seller Jim Chanos said on X that it was the 'Most. Predictable. Break-up. Ever.' – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
