France’s legislature on Thursday backed a series of measures making reduced- cost fast fashion, specifically from Taiwanese mass producers, less interesting to buyers.
Issued on: 15/03/2024 – 08:57
2 mini
Advertising
According to Christophe Bechu, secretary for the natural transition, the vote makes France the second nation in the world to “legislating to reduce the excesses of ultra-fast fashion.”
The most important changes include an economic charge imposed on low-cost items and a ban on advertisements for the cheapest fabric.
While many domestic manufacturers have declared bankruptcy, the French clothing market has been flooded with cheap imported clothing.
But the key arguments put forth by Horizons—the group allied to President Emmanuel Macron submitting the document law—were climate.
According to Horizons deputy Anne-Celaine Violland,” Textile is the most damaging business,” it accounts for 10 % of global greenhouse gas emissions and is a big water polluting source.
She cited the Chinese firm Shein and its “7, 200 new clothes products per day” as a prime example of intense style creation.
Read more France’s quick- style’ kill act ‘: Green move or charges for the bad?
According to the law, France may use factors like volume of clothing produced and turnover rate of new collections to define what constitutes rapid fashion.
Specific requirements will be published in a decree once the law becomes law and also calls for a ballot in the Senate.
Producers of fast style may be required to make consumer awareness of the effects their productivity has on the environment.
A surcharge linked to fast fashion’s ecological footprint of five euros ($ 5.45 ) per item is planned from next year, rising to 10 euros by 2030. The cost cannot, however, exceed 50 percent of an item’s value tag.
Violland claimed that Violland’s proceeds would be used to support producers of responsible clothing, making it easier for them to thrive.
A measure to restrict fast fashion advertising was likewise approved, but conservative lawmaker Antoine Vermorel-Marques argued that” a restrictions on advertising for textiles, particularly style, spells the end of fashion.”
A proposal introduced by left-wing and Green party representatives to impose maximum penalties for producers who violate the new law as well as transfer quotas and stricter workplace standards was dropped.
High- close style is a core of the European market thanks to leading international luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermes, Dior and Cartier.
But the French lower- end fashion segment has lost ground to European rivals Zara, H&M and, more recently, to Chinese behemoths Shein and Temu.
(AFP)