What is included in the bill to fight “fast fashion” is being debated in the National Assembly

Supported by Horizons deputies, this text aims to introduce fines of up to 10 euros per article. Chinese site Sheen is particularly eyed by parliamentarians.

They want “fast fashion” to go out of fashion. A bill aimed at penalizing “disposable fashion” comes to the National Assembly on Monday 4 March. The text will be the first to be carried out by the deputies of the Horizons group Hemicycle from March 14 followed by committee inquiry. In the viewfinder: brands and online shopping sites, such as Sheen, that offer a myriad of clothing at low prices and low quality, much of it imported from Asia. like thisis in place of a Fines, advertising prohibited… Franceinfo presents the main points for you.

Criticized a model

Dresses for less than 15 euros, jackets for 9.99 euros, t-shirts for 1.50 euros… the Shane brand, known for its unbeatable prices, is mentioned by name in the bill’s introduction. “At the forefront of this express fashion, the Chinese ready-to-wear company lists an average of more than 7,200 new clothing models every day and makes more than 470,000 different products available to consumers, Write Horizons Deputies. So Sheen offers 900 times more products than traditional French brands.”

The Explanatory Memorandum of the proposed Act thus points out that “run away” of the field. “This overproduction of clothing, which comes from Asia in violation of all environmental regulations, is dramatic. There is an urgency to tackle the problem in a very concrete way.”Concerned by the bill’s author, MP Ann-Cécile Violand Le Figaro.

Accused of forced labor and encouraging overconsumption, singled out for their environmental impact, criticized for the lack of transparency of their production, these brands regularly attract the ire of environmental and human rights defenders. In 2022, for example, Greenpeace Shane condemned the presence of chemicals in the brand’s clothing that are dangerous to humans.

In a message sent to AFP, the company maintained that it has a model “Fundamentally different from fast fashion” and guaranteed to follow “International Best Practices in Sustainable Development and Social Commitments”. She claims to share “Legislators’ Interest in Promoting Responsible Supply Chain Management and Protecting Our Environment”.

Proposed penalty

The proposed legislation seeks to hit brands in the wallet. The text provides for the establishment of a Fines to offset the environmental impact of these clothes. By 2030, this “penalty” Can reach 10 euros per item sold, within a limit of 50% of the selling price. “This is how we move into another sector, like automobiles (…), to truly change the systems of manufacturers as well as the buying behavior of consumers.”We can read.

“When we shop at these sites, we know what we are doing and we are contributing to the massive pollution of our environment., Recalls MP Anne-Cécile Violand, interviewed by France 2. These products are shipped directly to consumers by plane, and if we go further than that, we also have problems associated with wastewater management.

Text also provides for modulation An “eco-contribution” paid by companies based on their environmental impact, to reduce the price gap between “fast fashion” and products from more virtuous sectors. Pierre Talamon, president of the National Clothing Federation (FNH), approves. According to him, we should penalize those who rebuke “Commercial marketing and overproduction techniques that force you to buy clothes to wear 7 to 8 times and then throw them in the trash.” These companies that sell online “Don’t create jobs, they destroy them”Still professional berates.

Prohibition on advertising

The bill also plans to ban online sales platforms for low-cost clothing from advertising. Paid videos of influencers unpacking their packages, revealing all the clothes they just bought, are also in the sights of deputies. Anne-Cécile Violland also pioneered the idea of ​​messages on websites to make consumers aware of the environmental impact of their purchases. This measure may be inspired by what is being done with the Evin Law that regulates advertising on alcoholic beverages.

In their bill, Horizons deputies also mentionThe Climate Act, promulgated in August 2021. This one “Advertisements involving fossil fuels or greenwashing or eco-laundering are prohibited”. His proposed legislation “It is part of the continuation of this approach to bring the advertising sector in line with our national, European and international commitments in terms of environmental protection”It is recalled in the text.

The president of the Union of Textile Industries, Olivier Ducatilian, approves the project of the deputies, deciding that “All initiatives aimed at countering unfair competition from Shen, Temu and others are welcome”. The president of the Women’s Ready-to-Wear Federation, Yann Rivlon, believes so “prudent” Any project intended to approve “Economically, environmentally and socially risky behavior”.