French parliament passes fast-fashion law targeting Shein and Temu, but critics call it watered down

A law two-and-a-half years in the making

France's parliament on Monday definitively adopted a bill aimed at curbing ultra-fast fashion, after the Senate approved the text in the same wording already passed by the National Assembly a week earlier. The law, first tabled in early 2024, was revised during more than two years of debate to ensure compliance with European Union regulations. It defines ultra-fast fashion by two cumulative criteria: the sheer volume of garments placed on the market and the low incentive to repair products, measured by repair cost relative to the item's purchase price.

We're coming down very hard on Shein, and that's the first step.

How the penalties work

The legislation imposes a per-item financial penalty that will rise over time, potentially reaching €20 per garment by 2030, though the levy is capped at 50 percent of the product's sale price. The amount varies according to a scale based on how each brand scores on the volume and repairability criteria. A ban on advertising for ultra-fast fashion brands, including through social-media influencers, is also part of the package. Retailers will be required to display on their websites messages promoting reuse and recycling.

Their names, which were still unknown three years ago... are now on everyone's lips in France: Temu, Shein and AliExpress.

Government defends balance between regulation and jobs

Trade Minister Serge Papin said the law would "hit hard and hit right" against a business model he described as built on permanent accumulation and turnover. Ecological Transition Minister Mathieu Lefèvre praised a text that "does not blame the consumer" and protects French employment, adding that the restricted scope deliberately spares European and French companies like Zara and Kiabi while targeting the three Asian platforms driving the surge in ultra-fast fashion.

Our country is opening a path.

Critics say final text spares European fast-fashion brands

Left-wing lawmakers and campaign groups argue the ambition was gutted by industry lobbying. Green Party MP Charles Fournier said the initial proposal had been "considerably scaled back," noting that "Zara, H&M, Primark, Uniqlo have not become models of sustainable fashion." Julia Faure, co-president of Impact France, warned the reworked law "risks being ineffective or unenforceable" and that an opportunity to prevent platforms from circumventing the rules had been lost. The Stop Fast Fashion coalition also denounced what it called a "greatly watered-down" version.

Under the weight of lobbies, the initial ambition of the text has been considerably scaled back.

While this was an opportunity to strengthen the text so that it would not be circumvented by the platforms, the result is that it has been weakened.

Broader context: textile emissions and an incoming EU tax

The textile industry accounts for nearly 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, a statistic cited repeatedly during the legislative debate. The law's passage came on the eve of a new EU-wide tax on small parcels that takes effect on 1 July, adding another layer to the regulatory pressure on fast-fashion imports. French officials framed the domestic bill as a trailblazing move, though some lawmakers abstained, disappointed that the final version does not cover established European fast-fashion groups.