France’s proposed law, which aims to add a €5 levy on fast fashion items, rising to €10 by 2030, could have a drastic impact on the country’s apparel sector according to GlobalData apparel analyst Louise Deglise-Favre, Just Style reported.
The proposal was approved at the French National Assembly in April 2024, although it still needs to pass the Senate before being adopted.
“If passed, it could profoundly change the landscape of the French apparel market, by making it highly uncompetitive,” Deglise-Favre warned.
The law aims to make fast fashion brands less appealing to consumers in France by increasing the price of products so they choose more sustainable alternatives or limit their apparel consumption.
The decision on which brands impacted by the fee will be determined by “eco-scores” designed to reflect the impact of each product. If the law passes, brands would be required to display these scores online and in stores.
However, Deglise-Favre added: “It isn’t clear how scores would be decided, and implementing these for players like Shein that release thousands of items each day seems highly unrealistic, questioning the feasibility of this law.” /BGNES