{"id":6534,"date":"2026-07-21T15:00:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T13:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.lineapelle-fair.it\/?p=6534"},"modified":"2026-07-21T16:54:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T14:54:33","slug":"so-super-fast-fashion-is-in-the-firing-line-in-france-and-germany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.lineapelle-fair.it\/en\/focus-en\/so-super-fast-fashion-is-in-the-firing-line-in-france-and-germany\/","title":{"rendered":"So \u2018super fast fashion\u2019 is in the firing line in France and Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"

France has passed a law targeting non-EU platforms such as Shein and Temu. In<\/strong><\/em>
\nGermany, a series of tests has described their products as \u2018toxic chemical cocktails\u2019 that<\/strong><\/em>
\nunderpin a specific business model. What will be the outcome of this war on super fast<\/strong><\/em>
\nfashion?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

by Massimiliano Viti<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

From the Brussels tax (which we wrote about here<\/a>) to the French law, via the German legal case. Chinese super-fast fashion (Shein<\/strong>, Temu<\/strong>, AliExpress<\/strong>) is in Europe\u2019s sights. France<\/a>, after more than two years of parliamentary debate, has become the first country to pass a law designed to target the giants of ultra-fast fashion and \u201creduce the environmental impact of the textile industry\u201d.<\/p>\n

In Europe\u2019s sights<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The law also regulates advertising. It requires the inclusion of environmental information <\/strong>and prohibits influencers from promoting super-fast fashion brands online. This legislation is based on two main criteria. One is the volume of garments placed on the market (according to the French government, Shein and Temu sell volumes that are not comparable to those of Zara<\/strong>). The other is the incentive to repair. In other words, a
\ncoefficient that relates the price of the product to the cost of repair.<\/p>\n

The French law<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A few days after the law was passed, the French government also presented a draft
\ndecree setting out the amounts of the fines, calculated on the basis of each product\u2019s
\nenvironmental score. The amount is set to rise. It could reach up to 20 euros per item by
\n2030, with a maximum cap of 50 per cent of the pre-tax price. For example, for a pair of
\njeans, the price will rise from 9 euros in 2026 to over 17 euros in 2030. The decree is
\nsubject to a public consultation process until the end of July, whilst the planned date of
\nentry into force is 1 September 2026.<\/p>\n

A social model to defend<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cWhat is at stake today is not just clothing, but a social model that we want to defend,\u201d
\nSerge Papin<\/strong>, the \u00c9lys\u00e9e\u2019s Minister for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, told Reuters<\/a>.
\nShein (which has been given the green light to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange),
\nhowever, argues that some measures in the draft bill \u201cappear to be inconsistent with the
\nEuropean framework governing digital services and e-commerce\u201d. This suggests that the
\nmatter may be far from settled.<\/p>\n

The origin, not the procedures<\/strong><\/h3>\n

French law imposes less stringent regulations and much simpler obligations on
\nEuropean fast-fashion companies such as Inditex-Zara, H&M and the French firm Kiabi<\/strong>. According to industry insiders, this constitutes an important first step, even if it has not achieved all its objectives. It has focused on the origin of products rather than on
\nproduction processes. This decision could redistribute market shares amongst fast fashion manufacturers, but it will not, on its own, solve the environmental problem. The reason is simple: this law does not oblige non-EU retailers to reduce their environmental impact (or that of their suppliers) by producing less. Whilst the objective may be justifiable from a strictly economic perspective, it is not from an environmental one, because the regulations do not bring about any real benefit. As reported in BoF<\/a>, the system assigns a cost to the damage rather than preventing it.<\/p>\n

The Lacoste case<\/strong><\/h3>\n

France has also been<\/a> at the centre of another case involving Shein. The Paris Court has
\nissued interim measures across the entire European Union to prevent the infringement of
\nthe Lacoste trademark, which features on a large number of items for sale on Shein. In
\nthe judge\u2019s view, this is a probable case of \u2018counterfeiting by imitation\u2019, with a clear and
\nconcrete risk of confusion for consumers.<\/p>\n

Major problems in Germany<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In Germany, Shein\u2019s problems take a different form. Chemical analysis of a pair of
\nwomen\u2019s boots manufactured and sold by Shein revealed the presence of diethylhexyl
\nphthalate (DEHP). This is a toxic substance<\/strong> primarily used to make PVC soft and flexible.
\nThe level detected was 179 times higher than the maximum permitted under European
\nlaw. But that is not all. The investigation commissioned by Deutsche Umwelthilfe, a
\nGerman environmental and consumer protection organisation, found that 15 out of 18<\/p>\n

Shein products contained pollutants or chemical residues<\/strong> from the manufacturing
\nprocess. Not only that: almost 40 per cent of the items tested breach current European
\nregulations on chemicals and should not be sold. DUH has stated that it has taken legal
\naction against Shein, which, in the meantime, has said it has withdrawn the products from
\nsale globally pending the outcome of the investigations.<\/p>\n

A toxic chemical cocktail<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Barbara Metz<\/strong>, CEO of DUH, said in a statement that \u201cShein\u2019s clothing is, by its very
\nnature, a toxic chemical cocktail. The real problem is not just the chemicals present in
\nthe garments, but the system underpinning their production\u201d. Viola Wohlgemuth, a textile
\nand circular economy expert at DUH, added: \u201cToxic chemicals are not an industrial
\naccident. They are the price we pay for a business model that prioritises maximum<\/strong>
\nspeed<\/strong>. What is the point of limits on chemicals if they are not respected?\u201d. According to
\nDUH<\/a>, companies such as Shein \u201cshould pay much higher levies than manufacturers of
\ndurable, low-environmental-impact and recyclable goods\u201d. In the German context, Shein\u2019s
\nsupply chain \u2013 which has always been its strong point \u2013 has turned into a double-edged
\nsword.<\/p>\n

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