PARIS - The French Senate on June 10 adopted a Bill to regulate the fast fashion industry by sanctioning companies and banning advertisements.

The Bill is targeted at Chinese-founded e-commerce giant Shein, which has a reputation for selling lower quality clothes at a very low price.

Easy to order and to replace, fast fashion items are exported to France on a large scale, causing pollution and saturating markets.

The Bill, which had been adopted by the lower house, the National Assembly, in March 2024, was passed by the Senate on the afternoon of June 10, with 337 votes for and only one against.

The vote is not the final legislative hurdle: a joint committee of senators and lower house deputies is expected to meet from September to produce a joint text, prior to the final adoption of the law.

Before final adoption, the European Commission also has to be notified, to ensure the Bill complies with EU law.

The Bill “is a major step in the fight against the economic and environmental impact of fast fashion, and a strong signal sent to businesses and to consumers,” said the minister for ecological transition, Ms Agnes Pannier-Runacher, after the vote’s results were announced.

The text plans to “reduce the environmental impact of the textile industry”, said Ms Anne-Cecile Violland, the centre-right member of parliament who proposed the Bill.

Fast fashion is a growing market in France, and between 2010 and 2023 the value of advertised products in the sector grew from €2.3 billion (S$3.3 billion) to €3.2 billion.

Around 48 clothing items per person are released into the French market each year, and 35 are thrown away every second in the country, according to the state environmental agency Ademe.

‘Triple threat’

Ms Pannier-Runacher has called fast fashion a “triple threat” that promoted overconsumption, caused ecological damage and threatened French clothing businesses.

The Senate, dominated by the right, modified the Bill to target “ultra” fast fashion companies, such as Asian websites Shein or Temu.

The Senate’s amendments plan to leave out French and European brands that may be affected by the Bill, such as Zara, H&M and Kiabi.

The fashion giants will still be obliged to notify their customers about the environmental impact of their products, according to the new Bill.

“I have no intention of making French brands that contribute to our country’s economic vitality pay...