European Textile Sector Takes a Stand in Paris Against Ultra-Fast Fashion Demands

The European textile industry organizes a common front. More than twenty European textile and clothing sector organizations, including the Spanish Intertextile Council (CIE), have signed a joint declaration calling on the European authorities to take immediate action against the ultra-fast fashion business model. In the framework of the Première Vision trade fair, the organizations have referred to a battery of control and sanction measures on e-commerce companies from outside the European Union.

According to the data released, in fact, ultra-fast fashion already has a 5% share of the fashion market, and up to 20% in the case of e-commerce, which entails economic consequences for European companies, as well as environmental and social ones. “Ultra fast fashion is based on an economic model contrary to the rules of the European Union and its Member States”, denounce the entities, which have put the focus on practices such as tax fraud, violation of intellectual property or false claims.

In view of this situation, the European textile sector has urged that the position on a new European Union Customs Code, agreed at the end of June by the Council of the European Union, be put into practice .This agreement introduces, among other things, a modernization of the regulatory framework for e-commerce or a “handling fee” for low-value shipments entering the territory. The text, however, still has to be negotiated with the European Parliament and approved by both bodies.

The textile sector has demanded, among other things, a handling fee for low-value shipments

The text also urges the European authorities to strengthen the control and sanction mechanisms set out in the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Regulation, and to ensure the collection of VAT on e-commerce parcel flows. “The European Union has the tools and the duty to act immediately to strengthen the competitiveness of European companies, and therefore their employees,“ the entities assured.

Beyond institutional responsibility, the twenty or so organizations have also targeted European consumers, urging them to prioritize “durable products” and to support companies that invest in quality and innovation. Ultra-fast fashion, they argue, must not become the norm, and it is everyone’s responsibility to promote a “quality, transparent and fair” economic model.

It is essential that the EU institutions act with determination to curb the unfair practices of large e-commerce platforms and ensure fair rules of the game,“ added Josep Maria Mestres.Only in this way can we protect jobs, the future of the sector and the added value that the European textile industry brings to the economy and society”.