SUMMARY

• Germany, France and the Netherlands have submitted an information note ahead of the Environment Council on 25 June, calling for a coordinated EU approach to tackle the environmental, economic and social impacts of ultra-fast fashion. Members can find the document attached.
• The member states argue that the rapid growth of ultra-fast fashion is fuelling overconsumption, increasing textile waste and pollution, putting pressure on waste management systems, and undermining the EU’s circular economy objectives.

MORE INFORMATION

Welcoming recent EU initiatives such as the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and the revised Waste Framework Directive, the three MS argue that further EU-level action is needed to address the specific challenges posed by ultra-fast fashion.

The note calls on the Commission to consider measures in four main areas:

• strong and enforceable product regulation, including criteria on durability, repairability and recyclability;
• targeted action on ultra-fast fashion characteristics, including a possible EU-wide definition or set of criteria;
• stronger and more harmonised EPR schemes, including fee modulation linked to ultra-fast fashion practices;
• stronger enforcement of online platforms, particularly to address compliance gaps for third-country producers selling directly to EU consumers.

The text also highlights the risk of an uneven playing field between EU-based companies and third-country operators selling through online platforms, where enforcement may be weaker.