The declaration against fast fashion by European textile and clothing federations was signed at the Première Vision trade event in Villepinte, France.
The organisations are calling for a tax on small-parcel deliveries and to end the current exemption that waives customs duties on goods under €150 ($177.70).
According to the federations, there is a need for stronger regulation and sanctions as provided by the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA). Their stance is that e-commerce companies must appoint legally authorised representatives to ensure accountability within their operations.
Furthermore, they highlight the need for more rigorous value added tax (VAT) collection processes to manage the high volume of goods entering the European Union (EU) market.
The federations also suggested engaging with Chinese authorities to regulate online platform practices.
The signatories highlighted the alarming growth of ultra-fast fashion, which is said to be predominantly driven by large non-European online platforms.
According to the organisations, the ultra-fast model was responsible for delivering approximately 4.5bn parcels into the EU in 2024. These shipments accounted for 5% of total clothing sales and roughly 20% of online clothing sales.
The declaration outlines serious repercussions associated with this trend, including the surge in textile waste due to overproduction of short-lived items.
European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are experiencing significant strain due to their adherence to stringent social and environmental regulations. Concurrently, local retailers confront challenges that contribute to the decline of urban centres.
Furthermore, there are instances of alleged VAT fraud, counterfeiting, and unfair competition that violate European regulations.
Among the organisations co-signing the declaration are European Apparel and Textile Confederation (Euratex), Union française des Industries de la mode et de l’Habillement (UFIMH), Union des Industries Textiles, Confindustria Moda – Federazione Tessile e Moda (UIT), along with other national associations from Italy, Belgium, Czech Republic, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, amongst others.
The European textile and clothing federations' declaration stated: “Ultra-fast fashion cannot become the norm. The European Union has both the means and the duty to act immediately to protect its businesses, its workers, and the environment.”
The call from the federations came shortly after the European Parliament approved a new directive to reduce the footprint of textile waste, which will require the fashion industry to cover all textile recycling costs.
Earlier this month, the French government reportedly pressed the European Commission (EC) to urgently adopt "new powers of de-referencing" for online sales platforms that breach EU regulations, with a focus mainly on ultra-fast fashion brand Shein.
