It ain't fashion, if it ain't sustainable
texfash.com
 
  1. Home
  2. Archives
  3. Updates
  4. European Parliament Sounds Death Knell for Fast Fashion; Issues Call for EU and National Measures
EU Textiles Strategy / Recommendations

European Parliament Sounds Death Knell for Fast Fashion; Issues Call for EU and National Measures

The European Parliament today adopted with brute majority recommendations for the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles that would work to end fast fashion and help consumers make more ethically responsible and sustainable choices.

By

1 June 2023

 3 minutes
Long Story, Cut Short
  • Tougher EU measures to fight excessive production and consumption of textiles; textile products should last longer and be easier to reuse, repair and recycle.
  • Clothing and footwear should be produced in a circular, sustainable and socially just way.
  • Call for a ban on the destruction of unsold and returned textile goods.
The European Parliament says consumers should have more information to make sustainable choices, and has called for a ban on the destruction of unsold and returned textile goods in the upcoming revision of the ecodesign regulation.
The End is Nigh The European Parliament says consumers should have more information to make sustainable choices, and has called for a ban on the destruction of unsold and returned textile goods in the upcoming revision of the ecodesign regulation. Fernand De Canne / Unsplash

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have voted overwhelmingly to end fast fashion and help consumers make more ethically responsible and sustainable choices.

  • On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted recommendations for the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, with 600 votes in favour, 17 against and 16 abstentions.
  • The text calls for textile products sold in the EU to be more durable, easier to reuse, repair and recycle. Their production should respect human, social and labour rights, the environment and animal welfare throughout the supply chain. 
  • The MEPs have also called for both EU and national measures to put an end to fast fashion.

Specific measures in future EU legislation: The MEPs said consumers should have more information to make sustainable choices, and called for a ban on the destruction of unsold and returned textile goods in the upcoming revision of the ecodesign regulation. 

  • The MEPs have demanded clear rules to stop greenwashing by producers, through—for example—the ongoing legislative work related to empowering consumers in the green transition and regulating green claims.
  • They also want the upcoming revision of the Waste Framework Directive to include specific separate targets for textile waste prevention, collection, reuse and recycling. 
  • The MEPs have urged the European Commission to launch the initiative to prevent and minimise the release of microplastics and microfibres into the environment, without further delay.

Background: The Commission presented the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles on 30 March 2022 to address the entire lifecycle of textile products and propose actions to change how we produce and consume textiles. 

  • It aims to implement the commitments of the European Green Deal, the new circular economy action plan and the industrial strategy for the textiles’ sector.
  • In adopting this report, the European Parliament is responding to citizens' expectations to build a circular economy by promoting sustainable EU products and production, and to support the shift to a sustainable and resilient growth model, as expressed in Proposals 5(3), 5(9), 5(10), 5(11), 11(1) and 11(8) of the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
TAGS
Grouping:
Individual:
Initiative:
Young India Fashion Survey 2025

Consumers alone cannot reform the global textile sector through their purchasing habits. If we allow the market to self-regulate, we leave the door open for a fast fashion model that exploits people and the planet’s resources. The EU must legally oblige manufacturers and large fashion companies to operate more sustainably. People and the planet are more important than the textile industry’s profits.

Delara Burkhardt
Member, Germany
European Parliament
Delara Burkhardt

Committee Recommendations: Environment Committee MEPs earlier in April had adopted their recommendations for EU measures to ensure that textiles are produced in a circular, sustainable and socially just way.

  • The own initiative report was adopted with 68 votes in favour, none against and one abstention.
  • To tackle overproduction and the overconsumption of clothes and footwear, the Committee had urged the Commission and EU countries to adopt measures that put an end to “fast fashion”, starting with a clear definition of the term based on “high volumes of lower quality garments at low price levels”. 
  • Consumers should be better informed to help them make responsible and sustainable choices, including through the introduction of a “digital product passport” in the upcoming revision of the ecodesign regulation.
  • The MEPs stressed on ambitious science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the entire lifecycle of the textiles sector. They requested the Commission and member states to ensure that production processes become less energy- and water-intensive, avoid the use and release of harmful substances, and reduce material and consumption footprints. Ecodesign requirements on all textile and footwear products should be adopted as a priority.
 
 
  • Dated posted: 1 June 2023
  • Last modified: 1 June 2023
 
ITF Intertex Portugal 2025
LATEST SPECIALS
Textile Recycling Expo
LATEST UPDATES
Young India Fashion Survey 2025
MOST READ