Spain’s footwear and fashion sector organisations have issued a joint declaration at the Futurmoda fair addressing the expansion of ultra fast-fashion across Europe. The document outlined environmental impact, market distortion and social consequences linked to the model, and set out a series of proposed responses.
- The declaration was signed by four Spanish associations representing industry, suppliers and specialised retail, collectively positioning it as a coordinated sector-wide response within the footwear and fashion ecosystem.
- The signatories included Spanish Footwear Industry Federation (FICE), Spanish Association of Manufacturers of Leather Goods, Travel Goods and Related Products (ASEFMA), National Association of Footwear Retailers (ANCC), and Spanish Association of Footwear Component Manufacturers (AECC).
- Signatories said the model relies on mass production, rapid product turnover and high-frequency direct-to-consumer parcel flows.
- The organisations highlighted rising emissions, packaging waste and logistics congestion linked to the model.
- The statement also linked the model to regulatory gaps affecting low-value consignments within the European Union.
THE DECLARATION: The declaration framed ultra fast-fashion as a structural challenge to European industry, consolidating concerns across manufacturing, supply chains and specialised retail. It positioned the model’s expansion as a coordinated sector issue for both national and European policy frameworks.
- The declaration emerged within a sector-specific trade forum, anchoring the intervention in an industry context directly linked to footwear and fashion supply chains.
- Signatories represented multiple layers of the value chain, signalling alignment across manufacturers, suppliers and specialised retailers within the footwear and fashion sector.
- The statement identified expansion from China as a key factor shaping market dynamics and competitive conditions within the European Union.
- Organisations characterised the model as extending beyond digital commerce, pointing to wider systemic implications affecting industry structure and competition within European markets.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL COST: The declaration described ultra fast-fashion as a structurally unsustainable model driven by accelerated production cycles and large volumes of low-value parcel shipments. It framed these characteristics as placing the model in direct contradiction with the European Green Deal, EU sustainability strategies and circular economy principles.
- The model was linked to increased CO₂ emissions, reflecting the scale and frequency of production and distribution cycles associated with ultra fast-fashion systems.
- Packaging waste was identified as a major consequence, driven by high parcel volumes entering European markets across multiple distribution channels.
- Logistics congestion was highlighted as a systemic impact, adding sustained pressure to transport networks and distribution systems across the region.
- The declaration said the model promotes a “use-and-throw-away” culture, which undermines responsible consumption and circularity goals set within European policy frameworks.
MARKET DISTORTIONS: The declaration linked ultra fast-fashion to distortions in market functioning and broader societal shifts, highlighting how regulatory gaps and behavioural changes are reshaping the European footwear and fashion ecosystem. It described a chain reaction affecting pricing structures, enterprise viability and consumer attitudes across the value chain, with consequences extending across economic, employment and cultural dimensions.
- Regulatory loopholes on low-value consignments were identified as enabling platforms to avoid fiscal, customs, social and environmental obligations borne by European operators.
- This asymmetry was said to push prices downward and compress margins across the value chain, affecting manufacturers, suppliers and specialised retailers.
- The declaration warned that sustained pressure on margins threatens the viability of thousands of European SMEs and associated industrial employment.
- It also highlighted cultural impacts, noting that impulse buying is being normalised and price signals are increasingly disconnected from product value, labour and quality.
THE REGULATORY ASK: The declaration called on Spanish and European authorities to implement targeted regulatory and industrial measures to address the impacts identified, combining fiscal enforcement and sectoral support. It framed these actions as necessary to address distortions in competition, align trade practices with sustainability objectives, strengthen the long-term resilience of the European footwear and fashion industry and integrate the sector into the EU’s strategic autonomy agenda.
- Signatories urged the closure of loopholes on low-value consignments that enable differential treatment of imported goods entering the European Union.
- They called for the full application of VAT and customs duties from the first euro to ensure parity with obligations faced by European operators.
- The statement emphasised the need to strengthen customs procedures and product-safety controls to better regulate incoming shipments and ensure compliance with European standards.
- It proposed making digital platforms fully responsible as economic operators within the European Union framework, including compliance with fiscal, customs and regulatory obligations.
- The organisations reaffirmed their commitment to quality, durability, local employment and regulated trade, urging responsible consumption and stating that choosing European brands supports quality, safety, jobs and an industrial future in Europe.
