Germany, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Slovenia have called on the European Commission to urgently take additional EU-level action to tackle ultra-fast fashion, according to an information note for the Council (Environment) meeting on 25 June 2026. The five member states ask the Commission to propose new ecodesign performance requirements for durability, repairability and recyclability, define an EU-wide definition of ultra-fast fashion, and strengthen extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes with harmonised fee modulation criteria. They also urge stronger enforcement for online platforms under the Circular Economy Act and Market Surveillance Regulation, while cautioning that measures must not impose disproportionate burdens on SMEs and must respect EU international obligations.
The note builds on the Commission's March 2022 EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles and the September 2025 revision of the Waste Framework Directive (WFD), both of which acknowledged that ultra-fast fashion shortens product lifespans and drives overconsumption. The five states welcome the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the revised WFD with mandatory EPR for textiles, but argue that further regulatory steps are needed. They specifically ask the Commission to adopt measures informing consumers at the point of purchase—for example, requiring brands meeting ultra-fast fashion criteria to display reuse and repair guidance.
The textile sector is a major source of energy, water and chemical use, with EU textile consumption ranking fourth highest in negative environmental and climate impact, and third highest for water and land use. The five states stress that upcoming ESPR and WFD implementing acts should directly target the worst-performing products without overburdening smaller businesses. The call signals growing pressure on the Commission to move beyond voluntary industry commitments and introduce binding EU-wide rules on ultra-fast fashion, a segment that has expanded rapidly through online platforms and low-cost production models.