What: The legal framework in EU related to fast fashion and its environmental impact is starting to get tighter.

Why it is important:  It might be a double-edged sword for department stores, as the new regulation might be helpful to compete with fast-fashion operators, provided they can also cope with the new laws.

The European Commission is proposing stricter regulations to combat overproduction and overconsumption of clothing and shoes, as part of the Green Deal.

The regulations would aim to ban fast fashion, ensuring that products are made of as much recycled fiber as possible, free of hazardous substances, and more durable, reusable, and recyclable.

The EU also wants to stop the destruction of unused or returned textiles, reduce microplastics and microfibers in nature, and regulate "green claims" better.

MEP Delara Burkhardt believes that the EU must legally oblige manufacturers and large fashion companies to operate more sustainably, as leaving the market to self-regulate would leave the doors open for a fast fashion model that exploits people and the planet's resources.

EU wants to ban fast fashion with stricter clothing rules