Textiles and clothing legislation in the EU

All EU members now adhere to Textile Regulation (EU) No. 1007/2011, which governs the use of fiber names and the labeling and marking of textile goods’ fiber composition. This was done to safeguard consumer interests and remove any potential barriers to the internal market’s smooth operation.

The main elements of the Regulation, as mentioned on the EU single market economy website, are:

• general obligation to state the full fiber composition of textile products
• minimum technical requirements for applications for a new fiber name
• the requirement to indicate the presence of non-textile parts of animal origin
• exemption applicable to customized products made by self-employed tailors
• Empowerment of the European Commission to adopt delegated acts amending the technical Annexes of the Regulation, in line with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
• Reporting on the implementation, review clause, and study on hazardous substances to be undertaken by the Commission.

Scope of Regulation 1007/2011

According to the Regulation, textile products have to be labeled or marked accordingly whenever they are put on the market. The Regulation does not cover size, country of origin, or wash/care labeling.

At every stage of an item’s industrial processing and commercial distribution, the identification of the product’s fiber composition is required.

The Regulation applies to all items, including raw, semi-worked, worked, semi-manufactured, semi-made, and made-up items, that include at least 80% by weight of textile fibers.

Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 was adopted on 27 September 2011 and became applicable on 8 May 2012. Read the full text here.

Source: Canva Pro repository, author: Elionas2 via canva.com

Textile labels — EU requirements

In the EU, labels on textiles intended for final consumer sale are required. Textile labels may be replaced or supplemented by supporting commercial documentation in business-to-business transactions.

At any point in the marketing chain, national authorities can inspect textile items to ensure that the information on the label is accurate.

If you want to introduce a clothing product to the EU market, make sure that a label is attached and fulfill the following provisions:

• include the composition of the fabric – written in decreasing percentage order
• use clear and legible text, including uniform lettering (same font, size, and style)
• contain a clear separation between the information on textile composition and other information, such as product care.

You must translate the text into all of the official national languages spoken in the countries where your textile goods will be sold if you intend to sell them in one or more European states.

A textile item can only be referred to as “100%,” “pure,” or “all” if it is made entirely of one type of fiber. You can opt to utilize such phrases or just call a garment made entirely of cotton “cotton,” for example. If you produce goods that you think have exceptional environmental qualities, they can be eligible to use the EU Ecolabel.