Selling clothing or other textile products in the European Union requires compliance with several regulatory requirements. Textiles must meet rules on safety, chemical usage (under REACH), and correct labelling.
Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 sets the requirements for fibre names and related labelling of textiles. The Textile Regulation defines “textile product” as any “raw, semi-worked, worked, semi-manufactured, manufactured, semi-made-up or made-up product which is exclusively composed of textile fibres, regardless of the mixing or assembly process employed”.
Textiles fibre name: how to label clothing and other products in the EU
Some of the main requirements set by the EU Textile Regulation include the following:
- Products must be labelled or marked with their fibre composition using only the fibre names permitted under the Regulation.
- All constituent fibres must be listed in descending order by weight.
- Terms such as “100%”, “pure”, or “all” may only be used if the product consists exclusively of one type of fibre.
- For multi-component textile products, each part’s fibre composition must be labelled, with certain exceptions.
A wide range of products are subject to special rules. A product-by-product assessment is necessary to determine the applicable labelling provisions.
Obligations of economic operators
When placing textile products on the market, manufacturer guarantees the supply of the label (or marking) as well as the accuracy of the information. If the manufacturer is not established in the Union, the importer has to ensure this. Similarly, also the distributor ensures that the product bears the appropriate labelling or marking.
Compliance with safety requirements
In addition to the labelling requirements of the Textile Regulation, textile products on the EU market must meet safety rules. Typically, general textile products must comply with the provisions of General Product Safety Regulation. Nonetheless, a case-by-case approach is necessary when determining the applicable EU requirements. For instance, clothing with certain special purposes, such as clothing used for safety at workplace, must comply with the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulation. If textiles include also biocides, e.g., to protect humans or articles against harmful organisms, Biocidal Product Regulation applies as well.
Compliance is a tailored project. Contact prodlaw@obelis.net for any questions on regulatory requirements in Europe.
References:
Eur-Lex (2025). Consolidated text: Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 September 2011 on textile fibre names and related labelling and marking of the fibre composition of textile products and repealing Council Directive 73/44/EEC and Directives 96/73/EC and 2008/121/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. Retrieved on 04/06/2025.
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