The European Commission’s Your Europe portal outlines the labelling requirements businesses must follow when selling textile products in the European Union. Under EU rules, textile products must carry information identifying their fibre composition, helping consumers understand what products are made of and make informed purchasing decisions.

Key insights

• Mandatory fibre composition labelling: Textile products marketed in the EU must be labelled or marked to show their fibre composition. The requirements apply to products containing at least 80% textile fibres by weight, including clothing, furniture coverings, mattress coverings and camping tents.
• Information for consumers: Labels must identify the textile fibres used and state their percentages in descending order of weight. They must also indicate the presence of non-textile parts of animal origin.
• Clear and legible information: Labels must use clear, legible and consistent lettering. Information about fibre composition must be clearly separated from other details, such as product care instructions.
• Language requirements: Businesses selling textile products in different EU countries must translate label information into the official national languages required in the markets where the products are made available to consumers.
• Rules for fibre descriptions: Terms such as ‘100%’, ‘pure’ and ‘all’ may only be used when a product consists exclusively of one type of fibre. Businesses must also use fibre names included in the list established under EU legislation on textile fibre names and labelling.
• Business-to-business sales: For products supplied between businesses rather than directly to end consumers, labels may be replaced or supplemented by accompanying commercial documents.
• Market surveillance: National authorities can check whether textile products comply with labelling requirements at different stages of the supply chain, including customs clearance, distributors’ warehouses, and wholesale and retail outlets.

These requirements apply to businesses placing textile products on the EU market. The guidance also points businesses towards the EU Ecolabel as an option for products that meet recognised environmental excellence criteria.

For further information, please read the complete business requirements on European Commission website.