Our textile label lacks the fibre composition

Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 governs how the fibre composition of textile products is named and shown. It applies to textile products made available on the Union market and to products treated in the same way, such as products containing at least 80 % by weight of textile fibres and furniture, umbrella and sunshade coverings with at least 80 % textile components (Article 2(1) and (2)). Textile products may only be made available when they are labelled, marked or accompanied with commercial documents in compliance with the regulation (Article 4).^[1]

The words are fixed. Only the fibre names in Annex I may describe fibre compositions on labels and markings, and they are reserved for fibres that match the description in that Annex (Article 5). A multi-fibre product is labelled with the name and percentage by weight of all constituent fibres in descending order (Article 9(1)); a fibre up to 5 %, or fibres together up to 15 %, may be shown as ‘other fibres’ with their total percentage where they cannot easily be stated at the time of manufacture (Article 9(2)). Only products composed of one fibre may say ‘100 %’, ‘pure’ or ‘all’ (Article 7(1)). Products with components of different fibre content state the content of each, except components that are not main linings and make up less than 30 % of the total weight (Article 11(2)).^[1]

The label must be usable. Textile products are labelled or marked with their fibre composition whenever they are made available on the market; the labelling and marking is durable, easily legible, visible and accessible, and a label is securely attached (Article 14(1)). Within the supply chain, commercial documents may replace or supplement the label (Article 14(2)). The labelling is in the official language or languages of the Member State where the product is made available to the consumer, unless that Member State provides otherwise (Article 16(3)).^[1]

Responsibility follows the placing on the market. The manufacturer ensures the supply of the label and the accuracy of its information; where the manufacturer is not established in the Union, the importer does (Article 15(1)). A distributor that sells under its own name or trade mark, attaches the label itself or changes its content is considered the manufacturer, and any distributor ensures that products bear the required labelling (Article 15(2) and (3)). The composition must be clearly visible to the consumer before purchase, including when buying online (Article 16(1)).^[1]

Labels are checked against the product. Market surveillance authorities check the conformity of the fibre composition with the information supplied (Article 18), using the methods in Annex VIII (Article 19(1)), with a 3 % manufacturing tolerance between the stated composition and the analysis (Article 20(3)). The regulation is listed in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, so that regulation's market surveillance measures apply (Article 16).^[1][2]

Labelling is not the whole duty. Textile products have no product-specific harmonisation act. The textile labelling rules apply alongside the General Product Safety Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2023/988, so manufacturers and importers follow both: the labelling rules, and the GPSR's risk analysis, technical documentation, identification and address duties (Articles 9 and 11).^[4]