European Union

Textile fibre names and labelling

Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011

Applies now

Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 requires fibre names and composition labelling on textile products. It has applied since 8 May 2012. No successor has been adopted.

Key dates

  1. 8 May 2012Regulation applies

Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 sets the names that must be used for textile fibres and the way composition is shown on labels and markings. It has applied since 8 May 2012. The regulation says what a product is made of. On its own, that statement is not an environmental claim, and it is not the digital product passport.

Textile products placed on the Union market need a label or marking that states the fibre composition, using the fibre names in the annexes. Only those names may be used for the fibres the annexes cover. A marketing name cannot stand in for the fibre name. Percentages follow the regulation, including how a product with several fibres is described and which small parts can be left out. The label has to be durable, legible, visible and accessible, so a buyer can read it before purchase. Selling online does not remove the duty. The composition still has to be available at the point of sale.

Member States enforce the regulation. A wrong fibre name, a missing percentage, or a composition that does not match the product can be a labelling offence even when the seller made no green claim. Depending on the role, the producer, the brand or the retailer that places the product on the market can each be responsible. Imports are covered. The official text is CELEX 32011R1007. A company printing labels should take the spelling of a fibre name from the official annexes.

A revision of textile labelling has been discussed for several years. No successor has been adopted. Until a new regulation says otherwise, fibre names and composition labels follow Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011. Check the official text for any later change. Environmental wording placed next to the fibre line is a different question, covered by the EmpCo directive. A correct cotton percentage does not make the word sustainable lawful.

Who must comply

Whoever places a textile product on the Union market must see that the fibre composition is labelled as the regulation requires. That can be the producer, the brand or the importing retailer. National market-surveillance authorities check labels.

What it means for textiles

Apparel and other textile products use the fibre names in the annexes. Multi-fibre garments need percentages that match the product. A care symbol or a country-of-origin mark follows a different rule. This regulation is about fibre composition.

How JOYNN helps

JOYNN can store the fibre composition with the product and show it in a product passport, so the data can stay aligned with the label and can be used to answer a data request. A passport does not replace the physical or online marking the regulation requires, and JOYNN does not print that label or make anyone compliant. JOYNN is not legal advice. The JOYNN Index is unrelated to fibre-name law.

Questions

Does the regulation still apply?

Yes. Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 has applied since 8 May 2012. No successor has been adopted. Check the official text for any later revision.

Is a fibre label a green claim?

The composition line states what the product is made of. Adding an environmental word next to it is a separate claim and has to meet consumer law.

Further reading

This page is general information, not legal advice.

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