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Selling clothing, footwear and textiles in the EU

In the EU, textile products are labelled with their full fibre composition under Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, using only the fibre names in its Annex I. Footwear is labelled with the materials of its upper, lining and sock, and outer sole under Directive 94/11/EC. REACH restricts hazardous substances in textiles, and member states are setting up producer responsibility schemes.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Fibre labelling
Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011
Covers
Products with at least 80% textile fibres by weight
Not covered
Size, country of origin and care labelling
Footwear
Directive 94/11/EC: upper, lining and sock, outer sole
Chemicals
REACH entry 72: 33 CMR substances in clothing, textiles and footwear
Waste
Producer responsibility for textiles and footwear, 2025 revision

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is it a textile product, and does the label give the full fibre composition with Annex I names? Read more
  2. 2Is the label durable, in the right language, and visible before an online purchase? Read more
  3. 3Does it contain non-textile parts of animal origin? Read more
  4. 4For footwear, are the materials of the main components labelled? Read more
  5. 5Do the materials meet the REACH restrictions? Read more
  6. 6Which member state producer responsibility schemes apply? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Fibre names and composition

What the textile label has to say about fibres.

  • Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 was adopted on 27 September 2011 and has applied since 8 May 2012. Textile products are labelled or marked whenever they are available on the market, and the fibre composition is mandatory at each stage of processing and distribution.
  • It covers products containing at least 80% by weight of textile fibres, from raw and semi-worked products to made-up ones.
  • Only the textile fibre names in Annex I may be used, and only for fibres matching the description there (Article 5).
  • A multi-fibre product shows the name and percentage by weight of each constituent fibre in descending order; 'other fibres' may cover up to 5% for one fibre, or 15% together, where they cannot easily be stated at manufacture (Article 9).
  • The Regulation does not cover size, country of origin or wash and care labelling.
  • A new fibre name needs an amendment to the Annexes; applications follow the minimum requirements in Annex II.

How we help: Compliant Always reads each label against the Annex I names and the composition in your specification and test report, and shows where they differ. Ask about this

Labels, language and online selling

How the label is presented, and who answers for it.

  • Labels and markings are durable, easily legible, visible and accessible and, for a label, securely attached (Article 14).
  • Fibre composition is shown in catalogues, trade literature, packaging, labels and markings in uniform print, and is clearly visible before purchase, including purchases made by electronic means (Article 16).
  • The label 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.
  • Products with non-textile parts of animal origin carry the phrase 'Contains non-textile parts of animal origin' (Article 12).
  • The manufacturer supplies the label and answers for its accuracy, or the importer if the manufacturer is not established in the EU; a distributor selling under its own name or trade mark, or changing the label, is treated as the manufacturer (Article 15).
  • The Commission's review page said a proposal to revise the Regulation, with physical and digital labelling, was planned for the second quarter of 2026.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the label artwork and the composition behind it with each style, and shows which languages each member state needs. Ask about this

Footwear

Labelling the materials of shoes.

  • Directive 94/11/EC sets a common labelling system for the main components of footwear sold in the EU: the upper, the lining and sock, and the outer sole.
  • The composition is given by pictograms or written indications for leather, coated leather, textiles and other materials.
  • Only materials covering at least 80% of the surface area, or 80% of the volume of the outer sole, need be labelled; if no material reaches 80%, the two main materials are given.
  • Footwear designed to protect against health and safety hazards falls under the Regulation on personal protective equipment.

How we help: Compliant Always reads each footwear label against the components and materials in your specification. Ask about this

Chemicals in textiles

REACH restrictions that reach clothing, textiles and footwear.

  • Entry 72 of Annex XVII to REACH restricts 33 CMR substances in clothing, textiles and footwear, applicable from 1 November 2020 (Regulation (EU) 2018/1513).
  • These substances may be present from production or added to give properties such as shrink or crease resistance; consumers can be exposed through skin contact, inhalation or ingestion of dust, and small children by mouth.
  • The restriction on PFHxA and related substances, adopted on 19 September 2024, covers consumer textiles such as rain jackets.
  • Under entry 51, articles may not be placed on the market with DEHP, BBP, DBP or DIBP at 0.1% or more by weight, individually or in any combination, in any plasticised material.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your test reports against the REACH entries for each material, and watches Annex XVII for new restrictions. Ask about this

Textile waste and producer responsibility

What producers contribute to the management of used textiles.

  • The targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive, Directive (EU) 2025/1892, entered into force on 16 October 2025 and focuses on food and textile waste.
  • Each member state sets up its own extended producer responsibility scheme for textile and footwear products, under which producers contribute to the management of used and waste textiles.
  • Under extended producer responsibility, producers bear financial, or financial and organisational, responsibility for the waste stage of a product's life cycle.

How we help: Compliant Always records the schemes each product is registered with, by member state, with the reports behind them. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ManufacturerSupplying the label and the accuracy of the fibre composition on it.Composition, test reports and label artwork kept together by style.
ImporterThe label and its accuracy where the manufacturer is not established in the EU.Suppliers' labels and test reports read and dated before the goods arrive.
Brand or retailer selling under its own nameThe label, as if it were the manufacturer, when it sells under its name or changes the label.The label checked against the Regulation, with the source for each line.
DistributorSelling only textile products that bear the labelling the Regulation requires.The record behind each label, ready when a customer asks.

Member states

The Textile Labelling Regulation applies directly in each member state, which may set the label language. Each member state sets up its own producer responsibility scheme for textiles and footwear.

Questions businesses ask

What must a clothing label show in the EU?
The full fibre composition, using the fibre names in Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, with the percentage by weight of each fibre in descending order.
Are care, size and origin labels required by EU textile law?
No. The Textile Labelling Regulation does not cover size, country of origin or wash and care labelling. It covers fibre composition.
Which products does the Textile Labelling Regulation cover?
Products containing at least 80% by weight of textile fibres, from raw and semi-worked products to made-up ones.
Which language must a textile label be 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.
Must fibre composition be shown online?
Yes. The fibre composition must be clearly visible to the consumer before purchase, including purchases made by electronic means.
How are leather trims or fur parts labelled?
Textile products containing non-textile parts of animal origin carry the phrase 'Contains non-textile parts of animal origin' on the label or marking.
What must a shoe label show in the EU?
The materials of the upper, the lining and sock, and the outer sole, as leather, coated leather, textiles or other, by pictogram or in words, under Directive 94/11/EC.
Which chemicals are restricted in clothing in the EU?
Among others, 33 CMR substances in clothing, textiles and footwear under REACH entry 72, PFHxA in consumer textiles such as rain jackets, and four phthalates in plasticised material.
Who is responsible for a textile label?
The manufacturer, or the importer if the manufacturer is outside the EU. A distributor selling under its own name, or changing the label, is treated as the manufacturer.
Is there extended producer responsibility for textiles in the EU?
Yes. The 2025 revision of the Waste Framework Directive has each member state set up a scheme for textile and footwear products, under which producers contribute to managing used and waste textiles.
Is the Textile Labelling Regulation changing?
The Commission is reviewing it, aiming at physical and digital labelling of textiles and related products; its review page planned a proposal for the second quarter of 2026.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in the EU?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in the EU and what your paperwork needs to show.

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