The Textile Labelling Regulation tells consumers what a textile product is made of. Every garment, towel or curtain sold to consumers in the EU must carry a label that lists its fibres and their percentages by weight, using a fixed set of fibre names.
The law is Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 on textile fibre names and related labelling and marking of the fibre composition of textile products. As a regulation, it applies directly and in the same way in every EU country. It covers fibre composition only. Care symbols and sizes are voluntary or set by other rules, and environmental information is moving into the Digital Product Passport under ESPR.
What the label must show
- Every fibre and its percentage by weight, in descending order, for example "70% cotton, 30% polyester".
- Only official fibre names from Annex I, such as cotton, wool, polyamide or elastane. Brand names may sit next to them but cannot replace them.
- "100%", "pure" or "all" only when the product is made of one fibre.
- "Virgin wool" or "fleece wool" only for wool never used in a finished product and never spun before.
- "Contains non-textile parts of animal origin" when the product includes leather, fur or similar parts.
- Each component separately when a product has components with different compositions, such as a lining.
The label or marking must be durable, legible, visible and accessible, and present at the point of sale. Online, the composition must be shown before purchase.
Tolerances and testing
Market surveillance authorities check labels with standard lab methods. The regulation allows:
- A 3% manufacturing tolerance between the stated percentages and lab results.
- Extraneous fibres up to 2% of total weight (5% for carded products) without listing them, if technically unavoidable.
Who is responsible
The economic operator that places the product on the market, the manufacturer or importer, must make sure the label is there and correct. Distributors must check that products carry it and use the right language: the official language or languages of the EU country where the product is sold. Multilingual labels are allowed.
How it connects to other textile rules
Fibre composition is the base data for many other textile obligations:
- France's AGEC law requires manufacturing-country traceability for each part that must be labelled under this regulation, and a microplastics warning for products over 50% synthetic.
- Textile EPR schemes, required in every EU country by April 2028, can modulate fees based on product design, where material composition matters.
- ESPR: textiles and apparel are a priority in the ESPR working plan for 2025 to 2030, so a delegated act will set ecodesign and passport requirements that build on fibre data.
The Commission has been reviewing the regulation, looking at wider labelling content and at digital labels reached through a data carrier such as a QR code. Until a revised text is adopted, Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 applies as it stands, with a physical label.
How to prepare
- Get exact fibre compositions from suppliers for every component, and confirm them with lab tests for higher-risk items.
- Use Annex I fibre names and translate them correctly for each market you sell in.
- Keep composition data structured, per product and component, so it can feed labels, AGEC sheets, EPR reports and future passports.
- Add a QR code next to the label to link care, repair and passport information, while keeping the physical label the law requires.
How Veribl helps
Veribl checks textile products against the EU textile labelling rules and France's AGEC requirements and shows which fields are missing. Fibre composition, recycled content and manufacturing countries come in from suppliers through the supplier portal, and each product gets a GS1 Digital Link QR code that leads to its passport and care guides.
See Veribl for textiles and apparelOfficial sources
Frequently asked questions
What must be on a textile label in the EU?
The name and percentage by weight of every fibre, in descending order, using only the fibre names listed in Annex I of Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011. If the product contains non-textile parts of animal origin, such as leather or fur trims, the label must say 'Contains non-textile parts of animal origin'. Care symbols, size and country of origin are not required by this regulation.
Does the textile label have to be in the local language?
Yes. The fibre composition must be in the official language or languages of the EU country where the product is made available to the consumer, unless that country decides otherwise. Multilingual labels are allowed.
When can a product be labelled 100% or pure?
Only when it is made of a single fibre. Extraneous fibres up to 2% of the total weight, or 5% for carded products, are tolerated if technically unavoidable and not added routinely.
Can the textile label be digital instead of sewn in?
Not under the current regulation. It requires a physical label or marking that is durable, legible, visible and accessible. The Commission has been reviewing the regulation, including the option of digital labels linked to the Digital Product Passport, but until a revision is adopted the physical label stays mandatory.
Which products does the Textile Labelling Regulation cover?
Textile products made available on the EU market, plus products containing at least 80% textile fibres by weight, furniture, umbrella and sunshade coverings with at least 80% textile components, and textile parts of mattress coverings, multi-layer floor coverings and camping goods. Products listed in Annex V, such as some small accessories, do not need a label.
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