What must the label of a private label textile product say in the EU?
The fibre composition. Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 requires every textile product made of at least 80% textile fibres by weight to show its fibres, using only the names in Annex I, by percentage of weight in decreasing order, in the official language of each country where it is sold. A brand selling under its own name carries that duty.
What must a textile label say?
The fibres and their shares. The Commission's Your Europe page says: "Every textile product must be labelled or marked to show its fibre composition whenever the product is marketed in the EU." The names come only from Annex I of Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, and the shares are percentages by weight in decreasing order.
| Particular | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre composition | Name and percentage by weight of each fibre, in decreasing order | Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011; Commission questions and answers |
| Fibre names | Only the names listed in Annex I of the Regulation | Your Europe |
| Products covered | Products made up of at least 80% textile fibres by weight | Your Europe |
| Language | The official language or languages of the Member State where the product is made available to the consumer | Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, Article 16(3) |
| Sales between businesses | Accompanying commercial documents may replace the label | Your Europe |
| Care instructions and size | Not covered by the Regulation; some Member States make care labelling compulsory | Commission questions and answers |
| Identification and manufacturer | Type, batch or serial number; name or trade mark with postal and electronic address, on the product or, where impossible, its packaging | GPSR, Article 9(5) and (6) |
The Regulation has applied since 8 May 2012 (Article 28), according to the Commission's questions and answers, which describe the label as giving the "name and percentage by weight of the fibres they are made of, in decreasing order". On language, Your Europe tells businesses that "you must translate the text in all the official national languages" of each EU country where the product is sold.
Is a care label required in the EU?
Not by EU law. The Commission's questions and answers say: "Care instructions and size labelling requirements of textile products are not covered by the Textile Regulation." They add that "some EU Member States make care labelling compulsory, while respecting the principle of free movement of goods." Check each country where you sell.
NordSourced found no confirmed list of the countries that require a care label, so this page does not name them.
Who is responsible for the label when a manufacturer makes textiles for my brand?
Your brand, when the product carries your name. Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 treats a distributor as the manufacturer where it "places a product on the market under his name or trademark". A factory can print or sew in the label for you; who prints it does not change who answers for what it says.
The same holds for safety under the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), which reaches the risks no specific textile rule deals with, and for extended producer responsibility once its schemes exist by 17 April 2028. The manufacturer guide compares the acts.
| Manufacturer | Country | In its own words |
|---|---|---|
| TEXORA | Latvia | “We can provide your individual label for most of our products, to print your logo and your adress or any required information on the labels.” source |
| Retex Nordic | Sweden | “This type of product can also be labelled with logos etc to make it truly unique for your brand.” source |
| Textilfabriken | Sweden | “Vi stansar, overlockar, monterar och märker upp kollektionerna efter era önskemål.” source |
None of them takes over the duty to get the fibre content right. Send the composition in writing, in each language you need, and check the first printed labels against it.
Does the EU ban on destroying unsold clothes apply to home textiles?
Not on the product list read for this guide. Article 25 of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), (EU) 2024/1781, says: "From 19 July 2026, the destruction of unsold consumer products as listed in Annex VII shall be prohibited." Annex VII names apparel, clothing accessories and footwear; bed linen is not among the codes it lists.
The ban started with large enterprises. "This paragraph shall not apply to micro and small enterprises", and medium-sized enterprises follow from 19 July 2030. Businesses outside the ban "shall not destroy unsold consumer products supplied to them with the purpose of circumventing that prohibition" (Article 25(2)). The ESPR itself has been in force since 18 July 2024 (European Commission).
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/296 sets the derogations, among them health, hygiene and safety reasons and damage, and applies from 19 July 2026.
When does extended producer responsibility for textiles start?
By 17 April 2028. Directive (EU) 2025/1892 requires Member States to ensure that "the extended producer responsibility schemes laid down in paragraph 1 of this Article are established by 17 April 2028". National laws come by 17 June 2027. Producers cover the costs of collecting, sorting and recycling the textiles they put on the market.
It reaches private label directly. A producer includes a manufacturer that has textile products "designed or manufactured and supplies them for the first time under its own name or trademark", a reseller under its own name, an importer, and a business that sells at a distance to end users in a Member State from another country. Annex IVc covers "bed linen, table linen, toilet linen and kitchen linen", blankets, curtains, interior blinds and other furnishing articles.
Enterprises with fewer than 10 people and an annual turnover and balance sheet of no more than EUR 2 million follow from 17 April 2029 (Article 41). A producer established in another Member State appoints an authorised representative there, and Member States may ask the same of producers outside the EU (Article 22a(3)). For mattresses, each Member State may choose to set up a scheme.
Are OEKO-TEX and GOTS required, and which home textile manufacturers name them?
Neither is required by the EU acts on this page; both are labels a brand chooses. OEKO-TEX describes STANDARD 100 as "a label for textiles tested for harmful substances", with certificates issued for one year. GOTS, the Global Organic Textile Standard, calls itself "a globally recognised certification for textiles made with organic fibres".
Under GOTS, every company involved in production is certified by an approved independent certification body, up to labelling and final packing. The EU Ecolabel criteria for textile products stay valid until 31 December 2028 under Decision (EU) 2026/66.
5 of the 29 home textile manufacturers NordSourced lists name OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 or GOTS on their website (data of 2026-10-14): 3 STANDARD 100 and 2 GOTS. 7 more name OEKO-TEX without saying which OEKO-TEX label. A certificate covers named articles, so check that yours is one of them, as the certificates guide explains.
| Manufacturer | Country | Certificates named on its website | Valid document opened by NordSourced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vormu | Finland | MED/IMO (Marine Equipment Directive), OEKO-TEX Standard 100, CertiPUR® | Not opened |
| Baltic Flax | Lithuania | European Flax®, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 | Not opened |
| Siūlas | Lithuania | OEKO-TEX Standard 100, Masters of Flax Fibre | Not opened |
| Read The Label | Sweden | GOTS | Not opened |
| Retex Nordic | Sweden | GOTS | Not opened |
What does your product decide for you?
Whether it is clothing or a home textile, how big your company is and where you sell. Clothing falls under the destruction ban for large and, later, medium-sized enterprises; bed linen is not on its list. Bed linen, curtains and blankets do fall under textile producer responsibility. Each case below names what it costs you.
- Bed linen, towels, blankets or curtains: a fibre label in each country's language and the GPSR duties now, PFHxA limits from 10 October 2027, and producer responsibility once the schemes exist by 17 April 2028. The cost: your share of collection, sorting and recycling costs.
- Clothing and accessories made for your brand: the same, plus the PFHxA limits since 10 October 2026, and the destruction ban since 19 July 2026 if your enterprise is large, or from 19 July 2030 if it is medium-sized. The cost: unsold stock has to go somewhere other than destruction, within the derogations.
- Sales only to other businesses: the fibre composition may travel in the commercial documents instead of on a label. The cost: none beyond accurate documents.
- Online sales to consumers in another EU country: that country's producer responsibility rules reach you, through an authorised representative there. The cost: an authorised representative and your share of the costs in each country you sell into.
- An organic claim under GOTS: every company in the chain up to labelling and final packing is certified. The cost: certification of each company involved, including the one that packs your product.
Which dates matter for textile brands from 2025 to 2029?
Most fall between July 2026 and April 2029. The destruction ban for large enterprises started on 19 July 2026 and the PFHxA limit for clothing on 10 October 2026. Producer responsibility arrives through national laws by 17 June 2027 and schemes by 17 April 2028; other textiles meet the PFHxA limit from 10 October 2027.
| Date | What applies | Act |
|---|---|---|
| 16 October 2025 | The textile producer responsibility Directive enters into force | Directive (EU) 2025/1892 |
| 19 July 2026 (passed) | Ban on destroying unsold apparel, clothing accessories and footwear, large enterprises; the derogations apply | Regulation (EU) 2024/1781, Article 25; Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/296 |
| 10 October 2026 (passed) | PFHxA (perfluorohexanoic acid) limit of 25 ppb, or 1,000 ppb for related substances, in clothing and related accessories for the general public | Regulation (EU) 2024/2462, REACH Annex XVII entry 79 |
| 9 December 2026 | The new Product Liability Directive applies to products placed on the market after this date | Directive (EU) 2024/2853, Article 2 |
| 17 June 2027 | Member States' laws on textile producer responsibility due | Directive (EU) 2025/1892, Article 2(1) |
| 10 October 2027 | PFHxA limit for other textiles, leather, furs and hides for the general public | Regulation (EU) 2024/2462 |
| 17 April 2028 | Producer responsibility schemes for textiles established | Directive (EU) 2025/1892, Article 22a(14) |
| 31 December 2028 | EU Ecolabel criteria for textile products valid until this date | Decision (EU) 2026/66 |
| 17 April 2029 | Producer responsibility applies to enterprises with fewer than 10 people and up to EUR 2 million | Directive (EU) 2025/1892, Article 41 |
| 19 July 2030 | The destruction ban extends to medium-sized enterprises | Regulation (EU) 2024/1781, Article 25 |
The PFHxA limits do not apply to articles placed on the market before each date, and construction textiles are exempt.
Questions and answers
Which fibre names may I use on a textile label in the EU?
Only the names listed in Annex I of Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011. Your Europe says the types and names of textile fibres you can use are limited to that list. The label gives each fibre's percentage by weight in decreasing order, so a trade name for a fabric does not replace the fibre names.
Which products need a fibre composition label?
Every textile product made up of at least 80% textile fibres by weight, whenever it is marketed in the EU, according to the Commission's Your Europe page. That covers bed linen, towels, curtains and clothing alike. Sales between businesses may give the composition in accompanying commercial documents instead of on a label.
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 (Article 16(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011). Your Europe tells businesses to translate the text into all the official national languages of each EU country where the product is sold, so a label shared by several markets carries each of their languages.
Do I have to put washing instructions on bed linen?
Not under EU law. The Commission's questions and answers on the Textile Regulation say care instructions and size labelling are not covered by it, and that some Member States make care labelling compulsory while respecting the free movement of goods. Check the countries where you sell before you print a shared label.
If a factory sews the label in, who is responsible for what it says?
The brand that sells the product under its own name. Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 treats a distributor that places a product on the market under its name or trademark as the manufacturer, and the manufacturer ensures the label is supplied. Send the factory the composition in writing and check the first labels.
Can I sell to a shop with the fibre composition only on the invoice?
Between businesses, yes: Your Europe says business-to-business sales may use accompanying commercial documents instead of a label. Once the product is made available to consumers it must be labelled or marked with its fibre composition in the language of that country, so agree with the shop who labels the goods before they reach consumers.
Does the ban on destroying unsold clothing apply to a small brand?
No. Article 25 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 says the ban does not apply to micro and small enterprises. It has applied to large enterprises since 19 July 2026 and reaches medium-sized enterprises on 19 July 2030. A small business must not destroy unsold products supplied to it in order to get around the ban.
Can I still destroy unsold bed linen?
The ESPR's ban covers the products listed in its Annex VII: apparel, clothing accessories and footwear. Bed linen is not among the codes listed there, as read for this guide. Destroying unsold clothing remains banned for large enterprises since 19 July 2026, apart from the derogations in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/296.
When will my textile brand pay for collection and recycling?
Once your country's producer responsibility scheme exists. Directive (EU) 2025/1892 requires Member States to adopt their laws by 17 June 2027 and establish the schemes by 17 April 2028; enterprises with fewer than 10 people and up to EUR 2 million follow from 17 April 2029. Producers cover collection, sorting and recycling costs.
Does textile producer responsibility reach a brand that sells online from another country?
Yes. Directive (EU) 2025/1892 counts as a producer a business that sells by distance contract to end users in a Member State while established in another Member State or outside the EU. A producer established in another Member State appoints an authorised representative in the country of sale, and Member States may require that of producers outside the EU too.
Are OEKO-TEX or GOTS certificates required by EU law?
No EU act reviewed for this page requires either. OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 is a label for textiles tested for harmful substances, with certificates issued for one year. GOTS certifies textiles made with organic fibres and requires every company in production, up to labelling and final packing, to be certified by an approved independent body.
Is PFHxA restricted in home textiles?
Yes, from 10 October 2027 for textiles other than clothing. REACH entry 79, added by Regulation (EU) 2024/2462, limits PFHxA and its salts to 25 ppb and related substances to 1,000 ppb in clothing and related accessories for the general public from 10 October 2026, and in other textiles, leather, furs and hides for the general public from 10 October 2027.
Which home textile manufacturers in Lithuania name OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100?
2 of the 12 home textile manufacturers NordSourced lists in Lithuania name OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 on their website (data of 2026-10-14): Baltic Flax and Siūlas. Ask each for the certificate number and check that it lists your article and its product class.
Which Baltic or Nordic textile manufacturers say they can put my label on the product?
3 of the 29 home textile manufacturers NordSourced lists say so in their own words on their website (data of 2026-10-14): TEXORA, Retex Nordic and Textilfabriken. Their sentences are quoted in the section on who is responsible. The content of the label stays your duty, so send the fibre composition and languages in writing.
Where to go next
Sources
- Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 on textile fibre names and labelling, Articles 15 and 16 (text as adopted), EUR-Lex; the as-adopted text was read on legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives). Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Textile label, Your Europe (European Commission). Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Questions and answers on the Textile Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, European Commission, DG Enterprise. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety (GPSR), Articles 2 and 9, EUR-Lex; text read in the Publications Office (Cellar) copy of the Official Journal. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Directive (EU) 2024/2853 on liability for defective products, Article 2, EUR-Lex; text read in the Publications Office (Cellar) copy of the Official Journal. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR), Article 25 and Annex VII, EUR-Lex; text read in the Publications Office (Cellar) copy of the Official Journal. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, European Commission. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/296 on derogations from the destruction ban, EUR-Lex; text read in the Publications Office (Cellar) copy of the Official Journal. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Directive (EU) 2025/1892 amending the Waste Framework Directive: textile extended producer responsibility, EUR-Lex; text read in the Publications Office (Cellar) copy of the Official Journal. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2462, REACH Annex XVII entry 79 (PFHxA), EUR-Lex; text read in the Publications Office (Cellar) copy of the Official Journal. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100, OEKO-TEX Association. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Global Standard gGmbH. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Commission Decision (EU) 2026/66 prolonging EU Ecolabel criteria, EUR-Lex; text read in the Publications Office (Cellar) copy of the Official Journal. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
Directory figures are counted from the manufacturers listed on NordSourced, each listed because its own website says it makes products for other brands; see how we check. This page is general information, not legal advice. Found a mistake? Tell us.