Footwear labelling

The labelling of footwear and its components provides consumers with information that enables them to make informed purchasing decisions. It also helps to protect the industry from unfair competition and reinforces the proper functioning of the internal market of the European Union (EU).

ACT

Directive 94/11/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 March 1994 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to the labelling of the materials used in the main components of footwear for sale to the consumer.

SUMMARY

The labelling of footwear and its components provides consumers with information enabling them to make informed purchasing decisions. It also helps to protect the industry from unfair competition and reinforces the proper functioning of the internal market of the European Union (EU).

WHAT DOES THIS DIRECTIVE DO?

It lays down the rules governing the labelling of footwear:

• The content and form of the label
• The responsibility for labelling

KEY POINTS

• Only materials constituting at least 80 % of the surface area of the upper, lining and insole of the footwear and at least 80 % of the volume of the sole shall be labelled. If no material accounts for at least 80 %, the information on the two main materials making up the footwear shall be provided.
• The label must provide information on the three components of the footwear:
• the upper
• the lining and the insole
• the sole
• Text or pictograms may be used on the label.
• The label must be visible, securely attached and accessible.
• The label must be:
• Printed or stamped on the footwear
• Attached to the footwear by means of an adhesive label
• Attached by a fastener or string
• The label must appear on at least one of the two articles making up a pair of shoes, boots, etc.
  EU manufacturers are responsible for providing the label and for its accuracy. However, where footwear is imported, the person who first places the footwear on the EU market will be responsible for this responsibility. Retailers will remain responsible for ensuring that the footwear they sell is properly labelled.
• The label must appear on at least one of the two items that make up a pair of shoes, boots, etc.
  The annexes specify
• the definitions of the parts of the article of footwear to be identified (e.g. an upper, a sole, etc.) and the corresponding pictograms or textual indications (Annex I)
• the examples of footwear covered by the Directive are set out in Annex II. This does not include, for example, footwear used for health and hygiene purposes at work, which is covered by EU legislation on personal protective equipment.

There is also an EU Ecolabel that can be used on footwear on a voluntary basis. This label helps consumers identify footwear whose life cycle (production, use and disposal) has a low environmental impact.

REFERENCIAS

Successive amendments and corrections to Directive 94/11/EC have been incorporated into the basic text. This consolidated version has a purely documentary value.