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Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 on detergents (Text with EEA relevance)
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Textual Amendments
The following provisions on labelling shall apply to the packaging of detergents sold to the general public.
The following weight percentage ranges:
less than 5 %,
5 % or over but less than 15 %,
15 % or over but less than 30 %,
30 % and more,
shall be used to indicate the content of the constituents listed below where they are added in a concentration above 0,2 % by weight:
phosphates,
phosphonates,
anionic surfactants,
cationic surfactants,
amphoteric surfactants,
non-ionic surfactants,
oxygen-based bleaching agents,
chlorine-based bleaching agents,
EDTA and salts thereof,
NTA (nitrilotriacetic acid) and salts thereof,
phenols and halogenated phenols,
paradichlorobenzene,
aromatic hydrocarbons,
aliphatic hydrocarbons,
halogenated hydrocarbons,
soap,
zeolites,
polycarboxylates.
The following classes of constituent, if added, shall be listed irrespective of their concentration:
enzymes,
disinfectants,
optical brighteners,
perfumes.
If added, preservation agents shall be listed, irrespective of their concentration, using where possible the common [F2ingredient names] established under [F3Article 33 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on cosmetic products (“EU Regulation 1223/2009”)].
Textual Amendments
F2Words in Annex 7 Pt. A substituted (31.12.2020) by The Detergents (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/672), regs. 1, 28(2)(a)(i); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F3Words in Annex 7 Pt. A substituted (31.12.2020) by The Detergents (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/672), regs. 1, 28(2)(a)(ii); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
If added at concentrations exceeding 0,01 % by weight, the allergenic fragrances that appear on the list of [F4substances in Annex 3 to EU Regulation 1223/2009] to include the allergenic perfume ingredients from the list first established by the Scientific Committee on Cosmetics and Non-food Products (SCCNFP) in its opinion SCCNFP/0017/98, shall be listed [F5using (where possible) the common ingredient names established under Article 33 of EU Regulation 1223/2009].
Textual Amendments
F4Words in Annex 7 Pt. A substituted (31.12.2020) by The Detergents (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/672), regs. 1, 28(2)(b)(i); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F5Words in Annex 7 Pt. A substituted (31.12.2020) by The Detergents (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/672), regs. 1, 28(2)(b)(ii); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Textual Amendments
F6Deleted by Regulation (EU) No 259/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2012 amending Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 as regards the use of phosphates and other phosphorus compounds in consumer laundry detergents and consumer automatic dishwasher detergents (Text with EEA relevance).
The website address, from which the list of ingredients mentioned in section D of Annex VII can be obtained, shall be given on the packaging.
For detergents intended to be used in the industrial and institutional sector, and not made available to members of the general public, the abovementioned requirements do not have to be fulfilled if the equivalent information is provided by means of technical data sheets, safety data sheets, or in a similar appropriate manner.
As prescribed in Article 11(4), the following provisions on labelling shall apply to the packaging of detergents sold to the general public.
The packaging of detergents sold to the general public intended to be used as laundry detergents shall bear the following information:
the recommended quantities and/or dosage instructions expressed in millilitres or grams appropriate to a standard washing machine load, for soft, medium and hard water hardness levels and making provision for one or two cycle washing processes,
for heavy-duty detergents, the number of standard washing machine loads of ‘normally soiled’ fabrics, and, for detergents for delicate fabrics, the number of standard washing machine loads of ‘lightly soiled’ fabrics, that can be washed with the contents of the package using water of medium hardness, corresponding to 2,5 millimoles CaCO 3 /l,
the capacity of any measuring cup, if provided, shall be indicated in millilitres or grams, and markings shall be provided to indicate the dose of detergent appropriate for a standard washing machine load for soft, medium and hard water hardness levels,
The standard washing machine loads are 4,5 kg dry fabric for heavy-duty detergents and 2,5 kg dry fabric for light-duty detergents, in line with the definitions [F8in Commission Decision (EU) 2017/1218 establishing the EU Ecolabel criteria for laundry detergents]. A detergent shall be considered to be a heavy-duty detergent [F9(as defined in point (2) of Article 2(1) of that Decision)] unless the claims of the manufacturer predominantly promotes fabric care, i.e. low temperature wash, delicate fibres and colours.
Textual Amendments
F8Words in Annex 7 Pt. B substituted (31.12.2020) by The Detergents (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/672), regs. 1, 28(3)(a); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F9Words in Annex 7 Pt. B inserted (31.12.2020) by The Detergents (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/672), regs. 1, 28(3)(b); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
The packaging of detergents sold to the general public intended to be used as automatic dishwasher detergents shall bear the following information:
the standard dosage expressed in grams or ml or number of tablets for the main washing cycle for normally soiled tableware in a fully loaded 12 place settings dishwasher, making provisions, where relevant, for soft, medium, and hard water hardness.]
Textual Amendments
F7Substituted by Regulation (EU) No 259/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2012 amending Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 as regards the use of phosphates and other phosphorus compounds in consumer laundry detergents and consumer automatic dishwasher detergents (Text with EEA relevance).
The following provisions shall apply to the listing of ingredients on the data sheet referred to in Article 9(3).
The data sheet shall list the name of the detergent and that of the manufacturer.
All ingredients shall be listed; in order of decreasing abundance by weight, and the list shall be sub-divided into the following weight percentage ranges:
10 % or more,
1 % or over, but less than 10 %,
0,1 % or over, but less than 1 %,
less than 0,1 %.
Impurities shall not be considered to be ingredients.
‘Ingredient’ means any chemical substance, of synthetic or natural origin, intentionally included in the composition of a detergent. For the purpose of this Annex, a perfume, an essential oil, or a colouring agent shall be considered to be a single ingredient and none of the substances that they contain shall be listed, with the exception of those allergenic fragrance substances that appear on the list of substances in [F10Annex 3 to EU Regulation 1223/2009] if the total concentration of the allergenic fragrance substance in the detergent exceeds the limit mentioned in section A.
Textual Amendments
F10Words in Annex 7 Pt. C substituted (31.12.2020) by The Detergents (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/672), regs. 1, 28(4); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
The common chemical name or IUPAC(1) name and, where available, the INCI(2) name, the CAS number, and the European Pharmacopoeia name, shall be given for each ingredient.
Manufacturers shall make available on a website the ingredient data sheet mentioned above except for the following:
information on weight percentage ranges is not required
CAS numbers are not required
the ingredient names shall be given in INCI nomenclature, or where this is not available, the European Pharmacopoeia name, shall be given. If neither name is available, the common chemical name or IUPAC name shall be used instead. For a perfume the word ‘parfum’ shall be used and for a colouring agent, the word ‘colorant’. A perfume, an essential oil, or a colouring agent shall be considered to be a single ingredient and none of the substances that they contain shall be listed, with the exception of those allergenic fragrance substances that appear on the list of substances in [F11Annex 3 to EU Regulation 1223/2009] if the total concentration of the allergenic fragrance substance in the detergent exceeds the limit mentioned in section A.
Textual Amendments
F11Words in Annex 7 Pt. D substituted (31.12.2020) by The Detergents (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/672), regs. 1, 28(5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
Access to the website shall not be subject to any restriction or condition and the content of the website shall be kept up to date. The website shall include a link to the Commission Pharmacos website or to any other suitable website that provides a table of correspondence between INCI names, European Pharmacopoeia names, and CAS numbers.
This obligation shall not apply to industrial or institutional detergents, or to surfactants for industrial or institutional detergents, for which a technical data sheet or safety data sheet is available.]
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