EU wants ‘made in’ labels compulsory

Country-of-origin labels should be mandatory for textiles imported from a third country and sold in the EU, according to the EU Parliament’s Internal Market Committee. Parliament was requested to vote on a technical proposal to cut the time it takes to get textile innovations on the market, but changed the focus to call for mandatory ‘made in’ labels. “The current absence of harmonized rules on origin marking puts the EU at a disadvantage vis-á-vis its main trade partners, such as Canada, China, Japan and the U.S.A., who require origin marking for imported goods,” said Toine Manders of The Netherlands. “Origin marking would facilitate consumer choice and contribute to reducing fraudulent, inaccurate or misleading claims of origin.” The amendment was made to a draft law on textile labeling being considered by the EU.