SSL NewsroomCompliance

Austria Apparel Labelling: Mandatory Care Symbols and the EU Fibre Rule

Kolkata 31 AUGUST 2026By Surajmal Editorial Team10 min read

Published 31 August 2026

For a garment sold to a consumer in Austria, the fibre-content declaration starts at EU level: Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 sets the generic fibre names, composition percentages and labelling framework shared by the member states. Its rules concern the fibre composition of textile products. Article 24 considers possible future Union requirements on care labelling and origin labelling, rather than setting either requirement in the Regulation itself. For the shared groundwork on the fibre side, see our garment labelling guide. [1] [2]

What must appear on an apparel label sold in Austria?

Regulation 1007/2011 requires the name and percentage by weight of all constituent fibres, in descending order, using the fibre names set out in the Regulation's own annex. A fibre accounting for up to 5% of the total weight, or fibres collectively accounting for up to 15%, may instead be shown as “other fibres” with their combined percentage, but only where they cannot easily be stated at the time of manufacture. [1]

Label fieldAustrian requirementProduction record to use
Fibre contentGeneric names and percentages per Regulation (EU) 1007/2011Final fabric and component specification
LanguageGerman, under the EU language ruleApproved German-language artwork
Care informationRegulation 1007/2011 does not make care labelling mandatory; Article 24 considers a possible harmonised care-labelling systemCare-label artwork and treatment specification, where used
ToleranceFor an Article 7 single-fibre claim, up to 2% extraneous fibres, or up to 5% after carding, only where technically unavoidable in good manufacturing practice and not routinely added; Article 8 fleece or virgin-wool products have a 0.3% limit, including carded wool; the 3% manufacturing tolerance concerns Article 9 composition declarationsLab test report against the declared composition and the applicable claim
TraceabilityManufacturer name, trade name or trade mark and postal and electronic address; importer details where a Union-established person places a product from a third country on the Union market, under Regulation (EU) 2023/988Legal entity details and placing route set at order

Whether a component must be reflected in the composition declaration depends on the Article 11 and Annex VII rules: non-integral trims are excluded, linings may be exempt where they are not main linings and are under 30% of total weight, and fillings without an insulating function are excluded. Confirm the construction before label copy is frozen.

The tolerance rules should be matched to the form of declaration. Article 7 permits “100%”, “pure” or “all” only for a product exclusively composed of the same fibre. Its 2% allowance, or 5% for a product that has undergone carding, applies only to extraneous fibres that are technically unavoidable in good manufacturing practice and are not added as a matter of routine. For Article 8 fleece wool or virgin wool products, the corresponding limit is 0.3% by weight, including where the wool product has undergone carding, with the same conditions on technical unavoidability and non-routine addition.

The separate 3% manufacturing tolerance applies between a stated Article 9 fibre composition and the percentages found by analysis. It is calculated against the total weight of fibres shown on the label or marking, with the Article 20 rules governing the treatment of extraneous fibres. It does not create a general 3% allowance for every declaration, including an Article 7 “100%”, “pure” or “all” claim.

What does Regulation 1007/2011 establish on care instructions and origin marking?

Regulation 1007/2011 establishes the EU fibre-composition declaration. Article 24 places care labelling and origin labelling among the matters to be considered in a Commission report on possible new Union labelling requirements.

Regulation (EU) 1007/2011 does not make care labelling mandatory. Article 24 requires the Commission to report on possible new Union labelling requirements and, among the issues to be examined, lists an origin-labelling scheme and a harmonised care-labelling system. The fibre declaration should therefore be treated as a composition requirement, with care information and origin wording considered separately from it. [1]

How do care instructions sit alongside the EU fibre declaration?

The Regulation makes the fibre declaration the defined label field. Article 24 shows that care information was treated separately: it directs the Commission to examine a harmonised care-labelling system as part of a report on possible new Union requirements. A care label may be planned alongside the fibre declaration, but it should not be confused with the fibre-composition statement required by Regulation 1007/2011. [3]

RequirementDetail
Fibre declarationGeneric fibre names and composition percentages under Regulation 1007/2011
Component treatmentArticle 11 and Annex VII determine whether a component has to be reflected in the declaration
Care informationArticle 24 considers a possible harmonised care-labelling system
Origin informationArticle 24 considers an origin-labelling scheme in the Commission's report

For the composition declaration, the production file should distinguish the main textile components from items excluded under Annex VII. Non-textile parts, labels and badges, and trimmings that do not form an integral part of the product are excluded from the composition calculation. For textile products other than the particular products separately listed in the Annex, fillings without an insulating function are also excluded; linings remain subject to Article 11(2).

Article 11 applies where a textile product contains two or more textile components with different fibre contents. The starting point is a label or marking stating the fibre content of each component. That marking is not compulsory for a component only where both conditions are met: it is not a main lining and it represents less than 30% of the total weight of the textile product. These construction facts should be recorded with the bill of materials so that the label artwork can follow the finished garment rather than an early fabric specification.

Does Austria have its own rule on children's clothing?

The EU fibre-composition rules do not turn a children's safety specification into a fibre-label field. EN 14682:2014 sets European safety specifications for cords and drawstrings on children's clothing; its reference is published under Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/901 in support of Regulation (EU) 2023/988. This is a product-safety standard, not a textile-fibre labelling requirement. Keep the product-safety specification and the fibre declaration as separate records in the production file. [4]

What does an Austrian fibre declaration look like under the EU rule?

Label elementGerman wordingNote
Single fibre, 100%100 % BaumwolleGerman generic name for cotton
Blend example65 % Baumwolle, 35 % PolyesterPercentages in descending order
Care informationSeparate from the fibre declarationRegulation 1007/2011 does not make care labelling mandatory

A fibre declaration should identify the fibre content required by the Regulation and follow the component rules where more than one textile component has a different fibre content. Care information and origin wording are not substitutes for that declaration: Article 24 addresses them as possible subjects of future Union labelling requirements.

Where can an EU fibre declaration fall short?

An apparel label built to satisfy Regulation (EU) 1007/2011 must still reflect the finished textile product. The practical risks are usually in the component analysis, the approved German wording and the traceability details that apply to the product's placing on the market.

EU-fibre-only labelWhy it falls short in AustriaAustria-specific action
Fibre content correct, German wordingThe composition may still omit a component that Article 11 requires to be declaredCompare every textile component with the bill of materials
Care information presentCare information is separate from the Regulation's fibre declarationKeep care-label artwork separate from the composition approval
Generic tolerance figuresThe Article 7 2% and 5% allowances are limited to technically unavoidable, non-routine extraneous fibres; Article 8 fleece or virgin-wool products have a 0.3% limit, including carded wool; the 3% manufacturing tolerance applies to an Article 9 composition declarationMatch the test result and label claim to the applicable Article 7, 8 or 20 rule
Importer identification omitted for a product placed from a third countryGPSR importer obligations apply when a natural or legal person established in the Union places a product from a third country on the Union marketRecord the placing entity and its required contact details before bulk

How should an Austria label be released before bulk?

Release the Austria-market fibre declaration after the bill of materials is signed off and after each textile component has been tested against Article 11 and Annex VII. A change to the lining, trim or filling can change the composition information that belongs on the declaration.

Approval stageWhat to lockCheck on the physical garment
Composition reviewFinal fibre names and percentagesLabel matches the approved bill of materials
Language reviewGerman fibre wordingLegible German text on the label
Component reviewArticle 11 and Annex VII treatment recordedLining, trim and filling match the approved construction
Bulk inspectionSealed artwork revisionCorrect Austria variant on the correct style and colourway

The tech pack should record the textile components, their weights and the Article 11 or Annex VII basis used for the composition declaration. That record makes later artwork changes easier to check against the actual construction.

Short FAQ

Does Regulation 1007/2011 make care labelling mandatory on an Austrian apparel label?

No. Regulation 1007/2011 does not make care labelling mandatory. Its Article 24 calls for a Commission report on possible new Union labelling requirements, including a harmonised care-labelling system. [2]

What does Regulation 1007/2011 say about origin marking?

Article 24 lists an origin-labelling scheme among the matters the Commission was to examine in its report on possible new Union labelling requirements. The Regulation's operative labelling rules concern fibre composition. [1]

What does the Regulation say about care-symbol standards?

Article 24 refers to a possible harmonised care-labelling system as a matter for the Commission's report. Regulation 1007/2011 itself sets the fibre-composition declaration and identifies care labelling as a subject for that report. [3]

What is the first check for a multi-component textile product?

Identify the textile components that have different fibre contents. Article 11 requires the fibre content of each component to be stated, unless the component is not a main lining and represents less than 30% of the product's total weight. Then apply the Annex VII exclusions before finalising the percentages. [5]

Is there a mandatory Austrian apparel-size system?

We prepare size labels to your size chart, grading standard and market programme, with the fibre and care fields handled separately.

When do the Austrian importer-identification obligations apply?

An importer is a natural or legal person established in the Union that places a product from a third country on the Union market. Where that role applies, the importer must indicate its name, registered trade name or registered trade mark, postal and electronic address and, where different, the postal or electronic address of its single contact point. The information belongs on the product or, where that is not possible, on its packaging or in an accompanying document. The definition turns on the placing route, not the manufacturer’s establishment: a separate Union-established importer can place an EU manufacturer’s product from a third country on the Union market. Record the entity that performs that role for the order. [6]

Why care information should stay separate from the fibre declaration

Regulation 1007/2011 is specific about the composition declaration. It identifies the generic fibre names that may be used, establishes rules for percentages and multi-component products, and requires textile products to be labelled or marked to indicate their fibre composition when they are made available on the market. Article 14 adds that the composition labelling or marking must be durable, easily legible, visible and accessible and, where it is a label, securely attached.

Care information belongs in a separate part of the label programme. Article 24 requires the Commission to report on possible new Union labelling requirements and to examine, among other matters, a harmonised care-labelling system. The same provision identifies an origin-labelling scheme as another subject for examination. These subjects should not be used to alter, replace or obscure the required fibre declaration.

The Austria label judgement

An Austria-bound fibre declaration begins with the EU fibre declaration in German. Confirm the fibre file first, then test the construction against Article 11 and Annex VII before the artwork is approved. The completed declaration should follow the actual fabric, lining, trim and filling used in the garment, rather than a generic label copied from another style.

Building the Austria label into the production file

Send the tech pack, the Austria-bound quantity by style and colour, and the fabric and finish once they are set. The production file should include the German-language fibre declaration, component specifications and the label artwork alongside production, rather than leaving composition approval until bulk is already booked. For the shared fibre-labelling baseline Austria sits inside, see the European Union import guide. For a programme built to your own label from tech pack through to bulk, private label manufacturing covers labels, care labels and hang tags prepared to your artwork.

Share
START A CONVERSATION

Ready to source with confidence?

Send a brief and we'll reply within 24 hours, with a first sample in 4 to 10 days.

Get in Touch