Detergents: Deal on revised rules to improve environmental and health protection

On Tuesday, negotiators from the Parliament and Council reached a provisional political agreement on the Commission proposal to update the EU framework on detergents and surfactants, which does not yet take into account new market developments such as detergents with living microorganisms as active ingredients, and refill sales. Clearer information, more readily available to consumers Consumers will benefit from clearer, more readable, and easily understandable labels, highlighting the most important information directly on the product. Parliament made sure that special attention will be given to the needs of vulnerable groups. It also secured full ingredient transparency, in particular regarding allergenic fragrances in physical form. Digital labels will provide additional details when needed and a new digital product passport will ensure the accuracy, reliability, and accessibility of product data while maintaining compliance with safety standards. Detergents sold in a refill format will have to display the same physical labelling as standard detergents, on a label attached to the refill packaging rather than digital-only labels as proposed by the Commission. To address the issue of overuse, the Commission will examine the need to introduce additional rules on labelling of consumer laundry detergents sold in bottles with lids, including through clearer instructions and better use of lids and measuring cups. Safety and animal testing The Commission must assess the...