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Summaries of EU Legislation

Safer detergents for European consumers

Date of last review:
12/07/2022
Author:
Publications Office of the European Union
Responsible entity(ies):
Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
Summarised document(s):

Safer detergents for European consumers

 

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 on detergents

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

  • Detergents* can contain ingredients called surfactants* that make them clean more efficiently but may damage water quality when released into the natural environment. Their use must therefore be carefully controlled.
  • The regulation establishes common rules to enable detergents and surfactants to be sold and used across the European Union (EU) while providing a high degree of protection to the environment and human health.
  • The regulation allows only surfactants meeting the criterion of ultimate biodegradability* to be placed on the market, either on their own (e.g. as constituent mixtures used for the manufacturing of detergents) or as ingredients in detergents.
  • A revision of the regulation is currently ongoing as part of the REFIT initiative.

KEY POINTS

  • The legislation harmonises testing methods to determine the biodegradability of all surfactants used in detergents. These cover ultimate and primary biodegradability*.
  • The tests must be carried out in laboratories that meet internationally recognised standards.
  • Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring their products satisfy the legislation’s requirements.
  • Manufacturers must make available files on test results to the relevant authorities and an ingredient datasheet to medical staff, without delay and when requested.
  • Information on detergents’ packaging must be legible, visible and indelible. This includes contact details for the manufacturer and the datasheet.
  • Labels on detergents sold for public use must give details of recommended dosages for different washes in a standard washing machine.
  • National authorities may ban a specific detergent if they consider it a risk to human or animal health or to the environment. They must inform the European Commission and other EU Member States of the decision.

In 2012, the legislation was amended to harmonise rules on limiting the content of phosphates and other phosphorus compounds in detergents for household laundry and dishwashing machines.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 8 October 2005.

BACKGROUND

  • Previous legislation only covered the primary biodegradability of surfactants in detergents. This regulation replaces it by laying the main emphasis on ultimate biodegradability.
  • The 2012 amendment introduces new limits to reduce the damage that phosphates from detergents may have on ecosystems and water quality, which is known as ‘eutrophication’.
  • For further information, see:

KEY TERMS

Detergent. Any substance or preparation, whether liquid, powder or other form, containing soaps and/or other surfactants designed to wash or clean.
Surfactant. One of many different compounds that make up a detergent. Surfactants are added to remove dirt from skin, clothes and household articles, particularly in kitchens and bathrooms. They lower the surface tension between two liquids or between a liquid and a solid. They may also act as wetting agents, emulsifiers and foaming agents. The term comes from ‘surface-active agent’.
Ultimate biodegradation. When a surfactant is broken down into carbon dioxide, water and mineral salts and absorbed into the environment.
Primary biodegradation. When a surfactant loses its surface-active ability. It is important for this ability to be lost so as to reduce any negative effects on water treatment plants as much as possible.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 on detergents (OJ L 104, 8.4.2004, pp. 1–35).

Successive amendments to Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

last update 12.07.2022

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