EU CLP Labelling Requirements

Under the EU CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, any substance or mixture classified as hazardous and sold in packaging must carry a label with the elements listed in Article 17. That label has to be in the official language(s) of each Member State where it is placed on the market, and the pictograms, signal word and hazard and precautionary statements must sit together on it ^[1][2]. The new formatting rules from the 2024 revision (Regulation (EU) 2024/2865), including minimum font sizes, are being pushed back from their original dates, and a separate simplification proposal would change them again.

Approach: I read the current consolidated CLP text (consolidation dated 1 July 2026) and the amending Regulation (EU) 2024/2865 on EUR-Lex, plus Commission and Council documents on the 2025 "Omnibus VI" chemicals package. I could not open the adopted text of the postponement act or the 2026 Council press releases.

1. Mandatory label elements (Article 17(1))

• Supplier: name, address and telephone number of the supplier(s).
• Nominal quantity: required for packages made available to the general public, unless the quantity is shown elsewhere on the package.
• Product identifiers (Article 18):
  • For a substance: the Annex VI Part 3 name and number. Failing that, the C&L Inventory name and number. Failing that, the CAS number with the IUPAC or another international name.
  • For a mixture: the trade name plus the substances that drive the classification for acute toxicity, corrosion or serious eye damage, CMR effects, sensitisation, STOT or aspiration hazard. A maximum of four chemical names "shall suffice" unless more are needed to reflect the hazards ^[3].
• Hazard pictograms (Article 19): must follow Annex I section 1.2.1 and Annex V ^[4].
• Signal word (Article 20): where "Danger" is used, "Warning" shall not appear ^[5].
• Hazard statements (Article 21): worded as in Annex III. For substances listed in Annex VI, the Annex VI H-statements must be used ^[6].
• Precautionary statements (Article 22): chosen under the Annex IV Part 1 criteria and worded as in Annex IV Part 2 ^[7].
• Supplemental information section (Article 25):
  • EUH statements and Annex II special labelling.
  • The UFI (unique formula identifier), where one has been created under Annex VIII.
  • Label elements required by other EU acts.
  • Claims such as "non-toxic", "non-harmful", "non-polluting" or "ecological" shall not appear on the label or packaging.
  • ^[8]
• Languages (Article 17(2)): extra languages are allowed if every language carries the same details ^[1].

2. Precedence rules (Articles 26 to 28)

• Pictograms:
  • GHS06 excludes GHS07.
  • GHS05 excludes GHS07 for skin or eye irritation.
  • GHS08 for respiratory sensitisation excludes GHS07 for skin sensitisation and irritation.
  • GHS04 is optional where GHS02 or GHS06 applies.
  • Within one hazard class, use the pictogram for the most severe category.
  • ^[9]
• Hazard statements: all of them appear unless there is evident duplication or redundancy ^[10].
• Precautionary statements:
  • Not more than six, unless more are needed to reflect the hazards.
  • Redundant ones are omitted.
  • A disposal statement is required for products supplied to the general public.
  • ^[11]

3. Applying the label (Articles 31 to 33, Annex I section 1.2)

• Fixing and legibility:
  • Labels must be firmly fixed to the packaging that directly holds the product and readable horizontally when the package is set down normally.
  • Fold-out labels are allowed.
  • Label elements must be clearly and indelibly marked.
  • A separate label is not needed if the elements are shown clearly on the packaging itself.
  • ^[12]
• Pictograms: a square set on its point, with a black symbol on a white background and a red frame. Each pictogram covers at least one fifteenth of the label area and at least 1 cm² ^[13].
• Minimum dimensions (Table 1.3, current text):

^[13][14]

• Fold-out labels (section 1.2.1.6):
  • The front page carries the supplier, nominal quantity, identifiers, pictograms, signal words, the UFI, a pointer to the inside pages, and language codes.
  • The inside pages carry the full elements, grouped by language.
  • ^[14]
• Outer, inner and single packaging (Article 33): where a pictogram duplicates a transport-of-dangerous-goods pictogram for the same hazard, the CLP pictogram need not appear on the outer or single package ^[15].

4. Exemptions and special cases

• Special cases (Article 23, Annex I section 1.3): gas cylinders, LPG cartridges, aerosols with an aspiration hazard, massive metals, alloys and polymer mixtures, explosives, products that are only corrosive to metals, and ammunition ^[16][17].
• Small or awkward packaging (Article 29, Annex I section 1.5):
  • The elements may go on a tie-on tag or the outer packaging. The inner pack still needs the pictograms, signal word, identifier and supplier name and phone number.
  • For contents not exceeding 125 ml, H- and/or P-statements may be left out for the hazard categories listed in section 1.5.2.1.
  • Soluble single-use packs not exceeding 25 ml may be exempt.
  • Inner packs not exceeding 10 ml may be exempt under conditions.
  • ^[18][19][20]

5. Rules added by Regulation (EU) 2024/2865

• Digital labels (Articles 34a, 34b):
  • The physical label remains mandatory; a digital label may be added.
  • Only the optional Article 25(3) supplemental information may be digital-only. The phrase "More hazard information available online" (or similar) must sit by the data carrier.
  • The digital label must be free of charge, need no registration or app, be reachable in no more than two clicks, and stay accessible for at least 10 years.
  • ^[21][22][12]
• Label updates (Article 30):
  • Within 6 months for a new hazard class, a more severe classification, or new supplemental information.
  • Within 18 months for other changes.
  • By the date set in the delegated act where the change comes from an Annex VI listing (ATP).
  • ^[23]
• Distance sales (Article 48a): the offer must show the Article 17 label elements ^[24].
• Refill stations (Article 35(2a)): allowed only under the conditions in Annex II section 3.4 ^[25].
• Formatting rules (Annex I point (2) of 2024/2865): a new Table 1.3 adds a minimum font size (x-height):

• Other text rules (new section 1.2.1.5):
  • Black text on a white background.
  • Line spacing at least 120% of the font size.
  • A single sans-serif font.
  • Smaller text is allowed on inner packs not exceeding 10 ml if the outer pack complies.
  • ^[26]

6. Application dates and pending changes

• As adopted in 2024/2865:
  • Fold-out labels, digital labelling, Article 30, distance sales and other provisions apply from 1 July 2026.
  • The font-size and formatting rules (Annex I points (2) and (3)) apply from 1 January 2027.
  • ^[27]
• "Stop-the-clock" proposal (COM(2025) 526):
  • Moves the formatting rules, relabelling deadlines, advertising and distance-sales rules, and fuel-pump labelling to 1 January 2028.
  • Voluntary early use of those rules would run until 31 December 2027 (Commission proposal).
  • On 24 September 2025 the Council's member-state ambassadors agreed a negotiating mandate making no changes to the proposal (Council progress report, 13 October 2025).
  • A Council press release of 17 November 2025 is titled "Council signs off postponing rules on classification, labelling, and packaging of chemicals to 2028". I could not open it or the adopted act on EUR-Lex, so the final published dates are not confirmed here.
• What this means for the consolidated text: the 1 July 2026 consolidation I read still shows the 2024/2865 versions of Articles 30 and 48a. If the postponement was adopted as proposed, those provisions apply only from 1 January 2028.
• Content simplification proposal (COM(2025) 531): this would further loosen the font-size, line-spacing, advertising and digital-labelling rules. A Council press release of 17 June 2026 reports a Council–Parliament deal, but I could not open it or a final text, so I have not stated what the deal contains.

Sources:

• Commission proposal COM(2025) 526
• Council progress report ST 13787/25
• European Parliament Legislative Train, CLP revision