Technical Regulation on the Safety of Light Industry Products (TR CU 017/2011 or TR TS 017/2011)
Applicability and transitional period
Date of entry into force: 1 July 2012.
Official publication date: 15 December 2011.
Last amendment: Decision No. 235 of 20 November 2012 of the Eurasian Economic Commission Collegiate.
Conformity assessment documents issued for light industry products before the TR entered into force (i.e. before 1 July 2012) are to remain valid throughout their normal validity period but not beyond 1 July 2014. Same documents issued before the date of the official publication of the TR (i. e. 15 December 2011) are to remain valid throughout their normal validity period.
From 1 July 2012 the issue or adoption of conformity assessment documents confirming compliance of light industry products with the national requirements of the Customs Union member states is not permitted.
Until 1 July 2014 it is permitted to manufacture and place on the market products for which the conformity was assessed in accordance with the earlier applicable requirements of the Customs Union member states or of the Customs Union, provided that the relevant conformity assessment documents were issued before 1 July 2012. These products may only be marked with a national conformity sign of the relevant Customs Union member state. Marking of these products with the Common Product Sign of the Customs Union is prohibited. These products may remain on the Customs Union market throughout their service life (the period determined by the applicable national legislation of the relevant Customs Union member state).
Before 1 January 2013 it was permitted to manufacture and release on the Customs Union market products which were not subject to a conformity assessment before the TR entered into force. These products may remain on the Customs Union market throughout their service life (the period determined by the applicable national legislation of the relevant Customs Union member state).
Which products are regulated by the “Technical Regulation on the Safety of Light Industry Products (TR TS 017/2011)”?
The TR applies to the following products:
- Textiles;
- Clothes and knitwear;
- Machine-woven carpets and carpet products;
- Leather goods, haberdashery and textile;
- Felt and non-woven materials;
- Footwear;
- Fur and fur products;
- Leather and leather goods; and
- Artificial leather.
The detailed list of products to which the TR applies, is contained in Annex 1 to the Technical Regulation on the Safety of Light Industry Products.
Which products are exempt from the requirements of the “Technical Regulation on the Safety of Light Industry Products (TR TS 017/2011)”?
- Used products;
- Products made to individuals’ orders;
- Medical purpose products;
- Special products, such as personal protective equipment and materials which are to be used for the manufacture of this equipment;
- Products intended for youths and children;
- Packaging textile materials;
- Materials and products of a technical purpose;
- Souvenirs and crafts;
- Sports goods, intended to equip sports teams;
- Wigs, fake beards, etc.
Release on the market
Light industry products may only be released on the Customs Union market, if they comply with the provisions of the “Technical Regulation on the Safety of Light Industry Products (TR TS 017/2011)” as well as any other Technical Regulations which may contain requirements applicable to these products. The products must also undergo the conformity assessment procedure.
Products which have been released on the market must be accompanied by full and accurate information (e.g. on a label) which prevents confusion of the end users regarding the safe methods of the use of the products.
Marking and labeling requirements for light industry products
Marking must be placed directly on the products, on labels or tags attached to products, on the packaging of a product, on the packaging of a batch of products or on a leaflet accompanying a product.
The marking must contain the following information:
- Product name;
- Country of manufacture;
- Name of the manufacturer or the seller or of the person authorized by the manufacturer;
- Registered address of the manufacturer or the seller or of the person authorized by the manufacturer;
- Product size;
- Composition of the raw materials used for the product manufacture;
- Trademark (if applicable);
- Common product sign of the Customs Union;
- Warranty obligations of the manufacturer (if necessary);
- Product manufacture date;
- Batch number (if necessary).
Also, depending on the product type and purpose, the marking (label) must contain additional information.
For clothes and textile products the following additional information must be provided:
- Type and content (in %) of natural and chemical raw materials (for the top layer and lining of clothes). The deviation from the actual content must be within +- 5%;
- Model;
- Product care pictograms; and
- Product care instructions (if necessary).
For textile and jersey sheets, textile and jersey items made of such sheets, carpets, duvets, bedspreads and curtains, the following additional information must be provided:
- Type and percentage of the basic raw materials, +-5%;
- The weight of a piece at a set humidity (for jersey sheets);
- Dye resistance (for jersey and textile sheets);
- Type of treatment (if any); and
- Product care pictograms.
For footwear the following additional information must be provided:
- Model type and/or product article code;
- Type of material(s) used for the upper part of footwear, its sole and lining; and
- Product care instructions (if necessary).
For fur clothes and fur products the following additional information must be provided:
- Type of fur and type of its treatment (dyed or non-dyed);
- Product care pictograms; and
- Product care instructions (if necessary).
For leather haberdashery the following additional information must be provided:
- Name of the upper part material;
- Model; and
- User instructions (if necessary).
For leatherthe following additional information must be provided:
- Leather size or weight;
- Thickness (if necessary); and
- Type/sort.
For fur skins the following additional information must be provided:
- Type of fur;
- Type of treatment;
- Product type or sort; and
- Size.
Marking and information must be provided in Russian language OR in the official language of the Customs Union member state where the product is to be distributed.
For imported products it is permitted to write the name of the country of origin, the name of the manufacturer and its registered address in Latin (rather than Cyrillic) letters.
It is not permitted to use claims like “environmentally clean”, “orthopedic”, etc. if there is no adequate evidence which supports these claims.
Conformity assessment
Compliance with the TR requirements
Conformity of a product with the TR requirements may be achieved by either fulfilling the TR requirements directly or by complying (on a voluntary basis) with the provisions of the standards included into the list of 337 standards attached to the TR. If a product complies with these standards (as applicable), it is presumed to comply with the TR requirements.
Before a product may be placed on the Customs Union market, it must undergo the conformity assessment procedure in order to prove that the product complies with the TR requirements. The assessment is performed in a form of certification or by issuing a conformity declaration.
Who can apply for a conformity assessment?
The manufacturer (or a person/company authorized by the manufacturer) or the seller (supplier).
Common product sign
Products which have undergone the conformity assessment procedure must be marked with the Common products sign of the Customs Union.
General safety requirements pertaining to light industry products
There are 3 groups of safety parameters according to which safety of light industry products is evaluated:
- Mechanical parameters (e.g. flexibility or impact resistance) ;
- Chemical parameters (e.g. maximum allowable emission of harmful substances into the air and/or water); and
- Biological parameters (e.g. toxicity index or dye resistance).
For the materials of products which are in direct contact with human skin as well as for the first and second layer clothes (see the definition below), house shoes, summer and beach shoes and for internal layers in other types of shoes the toxicity index determined in water environment must range from 70 to 120 % inclusive, in air environment – from 80 to 120% (inclusive) OR local skin irritating properties must not be present.
Odour intensity for light industry products and materials used for the manufacture of these products must not exceed 2 points.
Safety requirements for textiles, textile products, clothes and textile haberdashery
Clothes and products are classified into first, second and third layer clothes and products.
First layer clothes and products include those which have a direct contact with human skin, such as lingerie, bedding, hosiery, scarves, handkerchiefs, swimsuits and other similar items.
Second layer clothes and products include those which have an occasional restricted contact with human skin, such as dresses, skirts, trousers, jumpers, gloves, winter hosiery, etc.
Third layer clothes are those which are meant to be worn above the second layer clothes, such as jackets, coats, etc.
The migration of harmful chemicals from textiles, textile products, clothes and textile haberdashery must not exceed the set limits. The limits are provided in Annexes 2 and 3 to the Technical Regulation on the Safety of Light Industry Products. For instance, the materials used for the manufacture of first layer clothes must not contain free formaldehyde in the concentration exceeding 75 microgram per gram and for second layer clothes – exceeding 300 microgram per gram.
Safety requirements for shoes, leather, artificial leather and leather haberdashery
Mechanical and biological safety requirements for shoes and leather haberdashery are contained in Annex 6 to the TR on the Safety of Light Industry Products. The requirements include, for example, the strength of the attachment of the sole to a shoe, impermeability, etc.
Requirements pertaining to chemical safety of shoes are contained in Annexes 3 and 8 to the TR on the Safety of Light Industry Products.
Requirements containing the limits of emission of harmful substances from the materials used for the manufacture of leather haberdashery are contained in Annexes 7 and 8 to the Technical Regulation.
Chemical and biological safety requirements applicable to real leather are contained in Annex 8 to the TR; to artificial – in Annexes 3 and 8.
Safety requirements for leather clothes and products, fur and fur clothes and accessories
Safety requirements for these products are contained in Annex 8 to the Technical Regulation. All textile materials used in fur and leather products and clothes must comply with the safety requirements applicable to textiles (see above).
Safety requirements for carpet, felt, non-woven materials and products made of these materials
Products must not have the smell of mold after being treated with an antiseptic.
The electrostatic field on the surface of the products must not exceed the limits set out in Annex 2 to the Technical Regulation (e.g. 15 kiloVolt/meter for carpets and felt).
The dye resistance score must not be less than 3 points.
The total content of free sulphuric acid in water extract for felt products must not exceed 0,7%.
Chemical safety requirements for these products are contained in Annex 3 to the Technical Regulation.