What European Buyers Look for in Work Bags, School Bags and Everyday Carry Products

1. What requirements must work and school bags meet to be allowed on the European market? The following requirements apply to work and school bags on the European market. For a more detailed overview, see the CBI’s study on buyer requirements for Home Decorations and Home Textiles (HDHT). What are mandatory requirements? When exporting to Europe, you must comply with various legal requirements. General Product Safety Regulation The new General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR, EU 2023/988) requires that non-food products marketed in the EU are safe to use. This applies to all non-food products sold online or offline. Non-EU products can only be placed on the market if an ‘economic operator’ in the EU is responsible for their safety. For business-to-consumer (B2C) trade, you must contract an authorised representative or fulfilment service provider. To prove your products are safe, you must do a risk analysis and write the required technical documentation. Unsafe products are rejected at the European border or withdrawn from the market. The European Union (EU) uses the Safety Gate system to list and share information about such products. Tips: Restricted chemicals: REACH The REACH regulation (EC 1907/2006) lists restricted chemicals in products that are marketed in Europe. Restricted chemicals in the production of work and school bags include: Tips: Wildlife Trade Regulations The EU’s Wildlife Trade Regulations makes sure that wildlife products only enter the EU market if they are of legal and sustainable origin. This affects leather goods, including bags. These regulations enforce the rules of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). They also go beyond the CITES requirements. For example, they include more species than the standard CITES list and set stricter import conditions. Tips: Intellectual property rights When you develop products, you must not copy an existing design. Intellectual property (IP) is protected in Europe, and products that violate IP rights are banned from the market. Tip: European Green Deal The European Green Deal is the EU’s roadmap for Europe becoming a climate-neutral continent by 2050. It provides a legal aspect to social and environmental sustainability. One of its main building block is the Circular Economy Action Plan. It includes initiatives throughout products’ full life cycles. It targets how products are designed, promotes circular economy processes and encourages sustainable consumption. The plan also aims to prevent waste and keep the resources used in the EU economy for as long as possible. In this context, legislation is updated and new laws are developed. Some will apply to you directly and some indirectly through your buyers. Textile Regulation The Textile Regulation (EU 1007/2011) states that products containing ≥80% textile fibres must be labelled or marked. The label must state the full fibre composition. If applicable, it should also mention the presence of non-textile parts of animal origin. It must be durable, easily legible, visible and accessible. The label should be printed in all the official national languages of the European countries where the product is sold. There is no EU-wide legislation on symbols for washing instructions and other care aspects. To give consumers clear information, you should follow the ISO 3758:2023 standard for graphic symbols in care labelling. The European Commission plans to revise the regulation to introduce specifications for physical and digital labelling of textiles, including sustainability and circularity parameters based on the new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. Tips: Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation The new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR – EU 2024/1781) entered into force in 2024. It aims to ensure that products: The regulation also introduces Digital Product Passports with information about products’ environmental sustainability. This includes their durability and use of recycled materials. The Commission adopted the first working plan in April 2025, which includes textiles. The first measures could be adopted in 2027 and be applicable 18 months later. Tips: Deforestation Regulation You should know that the new Deforestation Regulation (EUDR – EU 2023/1115) does not currently apply to any leather bags exported to Europe. This regulation aims to reduce the EU’s impact on global deforestation and forest degradation. It applies to cattle and derived products, such as leather. This is because many trees are cut to create space to raise cattle. However, it does not cover finished products like leather bags. Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and Forced Labour Regulation The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD – EU 2024/1760) requires larger companies to identify and prevent, end or reduce any negative impacts of their activities on human rights and the environment. The CSDDD applies to both the company’s own operations and its direct business partners. This means that the new rules may apply to you indirectly via your buyers. The European Commission plans to publish guidelines to help companies conduct due diligence. In February 2025, the European Commission proposed an Omnibus package to simplify sustainability due diligence requirements. As part of this, the European Parliament has agreed to postpone the application dates of the CSDDD. The CSDDD is now set to apply following a staggered approach. It will apply to the first group of companies from 26 July 2028 until full application on 26 July 2030. Besides that, the Forced Labour Regulation (FLR – EU 2024/3015) bans products made with forced labour. The FLR will apply from 14 December 2027. Tips: Packaging legislation The Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD – 94/62/EC) aims to prevent or reduce the impact of packaging and packaging waste on the environment. Buyers may therefore ask you to minimise the use of packaging materials and/or to use sustainable (recycled) materials. By 2030 all packaging on the European market should be reusable or recyclable in an economically viable way. To help achieve this, the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR – 2025/40) entered into force in February 2025. This regulation will apply from 12 August 2026, replacing the PPWD. The Plant Health Law (EU 2016/2031) also sets requirements for wood packaging materials used for transport, such as packing cases and pallets. The goal is to prevent organisms that are harmful to plants or plant products from entering and spreading within the EU. Tip: Pending: Green Claims Directive The European Commission has proposed a Green Claims Directive to: The proposal is currently awaiting approval. If the Directive is approved, any green claim you make about your product has to