The Egyptian Center for Studies of Export & Import

Attorney at Law





EU Market Access Requirements
(Summary)
To Support the Arab Exporter and Shipper

by: Preparation
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Legislative
database
U Market Access Requirements E
EU market access requirements are an important part of
international trade; compliance is a
markets.
Therefore the ECSEI
this information, besides informati
(consumption, production and trade)
and marketing and trade promotion.
In the database Market Access Requirements are divided into
a) Legislative and
b) nonlegislative requirements.
Both types of requirements are
legislative requirements often will have higher priority
because they are mandatory.
There are also different drivers behind the requirements.
Understanding those drivers will give a better
the requirements as well.
Legislative Market Access Requirements
The legislative market access requirements are set out by
the EU or by the EU Member States
In most cases the EU market access requirements are
applicable throughout the
In some cases, EU Member States may have
requirements that are more stringent.
In general, EU requirements supersede the national
requirements of

nonlegislative
database
EU Market
U Market Access Requirements
EU market access requirements are an important part of
international trade; compliance is a prerequisite on the EU
ECSEI market Information Database provides
information, besides information on market size
(consumption, production and trade), distribution
and marketing and trade promotion.





In the database Market Access Requirements are divided into
requirements.
Both types of requirements are important, however,
requirements often will have higher priority
because they are mandatory.
different drivers behind the requirements.
Understanding those drivers will give a better understanding of
the requirements as well.
Legislative Market Access Requirements
The legislative market access requirements are set out by
the EU or by the EU Member States and Norway.
In most cases the EU market access requirements are
applicable throughout the whole EU (harmonised).
s, EU Member States may have additional
that are more stringent.
In general, EU requirements supersede the national
requirements of the EU Member States.
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EU Market
U Market Access Requirements


EU market access requirements are an important part of
prerequisite on the EU
market Information Database provides
on on market size
, distribution and prices
In the database Market Access Requirements are divided into
important, however,
requirements often will have higher priority
different drivers behind the requirements.
understanding of
The legislative market access requirements are set out by

In most cases the EU market access requirements are
whole EU (harmonised).
additional
In general, EU requirements supersede the national
The EU uses several legal instruments to harmonise
legislation throughout the EU, of which the following two are
the most important:





: Directive
Requires individual Member States to bring their national laws in
line with EU requirements, by transposing the requirements into
national law (implementation).
Directives allow Member States to establish requirements that are
additional to the EU requirements.
However, they may never contradict the EU requirements.

: Regulation
Applies throughout the EU directly and immediately after its entry
into force.
Therefore transposition of the EU requirements into the national
laws of the Member States is not necessary.

Market Access Requirements that are established by EU or
national legislation form the minimum requirements with
which products (or services) have to comply, will they be
allowed entry on the EU market.
Products that do not comply will not be allowed




Directive

Regulation


EU Buyers
EU buyers will therefore require exporters to at least comply with the
requirements laid down in EU legislation and, if applicable, with the
additional national legislation of EU Member States and Norway.
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quality
occupational
health
safety
business
ethics
social
responsibility
The ECSEI Database covers that legislation, which is of major
importance for producers in developing Exporters that wish to
export their products to the EU.

legislative Market Access Requirements - Non
EU buyers will request compliance with the EU legislation in the
first place. But, often they will have requirements that go beyond
legislation EU buyers may ask exporters additional requirements
regarding:
Quality,
Occupational health and
Safety,
Business ethics and
Social responsibility.
These requirements are developed by the private sector itself.











Compliance may give the exporter a competitive
advantage when marketing products in the EU.



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Quality
Market Access Requirements drivers
Legislative or non-legislative, all market access requirements that
can be found in ECSEI
awareness related to four main drivers:
1) EU consumer heath and safety
2) Environment,
3) Social conditions, and
4) Quality.
The topics are often interrelated.
Requirements
heath and
safety
Environment
Social
conditions
Market Access Requirements drivers
legislative, all market access requirements that
ECSEI Market Information Database, we
related to four main drivers:
EU consumer heath and safety,
s, and
The topics are often interrelated.




















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Environment
legislative, all market access requirements that
we are

Consumer health label
ko-Tex for textile products













The ko-Tex Standard 100 is a testing and certification system
for textiles. It shows the buyer that the textile products which
bear this label adhere to the limit values for specific harmful
substances or ko-Tex is a consumer health label which ensures
that textiles do not contain substances harmful to human health
and the environment.
The ko-Tex organisation has developed three certification
schemes for textile products:
ko-Tex 100,
ko-Tex 1000 and
ko-Tex 100plus
The most important distinction between the first two
schemes is that ko-Tex 100 only sets limits for the final
product whereas ko-Tex 1000 sets requirements for the
whole production process.
The ko-Tex 100plus certificate indicates that a company
and its products are certified according to both ko-Tex
standards as well as meet additional criteria, which are
mostly focused on the environment.
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Content
ko-Tex 100

The ko-Tex label can be issued to a wide variety of textile
products: finished products, such as garments and curtains,
as well as semi-manufactured products, such as fabrics and
accessories.
The products for which the certificate can be issued are
divided into four categories and limit values of hazardous
substances are laid down for each product class:
I. Baby articles
II. Articles in direct contact with skin
III. Articles with no direct skin contact
IV. Decoration material

Labeling scheme
Certification institute
Certification is done by testing institutes that are member of the
ko-Tex consortium. Currently, around 43 testing institutes
worldwide are member of the consortium.
The first step to obtain the ko-Tex 100 certificate is determining
which products you would like to certify.
Please note
That it is possible to obtain an ko-Tex 100 certificate for
products in all stages of the production process of textile
products, from yarn to the clothing article itself:
Yarn - sewing thread
Buttons - accessories
Fabric
Lining
Clothing
Care labels


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When determining which products you would like to certify,
it is important to keep in mind that it is possible that your
certificate covers several articles.

In ko-Tex 100 this is called an article group. These could
be:

Textiles with physical differences only, made from well-
defined basic materials.
Articles which are physically composed of certified products
only.
Finished textiles from the same kind of fibre material (for
example those made from cellulosic fibres, mixtures of PES
and CO, of synthetic fibres, etc.).

In summary, products can be defined as a group if the same
raw materials are used and the same chemical procedure
took place during production.
Note that because the costs of certification are partly related
to the number of different products you would like to certify
it is worth to investigate which products could belong to a
group.
This could enable you to have maximum profit of your
certificate.
Therefore, when you have an idea of which products you
would like to certify, it is wise to investigate whether these
could form a product group with other products in your
collection.
Examples of product groups:
A producer of cotton clothing who purchases its cotton fabric
from one supplier who produces all cotton fabric in a similar
way is able to certify its cotton products under one
certificate.
In case you produce baby clothing of different types of fabric
(cotton and polyester) but all your supplies bear the ko-
Tex 100 certificate, you are allowed to certify all of your
products under one certificate.


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Costs of application
The costs of application are a licence fee of 650 per year in
addition to the laboratory costs.
The costs for prolongation also consist of the licence fee and the
costs for testing if the products still comply.








Figure 1:

If all your supplies are certified according to ko-Tex 100, no
additional testing is needed.


Figure 2.

If part of your supplies is certified, ko-Tex 100 determines what
testing is necessary for certification.
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Figure 3.

If none of your supplies are certified according to ko-Tex 100,
full testing is required.




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