The European Commission has released =>a new legislative proposal on lead restrictions, building on extensive preparatory work by ECHA (the European Chemicals Agency).
Although a final decision on the lead proposal is still months away, EFTTA highlights that new labelling requirements will be included in the forthcoming legislation.
- These rules will apply to labels for fishing sinkers, lures, and ammunition containing 1% or more lead.
- Products with less than 1% lead content will be exempt.
This preliminary overview offers early insight into the expected changes. Final labelling requirements will be published once the legislation is officially adopted.
Labelling and Information Rules
Main requirements:
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Retailers must clearly display warnings at physical and online points of sale for lead-containing gunshot, bullets, fishing sinkers, and lures (1% lead or more).
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Packaging must also include a warning.
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The information must be in the official language(s) of the country where the product is sold, or for online sales, in the language(s) of the target country unless stated otherwise.
The label must include the following warnings:
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Contains lead – highly toxic to the environment and harmful to fertility or unborn children.
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EU restrictions on lead use – including phase-out dates for different products.
For small packaging, the required statement will be shorter to fit without needing extra labels, leaflets, or tags.
When do the label requirements apply?
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From 6 months after the law takes effect, retailers must provide visible warnings for products with 1% or more lead, including gunshot, bullets, fishing sinkers, and lures.
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The warning must state that the product contains toxic lead and outline EU restrictions, with phase-out dates (see details above).
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The lead restrictions themselves take effect gradually over 3 to 5 years, depending on the product and the final decision on the Phase-Out Timeline (EFTTA proposal: uniform 5-year transition period).
Stay tuned and be prepared. EFTTA will keep you informed as soon as the official requirement are released!
=> LEAD Proposal March 2025: detailed information & EFTTA position
