CLP is Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures. It is the EU's version of the UN's GHS system, and it decides what hazard label a chemical must carry when it is sold in the EU.
The legal duty sits with the supplier placing the product on the EU market. For goods from India, that is usually you, the EU importer. The Indian factory can print the label, but you are responsible for its content.
What a CLP label must show
- The name, address and telephone number of the EU supplier.
- The nominal quantity, where the product is sold to the general public.
- Product identifiers, such as the substance name and identification number, or the trade name and key hazardous components for a mixture.
- Hazard pictograms: the red-bordered diamonds that show the type of hazard.
- The signal word, either Danger or Warning.
- Hazard statements and precautionary statements, in the standard CLP wording.
- A unique formula identifier (UFI) for many hazardous mixtures, linked to a poison centre notification.
Language and packaging
The label must be in the official language or languages of each member state where the product is sold, unless that state allows otherwise. A product sold in three countries may need a multilingual label or separate runs.
CLP also sets packaging rules. Packaging must be strong enough not to leak, and some products sold to the public need child-resistant fastenings or tactile warnings. Transport labels for dangerous goods cargo are a separate system, though both can appear on the same drum.
The 2024 revision
CLP was revised by Regulation (EU) 2024/2865, which adds rules such as minimum font sizes and label formats. As of October 2026, the formatting rules had been postponed by an EU simplification package so that they apply from 1 January 2028. Parts of that package were still being negotiated, so check the current text on EUR-Lex before you design new labels.
How to manage it with an Indian supplier
Agree the label artwork before production, not after. Give the supplier your classification, your company details and the exact text in each language, and ask for a printed proof. Check that the classification matches section 2 of the SDS. Our guide to GHS labels explains how the international system differs from market to market.
If you are unsure of a classification, confirm it with a regulatory consultant or your national CLP helpdesk. A wrong label is your liability, not the factory's.
Keep the approved artwork, the proof and photos of labelled packages from loading in one file. If an authority questions a label, you can show what was agreed and what was shipped.
Next step
We check label proofs against your approved artwork and inspect labels on the drums before loading. To see how this fits your order, book a free sourcing review.