Adult concerns about children’s clothing

The requirements for children’s clothing in Ukraine do not correspond to European ones. That’s bad news not only for consumers but also for manufacturers.

The textile industry worldwide operates in an extremely dynamic and competitive environment. Companies flexibly and rapidly respond to external challenges, changes in consumer behavior and innovation processes. Manufacturers of textiles, fabrics, clothing and footwear are constantly expanding and updating their product ranges to meet the needs of consumers of different age groups.

The segment of children’s clothing occupies a special place, since the demand for its quality and utility is very high. A number of problems need to be addressed in order to revive the development of this sector in Ukraine. Primary objective is to modernize legislation, namely the mechanism for controlling product safety.

Manufacture of children’s clothing and footwear in Ukraine is regulated by the Order of the Ministry of Health issued eight years ago, which was reviewed only once (in 2016) and only in respect of hosiery products. So, what is worth paying attention to?

IS CLASSIFICATION OF CLOTHING IMPORTANT?

The Order contains the following classification of clothing.

* First-layer clothing includes items in close contact with human skin (underwear, tights, socks, gloves, headwear, diapers).

* Second-layer clothing includes items in limited contact with human skin (costumes, dresses, skirts, blouses, shirts, trousers, sweaters, jumpers).

* Occasional clothing (swimwear, ball and stage outfits, festive wear).

This classification makes it difficult to interpret the Order and is unlikely to provide an adequate level of protection for children’s health. The current legislation does not contain a definition of clothing, which is used occasionally. And there are no criteria by which the first- and second-layer clothing can be clearly distinguished.

In the experts’ opinion, this separation is not appropriate and the requirements for both categories should be universal, because every type of clothing comes into contact with skin.

DOES NATURAL MEAN SAFE?

The requirements for composition of textiles for children are not always simple either. Thus, according to the Order, production of first- and second-layer clothing for children under three years of age is possible only from natural fabrics, and production of second-layer clothing for children between three and seven years of age is possible with a minimum of 50% of natural fibers.

That is, the safety of clothing is determined by naturalness of materials. Is such an approach justified, given that presumption of safety of natural fibers in children’s clothing is not applied by the European Community?

Looking at the requirements of the EU and national legislations of a number of European countries, it can be seen that they do not establish requirements for the exclusive use of natural fibers in children’s clothing.

On the other hand, special attention is paid to the content of certain hazardous chemicals, which is not adequately taken into account in Ukrainian legislation. Accordingly, the requirements for the use of natural and synthetic fibers are not appropriate for the safety of children’s clothing, as natural fabrics (made from plants and animal hair) may contain dangerous chemicals getting into either at growing or at processing stage.

Moreover, the Order does not regulate the content of organotin compounds and other chemicals, the use of which is restricted in the EU with the REACH regulation. Some compounds may be used in textile industry. However, their use in the EU is restricted, since it could be harmful to health. In addition, we do not have limit values for hazardous chemicals, as it is stipulated in the EU countries.

Thus, Ukraine applies completely different approaches and principles for determining permissible content of hazardous substances, which demonstrates that the Order does not comply with EU standards and best European practices.

SAFETY FOR CHILDREN AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR MANUFACTURERS

Today the demand for children’s clothing is booming in the EU. Although the birth rate in the EU is declining, the standard of living allows parents buying new clothes instead or repairing old ones. It is no surprise that EU markets are attractive for Ukrainian manufactures of children’s clothing.

Meanwhile, outdated legislative requirements in Ukraine put our manufacturers in uncompetitive conditions in comparison with foreign ones and make it difficult for them to enter EU markets. Restrictions also affect the range of imported goods, as there is always a risk that they will be recognized as inappropriate to local regulations.

Most importantly, children may be affected by legislative gaps, as the use of toxic constituents in fabrics may cause skin irritation, allergies or even more serious diseases.

In order to protect children and establish universal requirements for manufacturers, sectorial Ukrainian legislation should be harmonized and updated. In particular, Order No. 1138 of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine should be amended with a focus on regulating hazardous substances in textiles instead of banning synthetics altogether.

By Tatiana Shyrochenko, committee coordinator at European Business Association

Source: epravda.com.ua