08/12/2025 (Agence Europe) – On Monday 8 December, the EU Council formally approved the regulation on detergents and surfactants. This new text will facilitate the marketing of these products on the EU market while protecting human health and the environment (see EUROPE 13656/7). Italy and Germany voted against the text. Germany considers (https://aeur.eu/f/jwp ) that the provisions relating to the biodegradability of organic components, pathogenic micro-organisms and information on components in the digital product passport, the absence of a system for limiting phosphates in the industrial sector and the possibility of exclusive digital labelling of components “fall partly short of the EU Council’s mandate and give rise to environmental and health concerns”. Animal testing will be banned in the production of detergents. The text still has to be approved during the plenary session of the European Parliament. (LC)