Definitions
Article 2
For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply: (1) ‘detergent’ means a substance, mixture or micro-organisms, or a combination thereof, which are intended: — to clean fabrics, dishes or surfaces, — to soak (pre-wash), rinse or bleach fabrics, dishes or surfaces, — to modify the feel or odour of fabrics in processes which are to complement the washing of fabrics, — to support the cleaning process when used together with a laundry detergent or an automatic dishwasher detergent; (2) ‘consumer laundry detergent’ means a detergent for laundry placed on the market for use by non-professionals, including in public laundrettes; (3) ‘consumer automatic dishwasher detergent’ means a detergent placed on the market for use in automatic dishwashers by non-professionals; (4) ‘detergent containing micro-organisms’ means a detergent to which one or more micro-organisms have been intentionally added, either on their own or via one of the components of the detergent; (5) ‘industrial and institutional detergent’ means a detergent placed on the market for use only outside the domestic sphere, carried out by specialised personnel; (6) ‘cleaning’ means the process by which an undesirable deposit is degraded or dislodged from a substrate or from within a substrate and brought into a state of solution or dispersion; (7) ‘substance’ means a substance as defined in Article 3, point (1), of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006; (8) ‘mixture’ means a mixture as defined in Article 3, point (2), of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006; (9) ‘micro-organism’ means a micro-organism as defined in Article 3(1), point (b), of Regulation (EU) No 528/2012; (10) ‘genetically modified micro-organisms’ means micro-organisms in which the genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or by natural recombination; within the terms of this definition: — genetic modification occurs at least through the use of the techniques listed in Part 1 of Annex I A to Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 18 ) , — the techniques listed in Part 2 of Annex I A to the same Directive are not considered to result in genetic modification; (11) ‘surfactant’ means any organic substance or mixture contained in or intended to be used in detergents which has surface-active properties, and which consists of one or more hydrophilic and one or more hydrophobic groups of such a nature and size that it is capable of performing all of the following actions: — reduce the surface tension of water below 45 mN/m, — form spreading or adsorption monolayers at the water-air interface, — form emulsions, microemulsions or micelles, or combinations thereof, — adsorb at water-solid interfaces; (12) ‘end-user surfactant’ means a surfactant made available on the market to professional users or consumers; (13) ‘ultimate aerobic biodegradation’ means the level of biodegradation achieved when the substance or mixture is totally used by micro-organisms in the presence of oxygen, resulting in its breakdown to carbon dioxide, water and mineral salts of any other elements present, as measured by test methods listed in Part A of Annex I, and new microbial cellular constituents (biomass); (14) ‘films’ means water-soluble polymeric films used as detergents capsules; (15) ‘making available on the market’ means any supply for distribution, consumption or use on the Union market in the course of a commercial activity, whether in return for payment or free of charge; (16) ‘placing on the market’ means the first making available on the Union market; (17) ‘manufacturer’ means any natural or legal person that manufactures or has a detergent or a surfactant designed or manufactured, and that places that detergent or surfactant on the market under their name or trade mark; (18) ‘authorised representative’ means any natural or legal person established within the Union that has received a written mandate from a manufacturer to act on its behalf in relation to specified tasks; (19) ‘importer’ means any natural or legal person established within the Union that places a detergent or surfactant from a third country on the Union market; (20) ‘distributor’ means any natural or legal person in the supply chain, other than the manufacturer or importer, that makes a detergent or surfactant available on the market; (21) ‘economic operator’ means the manufacturer, authorised representative, importer or distributor; (22) ‘market surveillance’ means the activities carried out and measures taken by market surveillance authorities to ensure that products comply with this Regulation; (23) ‘market surveillance authority’ means a market surveillance authority as defined in Article 3, point (4), of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020; (24) ‘recall’ means a recall as defined in Article 3, point (22), of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020; (25) ‘withdrawal’ means a withdrawal as defined in Article 3, point (23), of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020; (26) ‘corrective action’ means a corrective action as defined in Article 3, point (16), of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020; (27) ‘release for free circulation’ means the procedure laid down in Article 201 of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013; (28) ‘data carrier’ means a data carrier as defined in Article 2, first paragraph, point (29), of Regulation (EU) 2024/1781; (29) ‘unique product identifier’ means a unique product identifier as defined in Article 2, first paragraph, point (30), of Regulation (EU) 2024/1781; (30) ‘unique formula identifier’ means a unique formula identifier as referred to in Part A, point 5, of Annex VIII to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008; (31) ‘unique operator identifier’ means a unique operator identifier as defined in Article 2, first paragraph, point (31), of Regulation (EU) 2024/1781; (32) ‘digital product passport’ means a set of data specific to a product that contains the information set out in Part A of Annex VI and that is accessible via electronic means through a data carrier in accordance with Article 21(4); (33) ‘digital product passport service provider’ means a digital product passport service provider as defined in Article 2, first paragraph, point (32), of Regulation (EU) 2024/1781; (34) ‘customs authorities’ means customs authorities as defined in Article 5, point (1), of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013; (35) ‘EU Customs Single Window Certificates Exchange System’ means the system established by Regulation (EU) 2022/2399; (36) ‘individual packaging’ means packaging in which the detergent or end-user surfactant is made available on the market and which is intended to accompany the content to the place of use; (37) ‘refill’ means the on-site operation by which a detergent or surfactant offered by an economic operator to end-users in the course of a commercial activity, whether in return for payment or free of charge, is filled in a packaging; (38) ‘refill station’ means a place where an economic operator offers to end-users a detergent or surfactant that can be acquired through refill, either manually or through automatic or semi-automatic equipment; (39) ‘model’ means a type of detergent or surfactant all of whose units meet the following conditions: — having the same manufacturer and placed on the market under the same trade name, — having the same content, in accordance with Part A, point 1(h), of Annex V to this Regulation, and manufactured using the same manufacturing processes, — where applicable, being subject to the same classification under Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, and — being defined by a type number or other element allowing them to be identified as a group; (40) ‘end-user’ means any natural or legal person residing or established in the Union to whom a detergent or surfactant has been made available on the market, either as a consumer outside of any trade, business, craft or profession or as a professional end-user in the course of its industrial or professional activities.