GARAN label: When a tape claim becomes a guarantee

Since 27 September 2026, sellers of consumer goods across the E.U. have had to display a harmonised notice explaining consumers’ legal guarantee rights. A new harmonised label, GARAN, now sits alongside it for producer durability guarantees of more than two years. Both come from the Empowering Consumers Directive (EmpCo), the directive behind the stricter green-claims rules covered in Afera’s July brief. Afera has now published a Members-only implementation note on what the guarantee requirements mean for tape.

Genuine B2B sales normally fall outside these consumer rules. But a tape that reaches a DIY shelf, a stationery aisle or an online marketplace is a consumer product, whether it carries the manufacturer’s brand or a retailer’s private label. Masking, craft, mounting, repair and double-sided household tapes may all be affected. For private-label and imported goods, the company the law treats as the “producer” may be the importer or brand owner rather than the original manufacturer. That company is also the guarantor.

The real difficulty is the wording. GARAN applies only where a producer offers a free guarantee covering the whole product for more than two years and has informed the seller. Yet tape packs, technical data sheets and websites routinely mention years: shelf life, service life, ageing-test results, “holds for five years”. Depending on the terms and the advertising around it, the same phrase may be a technical expectation. It may also be a binding commitment that makes the producer directly liable to the consumer for repair or replacement. Neither the wording alone nor the number of years decides which. “Lifetime” guarantees raise a further question that the European Commission’s guidance does not fully answer.

The Members-only note works through these questions for tape specifically. It sets the general notice and the GARAN label side by side and applies the qualifying conditions to typical tape claims. It then tests them against eight value-chain scenarios, from an adhesive supplier giving a warranty on its chemistry to a converter, to private-label repair tape sold online. It also explains the display rules for shops and websites and how to approach “lifetime” guarantees. It ends with seven recommended actions: mapping consumer channels, auditing claims and agreeing what information reaches retailers.

For companies whose tapes reach consumers, the rules already apply, and wording printed months ago may now carry legal weight. Afera Members can read the full note now in the Members-only section. Companies that are not yet Members can find out how to join for access to this and Afera’s other regulatory guidance.

Further information

• Member guidance: What the E.U. GARAN durability label means for adhesive tape suppliers (Members only)
• EmpCo turns green claims into compliance claims (Members only).
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1960: official notice and label designs
• E.U. practical guidelines and official artwork for the E.U. guarantee notice and GARAN label
• Your Europe E.U. legal guarantee notice and GARAN label
• Afera Regulatory Affairs
• Become an Afera Member.