Assortment policy

Precursors for explosives

European regulation on explosives precursors 

Home-explosives are weapons commonly used by terrorists and other criminals. This is due to the accessibility of some raw materials for explosives. The availability of these substances is restricted by European regulations. As of February 1, 2021, the new European Regulation 2019/1148 applies for explosives precursors. This may have implications for you as an entrepreneur and partner of bol. 

The implications for you as an entrepreneur 

The regulation brings new obligations for sellers of assortment that may contain raw materials for explosives, so possibly also for you as a business owner. These obligations are described in European Regulation 2019/1148. You can read more information on the website of the NCTV (note: this website has not yet been updated to the new regulation). Bol, as an online platform, is legally obliged under the Regulation, among other things, to report suspicious transactions, disappearance and theft of items containing certain raw materials to the Suspicious Transactions Chemicals Disclosure Office. Please note that this reporting obligation does not only apply to online platforms like bol, but also to you as an entrepreneur. 

The implications for your offer on bol – provide additional information 

Bol will only allow the sales of items in which concentrations of the specific raw materials are below the limit for (license-free) sales as specified in the regulation. To make this possible, from February 1, 2021, it will be compulsory at bol to fill in the concentrations of the specific raw materials at product attributes. If you do not fill in this information before 1 February, the relevant article will be taken offline. This will also happen if the concentrations of the specific raw materials are above the limit mentioned above. The annexes of the European Regulation 2019/1148 describe the specific limit values of the raw materials. You can find the regulation here. 

Which product attributes are mandatory? 

Below you can find the raw materials that are mandatory to add to your product attributes, depending on the type of assortment:

These items, among others, may contain these raw materials:

Second-hand & Refurbished

Second-hand 

Second-hand items or margin goods can only be offered in the book, music and film categories. You cannot apply for selling rights for the other categories. It is therefore not possible to offer second-hand items other than books, music and films at bol. 

Refurbished 

The sale of refurbished range at bol has unfortunately been discontinued for the time being. This is because it is our responsibility to clearly show customers whether an item is refurbished, which is currently not technically possible. And we cannot solve this in the short term either. Refurbished items were allowed in a closed group until January 2022. It is not allowed to offer refurbished items.

CLP Safety warnings

Some consumer products hold safety information on its packaging. To ensure the safety and quality of our collective range and to comply with European directives, this safety information must also be displayed on the product page. This obligation is stated in European Regulations. More information on these regulations can be found here: CLP.

Mandatory safety information can be found on the item’s packaging. Comprehensive safety information can be found on the Safety Data Sheet (SDS). You can request the SDS from the supplier of the item.

This applies to product groups with items containing hazardous substances. Examples include items such as superglue, detergent and washing-up liquid. For your assortment, make sure the following attributes provide information, corresponding with the safety information on the product packaging’s label:

• SIGNALING WORD: ‘Danger’ or ‘Warning’.
• DANGER INDICATIONS: on the label, these can be found under the heading hazard statements. They can be identified by the h-codes on the SDS.
• PRECAUTIONS: these are the recommended precautions. They can be identified by the p-codes on the SDS.

Is CE marking also mandatory for you?

CE marking is mandatory for items in the following product groups (please note that this does not mean you are allowed to sell all these items via bol):

• Explosives for civilian use
• Pyrotechnic articles
• Construction products
• Toys
• Personal protective equipment
• Electrical, electronic and energy-related items
• Medical devices (please note that these are subject to specific guidelines you need to comply with in addition to the CE markings. You can read about it in Medical Devices Policy)
• Measuring and weighing equipment
• Machinery and related items
• Transport equipment

Is the ECE marking also mandatory for you?

An ECE marking is mandatory for items in the following product groups (please note, this does not mean that you can sell all these items via bol):

• Car seats
• Car lamps
• Helmets

Which responsibilities you have regarding the CE marking depends on your role – i.e. whether you are the importer, distributor or manufacturer. It is your own responsibility to determine whether the articles you sell require CE marking. Use this overview from the RVO to check whether CE marking is mandatory for your item.

Take the following actions to ensure that your product range complies with CE marking:

1. Complete the product information ‘CE marking’. You can find this below mandatory information in the seller dashboard. Via a dropdown menu you can indicate that the CE marking is ‘visible’ (on your item, on the packaging of your item or on a manual of your item). Should your item still not be covered by CE regulations, you can select ‘not applicable’ here. We will check this product information. For current offer it is not obliged to upload a photo.
2. For new product ranges (this means offering a new item for which no product information is yet available), you must upload a photo (JPEG or PDF file type) of the CE marking as applied to the item. If this is not technically possible, a photo of the CE marking on the packaging or on the instruction manual will suffice. Instructions and examples for adding CE marking can be found here.
3. The trade name and contact address of the manufacturer or importer in Europe:
   For existing and new ranges, we ask you to fill in the text attribute ‘Trade name and contact address of manufacturer or importer in EU‘ under optional information in the seller dashboard. You should fill in the name and contact address of the manufacturer or importer in EU. The information entered will not be visible on bol, nor will we search for the purchase channel. You hereby declare that the information entered is also visible/present on the product or packaging.

Please take the following actions to ensure your range is compliant with the ECE marking:

1. We ask you to fill in the product information ‘ECE marking’ from 24 August 2023 (under optional information in the seller dashboard). From 1 March 2024, this can be found under compulsory information in the seller dashboard. Here you can indicate via a dropdown menu that the ECE marking is ‘visible’ (on your item, on the packaging of your item or on a manual of your item). Should your item still not be covered by ECE regulations, you can select ‘not applicable’ here. We will check this product information. For existing offer, it is not required to upload a photo.
2. For new assortment (this means offering a new article for which no product information is available yet), from 1 March 2024 you have to upload a photo (JPEG or PDF file type) of the ECE marking as applied to the item. If this is not technically possible, a photo of the ECE marking on the packaging or on the instruction manual will suffice. To add the ECE marking, please use the instructions for CE marking, which can be found here.
3. The trade name and contact address of the manufacturer or importer in Europe:
   For existing and new offer, we ask you to fill in the text attribute ‘Handelsnaam en contactadres van fabrikant of importeur in EU’, to be filled in under optional information in the seller dashboard. From 1 March 2024, this will be mandatory. Here you must then fill in the name and contact address of the manufacturer or importer in the EU. The information entered will not be visible on bol, nor will we search for the purchase channel. You hereby declare that the information entered is also visible/present on the item or packaging.

• If you sell an item from a country outside the EU and sell it under that manufacturer’s brand name, then you are an importer, with the accompanying responsibilities.
• Do you sell an item you bought from a party within the EU? For example, from an importer, a European manufacturer or another distributor? Then you are a distributor.

We will check the product information for completeness and accuracy.

• • If the item is a toy and has safety warnings, add these in the textual product information below ‘Veiligheidswaarschuwingen’ (Safety warnings).
  • Make sure you have the documentation and the declaration of conformity (conformity statement) accompanying the item available. Both bol and the authorities could ask for these.

  Should you need help for the above, we recommend you consult the following resources:

  • The website of the RFO
  • European Commission website
  • Our service partners who can give you advice
  • Our policy on the Partnerplatform

  How to use the CE mark?

  You can recognise the CE marking by the familiar CE mark. It must be affixed to the product or the attached data plate. If this is not technically practicable, you may affix the CE marking to the product packaging or to an accompanying document (you can find the appropriate image here).

  What if you do not fulfil this obligation?

  The (safety) rules are set by law – and so you need to be able to prove that you have the necessary CE mark(s). If not, you are breaking the law. If you do not comply with our policy, your product will be taken offline. We do this to prevent customers from being put at risk by potentially unsafe items.

  Want to find out more?

  To meet all product safety requirements, our service partners are happy to help you on your way. They also offer advice and guidance on testing, certification, marking, quality assurance, labelling, manual writing and packaging design. Read more about our service partners and how they can help you on our product safety Partnerplatform.

Extended Producer Responsibility Textiles (UPV Textiles)

Do you sell (company) clothing, table-, bed- and/or household linen in the Netherlands? Then you are obliged to comply with the UPV Textile Decree since 1 July 2023. The Decree makes you as a company responsible for the waste phase of clothing and household textiles. With this Decree, the Dutch government wants to encourage companies to use textile waste for reuse and recycling.

The UPV Textile Decree makes manufacturers and importers individually responsible for:

• The organization of an appropriate separate collection system, plus its financing.
• The obligation to ensure recycling and reuse of the collected textiles.

What does this mean for you as a partner?

The UPV Textile Decree applies to manufacturers and importers who professionally market consumer and work clothing, table, bed and household linen in the Netherlands. This applies to both Dutch and international partners, and also to textiles with recycled composition. Are you a producer and/or importer of clothing and textiles? Then you officially have an individual responsibility to comply with the decision. You may have this carried out by a collective/producer organization such as the UPV Foundation. You do not have to inform us on how you comply with this decree.

More information can be found on the UPV Foundation website.