Assortment policy

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.

Fairtrade

Fairtrade is a non-protected term used to describe items that: 

• Are produced under proper working conditions. 
• Are locally sustainable.
• Have fair trade agreements with farmers and workers.

Bol tries to ensure this definition by only recommending items as ‘Fairtrade’ if they bear a label that meets the stated requirements:

• Fairtrade
• World Fair Trade Organization 
• Cotton Made in Africa
• Fair for Life (clothing) 

If you offer an item that may carry one of these labels, you can let us know via this link. 

For items classified as Fairtrade that do not have a seal of approval from one of these authorities, bol removes this claim from the product information. 

Tobacco & Drugs

Bol chooses not to encourage the use of tobacco or soft and hard drugs; therefore, it is not allowed to sell the following products on bol:

• Tobacco and other smoking products covered by the Tobacco and Tobacco Products Act. In addition, bol goes beyond the law as it is neither allowed to sell cigarette makers or accessories with aroma, such as aroma cards, aroma filters, aroma cigarette papers and aroma liquids.
• Products covered by the Opium Act.
• E-cigarettes, vaporisers and any other products that can be used to consume nicotine (or a nicotine-free substance), which release vapour through a mouthpiece. Parts of and accessories for these products, including refills, cartridges, tanks and kits, are also prohibited from carrying on bol.
• Pipes, bongs, cannabis pipes and bongs. Parts of and accessories for these products are also prohibited from carrying on bol.
• Items associated with the production and consumption of soft and hard drugs. These include (electric) grinders, joint casings & rollers, rolling trays & boxes and cannabis seeds.
• Whipped cream cartridges.

However, the following items are allowed:

• Ashtrays
• Lighters
• CBD products, provided they comply with applicable laws and regulations in the Netherlands and Belgium

The following articles are allowed, provided they do not contain references to cannabis:

• Electric spice grinders
• Cigarette & cigarette boxes

Currently, selling rolling papers & tips is still allowed provided they do not contain references to cannabis. From July 1, 2024, these may no longer be sold on bol because we do not want to encourage the use of tobacco or soft and hard drugs.

Smoking accessories are also not allowed to display pictures of cigarettes or cigars.

Plant materials

It is not allowed to offer items with materials of plant species threatened with extinction through the platform. These species are on the lists of CITES. If you have articles containing protected plants, you are not allowed to offer them via bol. Not even if you have a valid permit, declaration or license to do so. 

For example, the following materials are not allowed: 

• Red coral (blood coral) 
• Rosewood 

> Discover protected plant species with the CITES checklist (English & French) 

Fire safety

Fire extinguishers

All products sold on bol must comply with the applicable laws and regulations in the Netherlands and Belgium. The sale of products on the Dutch platform is subject to the Portable Fire Extinguishers Decree. This covers all products intended to fight fires by simple actions and the filling in the device, which in total does not exceed 20 kg. No matter how small the fire extinguisher is, it must comply with this decree. What to consider when offering a fire extinguisher, among other things:

• Colour
  The colour of the extinguisher should be red (RAL 3000).
• Inspection valid for 5 years
  All fire appliances must undergo an inspection before they can be offered on the Dutch and Belgian markets. This inspection is valid for 5 years. After that, the importer may no longer import appliances under the expired number, and therefore may no longer sell existing stock under this number.

Safety detectors (smoke, carbon monoxide, heat, gas, and combination detectors)

To ensure the quality and safety of our combined range, it is important that all safety detectors (smoke, carbon monoxide, heat, gas and combination detectors) comply with the relevant European standards and that customers know how to use and install the detectors correctly. After all, customers purchase safety detectors to protect their safety.

At bol, you can therefore only offer security detectors that:

• Comply with the relevant European safety standards. It is important that this is also filled in under ‘Type of standard’ in the product information.
• Equipped with a Dutch-language manual that meets European safety standards, both physical and digital.
• Have been tested at a Notified Body (NB) in Europe.

Specific requirements a CO detector must meet anyway are:

• The name of the manufacturer, supplier or brand.
• The name of the CO detector and model number.
• Type of gas to be detected.
• The life of the detector.
• The text: ‘Lees de instructies’ in Dutch.

In addition, the Dutch-language manual provided should explain, among other things:

• Placement and assembly.
• The expected lifespan.
• The test procedure.

Wood stoves 

EcoDesign 

From 2022, the EcoDesign legislation for wood-burning stoves will come into force. That legislation was created to reduce the environmental impact of wood-burning stoves. The following requirements now apply to wood-burning stoves. It is not allowed to offer wood stoves that do not meet these requirements. 

• Efficiency
  Wood-burning stoves should have a minimum efficiency rating of 75%. 
• Emissions
  Wood-burning stoves are allowed to emit a maximum of 40mg per m³ of particulate matter. 

Keys, lockpicks & odometer

At bol, we do not want to offer items that could potentially harm users or their environment. Therefore, we do not sell items that are used almost exclusively for criminal purposes. So you should not offer products that are strongly associated with burglary or fraud, such as: 

• Duplicators for keys 
• Odometer reversers 
• Cylinder pullers 
• Duplicators for keys 
• Lockpickguns* 
• Car belt clips to stop the alarm are also not allowed 

*As opposed to lockpickguns, lockpick sets are allowed because of their hobbyist nature and the minimal force applied to them. 

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.

Lighting new energy label 2021

New guidelines on energy labels for lighting 

From September 1st, 2021, energy labelling rules within the European Union have changed. 

With most light sources becoming increasingly energy-efficient, more and more light sources fall into A, A+ and A++ classes. This has proved confusing for consumers. Therefore, this classification for lighting has been phased out from 2021. The new classification includes only categories A to G (without A+ and A++). 

What is expected of me? 

To comply with the new legislation: 

• The product attribute ‘Value Energy Label New 2021’ should be filled in. 
• The PDF of the new label to be added to the product attribute ‘Energy label URL. 
• Old energy labels uploaded as JPG between images should be manually removed.

To ensure that energy labels are only added to products that require them, the product characteristics below should be filled: 

• The product attribute ‘Light source included’. If no light source is included with the luminaire, no energy label needs to be attached. 
• The product characteristic ‘light source removable’. If the light source can be removed from the luminaire without damaging it, no energy label needs to be attached. If the light source is fixed in the luminaire, an energy label does need to be attached. 
• The product attribute ‘Operates on’. Only when a lamp works on mains power should an energy label be added. Lamps that work on a battery or accumulator, for example, do not need an energy label. 

End of life (EOL) items 

End-of-life items placed on the market before November 1, 2020 that do not have at least a digital version of the new energy label will not be allowed for sale on bol since March 1, 2023 and will be taken offline. The new energy label must be compulsorily present for sale on bol. 

Changes on the bol website 

Using both old and new energy labels side by side creates ambiguity for customers. Old labels may compete unfairly with the new labels because an old label may seem more energy efficient at first glance. The associated product information and test guidelines can also distort the picture. 

Therefore, from September 1, 2021, the old energy labels may no longer be used in filters, product information or advertisements from bol. Where energy labels are mentioned, this should be updated. Old energy labels uploaded as PDF in the attribute ‘Energy label URL’ will be removed. 

Product groups 

The groups below must be given a new energy label when a light source is included or built-in: 

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.