The present Act implements the Directive 98/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations of 20 July 1998 and enforces the Regulation (EC) no. 648/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on detergents of 31 March 2004. The Act is intended to protect both the environment and the health of consumers using detergents and cleaning products. In particular, the Act governs the manufacture, labelling, and distribution of washing and cleansing agents in the Federal Republic of Germany. Article 2 contains provisions on the manufacture and distribution of various products that are not subject to the afore-mentioned EU Detergents Regulation. For instance, the Act also covers certain surfactant-containing cosmetic agents intended for cleansing and care products that are discharged into the waste water upon cleansing. Article 10 establishes the duty to notify the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (Bundesinstitut f r Risikobewertung, BfR) about products. The text consists of 17 articles.