Consumer Products: The European Ecolabel
Introducing the Ecolabel
The European Union Ecolabel - also known as the Flower - is a flower symbol which can be used by goods and services which have a lighter environmental footprint than similar products performing the same function.
It is a voluntary scheme. There are no regulations to oblige manufacturers to apply for the label. Instead the scheme places emphasis on consumer demand to transform markets, and actively encourages manufacturers to design products with reduced environmental impacts.
The European Ecolabel was established in 1992 to establish a recognisable environmental label across all countries in the EU, partly in response to the growing number of national schemes run by states within the EU. The relative success of these labelling schemes indicated consumer interest in the protection of the environment, and prompted calls for an environmental labelling scheme that would both command credibility and be recognised throughout the EU.
Its aims were:
- to promote the design, production, marketing and use of products which have a reduced environmental impact during their entire life cycle
- and to provide consumers with better information on the environmental impact of products, without compromising product or workers' safety or significantly affecting the properties which make a product fit for use.
To consumers, the scheme offers the ability to recognise and choose products which have been made with care for their environment.
To manufacturers, the scheme offers a way of differentiating and enhancing their products - and competitive advantage with the growing number of business customers seeking out goods which can prove that they meet high environmental standards.
The Flower has the advantage of being EU-wide. It operates in the 27 member states of the EU, as well as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. This allows manufacturers to produce goods to a common specification, making the scheme consistent and supportive of the single market. Products bearing the EU Ecolabel have the potential to reach a consumer base of more than 450 million people - a huge and increasingly demanding market.
Within the European Commission, the Ecolabelling programme comes under the work of the Environment Directorate-General. It forms part of a larger, more general objective of the Commission to promote sustainable consumption and production within the EU. The EU Ecolabelling Scheme was established in 1992 to establish a recognisable environmental label across all countries in the European Union. In September 2000 the scheme was relaunched by Regulation 980/2000 (pdf) which extended its scope to cover services as well as goods, and enables retailers to apply for the Flower.
Each member state is required to designate a Competent Body to administer the scheme at a national level. The Competent Bodies, which must be independent and neutral, receive applications for the award of the EU Ecolabel and decide whether the products meet the set criteria. They also have a role in promoting awareness of the scheme amongst producers and consumers.
In the UK, Defra carries out the Competent Body function in partnership with AEA Energy and Environment.
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Page last modified: 03 January 2008