Ecolabel product groups and criteria
Product groups covered
The Ecolabel can apply to both goods and services (not food, drink or pharmaceuticals).
The product groups which have been included so far including those awaiting formal adoption by the European Commission, are:
- washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, lightbulbs (all of which are also covered by the EU Energy Label), and vacuum cleaners
- televisions, personal computers, laptops
- tissue paper products, copying and graphic paper
- textiles, footwear, mattresses
- laundry detergents, dishwasher detergents, all-purpose cleaners and cleaners for sanitary facilities, hand dishwashing detergents, and soaps and shampoos
- hard floor coverings, indoor paints and varnishes
- soil improvers and growing media
- lubricants
- heat pumps
- tourist accommodation, and camping sites.
Other product groups currently being developed include printed paper and wooden furniture.
There is an ongoing programme of revising criteria for existing product groups. Current Ecolabel revisions in progress include textiles, mattresses, indoor paints and varnishes, hard floor coverings, and televisions. If you would like to receive details so that you can make input on these, please contact Phil Dolley at AEA Energy and Environment (phil.dolley@aeat.co.uk).
The criteria for all the product groups can be found on the European Commission website about the scheme, together with the current position on products under development, and a full list of companies and products that have been awarded the Ecolabel. The website is the main source of information about the scheme.
The UK Competent Body is seeking more test centres which can undertake testing for compliance with Ecolabel criteria, for all product groups. For more information, please contact Charles Cox at Defra (charles.cox@defra.gsi.gov.uk).
How are the product groups chosen?
Product groups are developed as the result of suggestions from interested parties. Amongst the stakeholders who influence this decision are the national Competent Bodies; European industry representatives; environmental groups; consumer organisations; trade unions; and retailers.
The suitability of the product group to the Ecolabel then has to be assessed by a feasibility study with the general aim of deciding whether the label will work for the product group. Market data, surveys, stakeholder consultation, and assessment of performance standards are all undertaken at this stage. If a decision is taken to proceed, a life cycle considerations study is commissioned to develop specific ecological criteria for that product group. A recently completed study, carried out for the Commission by the UK, has suggested a number of new product groups which should be priorities for development over the next few years.
How are Ecolabelling criteria set?
The European Commission is responsible for establishing and revising the criteria for a specific product group by giving a mandate to a Board composed of Competent Bodies and a Consultation Forum consisting of all relevant interested parties - non-governmental stakeholders such as the European Environmental Bureau, trade associations, and consumer bodies.
Criteria are determined on the basis of life cycle assessment (LCA) of the product group. The "cradle to grave" approach of the scheme is fundamental to its objectives, identifying when the most harmful impacts to the environment occur, from the extraction of raw materials right through to product use and disposal. Areas of impact accounted for are: use of natural resources and energy, emissions to air, water and soil, production processes, disposal of waste, recycling and re-use, noise pollution and effects on ecosystems.
The product group criteria are selective to ensure that products that carry the EU Ecolabel flower have a reduced impact on the environment. They are intended to allow up to 30% of the current market share to qualify for the Ecolabel. Criteria have to be agreed by member states (subject to a qualified majority vote). The criteria set are usually valid for at least three years, and increasingly now for five years, after which they are revised to take into account market changes and technological advances, but they can be revised before the expiry date if circumstances warrant it. This ensures that the EU Ecolabel remains up to date and a symbol of good environmental standards.
The UK approach to criteria development
The principles underlying our approach to the scheme are credibility, fairness and simplicity:
- In participating in the criteria setting process, Defra aims to ensure that the criteria adopted are based on sound science; that they represent a good environmental standard; and that they can actually be achieved by a fair proportion of the market
- Defra encourages interested parties to participate in the criteria development process and to feed their comments directly into the EU-level process: we have to take a balanced view about the proposed criteria for each product group and cannot act as a spokesperson for any one interest in the supply chain
- Our aim is to make the process of obtaining the label as straightforward as possible for applicants - as with all 'quality assurance' schemes, a certain level of detail is unavoidable; but too much detail can be counter-productive for what is a voluntary, market-based scheme.
The Ecolabel is a voluntary instrument to encourage the development of greener products. The criteria are developed for this specific purpose, in consultation with industry and other interested parties, and they are not intended to represent European or national policy positions.
Our guidance note, The Flower - Criteria Development, explains more about the process.
Defra is not responsible for the contents or reliability of the linked web sites and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed within them. Listing should not be taken as endorsement of any kind. We cannot guarantee that these links will work all of the time and we have no control over the availability of the linked pages.
Page last modified: 10 August 2007