The European Eco-label at a Glance The European eco-label award scheme distinguishes

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1 The European Eco-label at a Glance The European eco-label award scheme distinguishes products which are environmentally friendly. This booklet helps you to know more about the EU eco-label: How to find out which products are eco-labelled, what the criteria are, where to apply and any other information. THE EUROPEAN ECO-LABEL SCHEME The European eco-label award scheme enables European consumers, including public and private purchasers, to easily identify officially approved green products across the European Union, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland. It allows manufacturers to show and communicate to their customers that their products respect the environment. In 2000 a new Regulation entered into force, widening the scope of the Scheme to services. From now on traders and retailers can apply directly for their own brands. This makes the scheme even more attractive. THE EU ECO-LABEL ECOLOGICAL CRITERIA Environmental criteria are developed to cover everyday consumer goods (with the exception of food, drink and medicines) and services. The ecological criteria for the award of the European eco-label are the result of scientific studies and extensive consultation within the European Union Eco-labelling Board (). Members of this board are: the Competent Bodies of the Member States, representatives of environmental NGOs, consumer and industry associations, trade unions and representatives from SMEs and commerce. After the has proposed criteria for a product group they have to be approved by the Member States and the European Commission before they can be used to award the eco-label to products. THE EU ECO-LABEL AWARDS Once the environmental criteria are adopted, a manufacturer or importer who wishes to apply for the eco-label must contact a National Competent Body and provide proof that his products comply with the ecological and performance criteria. The products may then bear the eco-label and be sold and recognised throughout the European Union. THE EU ECO-LABEL PRODUCTS Up until now, more than 300 products have been awarded the European eco-label throughout Europe. Criteria are available for 17 different product groups, such as textiles, paints, detergents, soil improvers and refrigerators. New product groups are continually being added and new awards are made every month. For the latest details, please consult the website at European Commission

2 The European Eco-label scheme EU-wide, voluntary, selective, transparent and consultative, officially approved, multi-criteria, independently awarded, distinctive logo Selective The label is awarded only to products which have a reduced environmental impact. Therefore, the ecological criteria are set so as to allow up to 30% of the products available on the market to qualify for the eco-label. This means that only some of the products already on the shelves will qualify without needing to be modified. Consumers have a major impact on the environment. The extent of these impacts depends on the choices each of us makes about the way to meet our needs. We can make the difference through buying greener products. Our demand for environmentally friendly products is a major driving force for companies to reflect upon ways to green their products, to strengthen their environmental efforts and improve the life cycle performance of their products and services. However, to choose those products with a lower environmental impact, consumers need easy access to understandable, relevant and credible information on their environmental quality. The European eco-label Scheme, provides the perfect tool. Created in 1992 (revised in 2000 Regulation (EC) n 1980/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council), the scheme encourages manufacturers to design environmentally friendly products and gives consumers the means to make informed and reliable environmental choices when shopping. Products covered by the European eco-label are everyday consumer goods (except for food, drink and medicines, which are not covered by the Scheme) and services. The ecological criteria require scientific assessment studies of the environmental impacts of the product for each part of its life cycle. They address, inter alia, energy consumption, water pollution, air pollution, waste production, sustainable forestry management and noise or soil pollution. Additionally, they include performance criteria. Once the criteria are adopted by a qualified majority of Member States and the European Commission, they are valid for a period of two to five years. After this period, the criteria are revised and may be tightened up, depending on the market and advances in science and technology, in order to improve the environmental performance of the eco-labelled product. EU-wide The strength of the European eco-label is its unique European dimension. It can be used throughout the 15 Member States of the European Union, as well as in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Voluntary Manufacturers are not forced to apply for the eco-label. It is up to them to decide, providing that their products comply with the criteria, whether or not to apply. If they choose to apply, producers of ecolabelled products benefit from a competitive advantage and may use the ecolabel to communicate to their customers that their products are better for the environment.

3 The EU Eco-label criteria EU-wide, voluntary, selective, transparent & consultative, officially approved, multi-criteria, independently awarded, distinctive logo Transparent and consultative Transparency and widespread participation are enhanced by the considerable input of representatives from industry, commerce, environmental and consumer organisations, trade unions and other interested parties during the definition of the ecological criteria by the European Union Eco-labelling Board. The views of producers outside the European Union are equally taken into account. Official approval of the criteria The product group criteria must be approved by a qualified majority of Member States and the European Commission before being officially published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. Product group selection Working plan Feasibility study Criteria setting and adoption National Competent Bodies members National Competent Body National Competent Body Industry Environment & Consumer Organisations Trade and Retailers Working Group Feasibility Study Draft Working Group Member States Criteria adoption Vol sc European Commission Proposal of Priority Product Group European Commission MULTI-CRITERIA BASED, using a «cradle to grave» approach The ecological criteria for each product group are defined using a «cradle to grave» approach (life cycle considerations) which identifies where the products harm the environment at each stage of their life cycle, beginning with the extraction of raw materials, through the manufacturing process, distribution (including packaging), use and ending with the final disposal. The following environmental aspects are taken into account: Air quality, water quality, soil protection, waste reduction, energy savings, natural resource management, global warming prevention, ozone layer protection, environmental safety, noise and bio-diversity Using the results of these analyses, criteria are set to address the most important impacts of the product on the environment.

4 The EU Eco-label awards EU-wide, voluntary, selective, transparent & consultative, officially approved, multi-criteria, independently awarded, distinctive logo Voluntary application A manufacturer, importer or retailer is aware that eco-label criteria are available for his products. He wants to apply for the eco-label to show his consumers that he is really concerned about the environment and that his products are greener. Independently awarded The application is assessed by an independent third party: the national eco-label Competent Body, which guarantees that the eco-labelled products meet high level environmental standards. A distinctive logo on all the products that have received the eco-label Once they are awarded the eco-label, all the products bear the same logo wherever they come from and whatever they are. The logo includes information about the main environmental characteristics of the product. Products bearing the eco-label will be recognised by more than 370 million consumers in Europe. Step 1 Step 2 National Competent Body untary heme Assessment Manufacturer Retailer Importer Submission of application European Commission Step 1 The manufacturer, importer or retailer contacts the national Competent Body in one of the countries covered by the scheme. He completes an application form, pays an application fee ( 300 1,300, for applications from SMEs and developing countries the fee is reduced by 25%) and provides all the necessary details and tests to prove that his product complies with the ecological and performance criteria. Two steps towards the award Step 2 The national Competent Body assesses the application and, if ecological and performance criteria are met, informs the European Commission about the award. The Commission publishes the award on the eco-label website. Once approved and awarded the eco-label, the company pays an annual fee for the use of the eco-label, which is fixed at 0.15% of the annual sales volume of the product. There is a maximum ceiling of 25,000 per product group per applicant. Several fee reductions are possible, including -25% if the company is an SME or from a developing country. The eco-label is then valid until the criteria expire. For full details please see the website at

5 The EU eco-label products Since its creation, more than 300 everyday products have been awarded the European eco-label, with more awards being made every month. There are 17 products groups: just enough to equip this European house and there are some more under development (hard floor coverings, vacuum cleaners, TVs, tyres and tourist accommodation). Footwear Paints and varnishes Textiles Light bulbs Tissue paper Bed mattresses Personal computers Portable computers Refrigerators Soil improver (Hand) Dishwashing detergents Laundry detergents All purpose cleaners and cleaners for sanitary facilities Copying paper Washing machines Dishwashers You can find a regularly up-dated list of eco-label holders on the eco-label homepage under Awards

6 Knowing more about the EU Eco-label FIND OUT MORE ON THE EU ECO-LABEL ON: Contact the Eco-label Competent Bodies Austria Mr Andreas Tschulik Bundesministerium fur Umwelt Stubenbastei 5 A-1010 Wien Tel.: (+43) Fax: (+43) andreas.tschulik@bmu.gv.at Belgium Ms Marleen Van den Brande Ministerie Volksgezondheid en Leefmilieu Rijksadministratief Centrum Vesalius 4 Pachecolaan 19, bus 7 B-1010 Brussels Tel.: (+32) Fax: (+ 32) ecolabel@health.fgov.be Denmark Mr Christian Poll Ministry of the Environment and Energy Danish Environmental Protection Agency Strandgade 29 DK-1401 Copenhagen K Tel.: (+45) Fax: (+45) cp@mst.dk Ms Lisbeth E. Hansen Ecolabelling Denmark DK-Teknik Energi&Miljo Gladsaxe Moellevej 15 DK-2860 Soeborg Tel.: (+45) Fax: (+45) lehansen@ecolabel.dk Finland Ms Leena Nyqvist-Kuusola Finnish Standards Association SFS-Environmental labelling P.O. Box 116 FIN Helsinki Tel.: (+358) Fax: (+358) leena.nyqvist-kuusola@sfs.fi France Ms Patricia Proia Association Française de Normalisation (AFNOR) 11 Avenue Francis de Pressensé Saint-Denis La Plaine Cedex F Paris Tel.: (+33) Fax: (+33) patricia.proia@ .afnor.fr Germany Mr Christian Loewe Umweltbundesamt (FG III 1.3) Postfach D Berlin Tel.: (+49) Fax: (+49) christian.loewe@uba.de Mr Henning Scholtz RAL, Deutsches Institut für Gütesicherung und Kennzeichnung Siegburger Str. 39 D Sankt Augustin Tel.: (+49) Fax: (+49) RAL-Institut@t-online.de Greece Ms Amalia Katsoy PERPA - ASAOS 147 Patission Str. GR Athens Tel.: (+30) Fax: (+30) a.katsou@minenv.gr Iceland Ms Sigrun Guomundsdottir Environmental and Food Agency P.O. Box 8080 IS-128 Reykjavik Tel.: (+35) Fax: (+35) sigrung@hollver.is Ireland Mr William Burns National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) Forfas, Glasnevin IRL-Dublin 9 Tel.: (+353) Fax: (+353) burnsw@nsai.ie Italy Mr Maurizio Fieschi ANPA Via Vitaliano Brancati, 48 I Roma Tel.: (+39) Fax: (+39) fieschi@anpa.it Mr Riccardo Rifici Comitato Ecolabel Ecoaudit C/0 Ministero dell'ambiente Via Cristoforo Colombo, 44 I Roma Tel.: (+39) Fax: (+39) Ecocom@anpa.it Luxembourg Mr Henri Haine Ministère de l Environnement 18, Montée de la Petrusse L-2918 Luxembourg Tel.: (+352) Fax: (+352) henri.haine@mev.etat.lu Contact the European Commission Eco-label Helpdesk c/o Bradley Dunbar Associates Scotland House - Rond-Point Schuman 6 - B-1040 Brussels Tel./Fax: ecolabel@cec.eu.int The Netherlands Mr Andre Mascini Stichting Milieukeur Eisenhowerlaan 150 NL-2517 KP s Gravenhage Tel.: (+31) Fax: (+31) milieukeur@milieukeur.nl Norway Ms Marianne B. Eskeland Norwegian Foundation for Environmental Product Labelling Kristian August Gate 5 N-0164 Oslo Tel.: (+47) Fax: (+47) marianne.b.eskeland@ecolabel.no Portugal Ms Delfina de Serpa Pinto Direçao Geral da Industria Campus do Lumiar, Edifício O Estrada do Paço do Lumiar Lisboa Tel.: (+351) Fax: (+ 351) Delfina.pinto@dgi.min-economia.pt Spain Mr Anton Elejabeitia Asociación Española de Normalización y Certificación (AENOR) C. Génova, 6 E Madrid Tel.: (+34) Fax: (+34) aeleja@aenor.es Mr Salvador Samitier i Marti Direcció General de Qualitat Ambiental Departament de Medi Ambient Generalitat de Catalunya Av. Diagonal, E Barcelona Tel.: (+34) Fax: (+34) wsamitier@correu.gencat.es Sweden Ms Kerstin Sahlén SIS Eco-labelling Sankt Paulsg. 6 S Stockholm Tel.: (+46) Fax: (+46) kerstin.sahlen@sis.se United Kingdom Mr Charles Cox DETR Zone 6/E10, Ashdown House 123 Victoria Street London SW1E 6DE Tel.: (+44) Fax: (+44) charles.cox@defra.gsi.gov.uk KH EN-C Illustrations : Marc Hernu, André Taymans - Chlorine free - July 2001