Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion L 27/1
IV 
(Acts adopted before 1 December 2009 under the EC Treaty, the EU Treaty and the Euratom Treaty) 
  
REGULATION (EC) No 66/2010 OF  
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND  
OF 
THE COUNCIL
of 25 November 2009
on the EU Ecolabel
(Text with EEA relevance)
THE 
EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT 
AND THE  
COUNCIL 
OF THE 
EURO­
PEAN 
UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty estab lishing the European Commu­
nity, 
and 
in 
particular Article 175(1) thereof,
Having 
regard 
to the proposal from the Commission ,
Having 
regard 
to the opin ion 
of the European 
Economic 
and 
Social 
Committee
(1) OJ C 120, 28.5.2009, p. 56. (1),
Having 
regard 
to the opin ion 
of the Committee of the Reg ions
(2) OJ C 218, 11.9.2009, p. 50. (2),
Acting 
in 
accordance 
with the procedure laid down  
in 
Article 251 
of the Treaty
(3) Opinion of the E uropean Parliamen t of 2 April 2009 (n ot yet pub­
l
ished in the Official Journ al)
 and
 Council
 Decision of 26 Octob er
2009
. (3),
Whereas:
(1) The aim of Reg ulation (EC) No 1980/2000 of the E uro­
pean 
Parliamen t 
and 
of the Coun cil 
of 17 July 2000 on  
a 
revised Commun ity
 eco-label
 award scheme
(4) OJ L 237, 21.9.2000, p. 1. (4) was to 
establish
 a voluntary
 ecolabel
 award scheme in tended
 to 
promote products with a reduced en vironm
ental impact 
during 
their entire 
life cycle an d 
to provide con sumers 
with 
accurate, n on-deceptive, 
science-based 
information 
on 
the 
environmental 
impact of products.
(2) The experien ce gained during the implementation of Reg u­
lation 
(EC) 
No 1980/2000 has shown  
the need 
to amend 
that 
ecolabel 
scheme in  
order to in crease 
its effectiven ess 
and 
streamline 
its operation .(3) The amen ded scheme (herein after ‘ the EU  Ecolabel  
scheme’) should b e
 implemen ted
 in complian ce
 with the 
provisions 
of the Treaties, in cluding, 
in 
particular, the pre­
cautionary 
principle 
as laid down  
in 
Article 174(2) of the 
EC 
Treaty.
(4) It is necessary to ensure coordination between the EU Eco­
label 
scheme an d 
the establishment 
of the requiremen ts 
in 
the 
context 
of Directive 2009/125/E C 
of the European 
Par­
liament 
and 
of the Coun cil 
of 21 Octob er 
2009 estab lish­
ing 
a framework  
for the settin g 
of ecodesig n 
requiremen ts 
for 
energy 
related products
(5) OJ L 285, 31.10.2009, p. 10. (5).
(5) The EU Ecolabel scheme is part of the sustain able con­
sumption 
and 
production  
policy of the Commun ity, 
which 
aims at reducin g 
the negative 
impact of con sumption 
and 
production  
on 
the environment, 
health, climate an d 
natu­
ral
 resources. The scheme is in tended
 to promote those 
products which have a hig h 
level of en vironmental 
perfor­
mance 
through 
the use of the E U 
Ecolabel. 
To this effect, it 
is appropriate to require that the criteria with which prod­
ucts must comply in  
order to b ear 
the EU 
Ecolabel 
be 
based 
on 
the best 
environmental 
performan ce 
achieved b y 
prod­
ucts on 
the Commun ity 
market. 
Those criteria should b e 
simple 
to understand 
and 
to use and 
should be 
based 
on 
scientific
 evidence,
 taking
 into
 consideration
 the latest 
technological 
developmen ts. 
Those criteria should b e 
mar­
ket
 oriented
 and
 limited to the most sig nificant
 environ
­
mental 
impacts of products durin g 
their whole life cycle.
(6) In order to avoid the proliferation  of environmental label­
ling 
schemes an d 
to encourage 
higher 
environmental 
per­
formance 
in 
all sectors for which en vironmental 
impact is 
a factor in  
consumer 
choice, the possib ility 
of using 
the EU 
Ecolabel 
should be 
extended. 
However, for food an d 
feedN E 0 1 0 2 . 1 . 0 3Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 30.1.2010
 product g roups, 
a study should b e 
undertaken 
to ensure 
that 
criteria are feasib le 
and 
that added value can  
be 
guar­
anteed. 
For food an d 
feed products, as well as un processed 
agricultural 
products that lie within  
the scope of Coun cil 
Regulation 
(EC) 
No 834/2007 of 28 June 
2007 on 
organic 
production  
and 
labelling 
of organic 
products
(1) OJ L 189, 20.7.2007, p. 1. (1), the option  
that 
only 
those products certified as org anic 
would be 
eli­
gible 
for award of the E U 
Ecolabel 
should be con s
idered, to 
avoid con fusion 
for consumers.
(7) The EU Ecolabel should aim at sub stituting hazardous sub ­
stances 
by 
safer substances, 
wherever techn ically 
possible.
(8) For the acceptan ce by the general public of the EU Ecola­
bel
 scheme, it is essen tial
 that en vironmental
 non-
governmental
 organisations
 (NGOs) an d
 consumer
 
organisations
 play an importan t
 role and
 be
 actively 
involved
 in the developmen t
 and
 setting
 of EU Ecolabel
 
criteria.
(9) It is desirable that any interested party may lead the devel­
opment
 or revision of E U
 Ecolabel
 criteria provided that 
common procedural rules are followed an d
 that the pro­
cess is coordin ated 
by 
the Commission . 
In 
order to en sure 
the 
overall coheren ce 
of the Commun ity’s 
action, 
it is also 
appropriate to require that the latest strateg ic 
objectives 
of 
the Commun ity 
in 
the field of the en vironment, 
such as 
Environment
 Action Prog rammes,
 Sustainable
 Develop­
ment 
Strategies 
and 
Climate Chan ge 
Programmes, 
be 
taken 
into 
account 
in 
the developmen t 
or revision  
of EU 
Ecola­
bel 
criteria.
(10) In order to simplify the E U Ecolabel scheme an d to reduce 
the 
administrative 
burden 
associated with the use of the E U 
Ecolabel,
 the assessmen t
 and
 verification procedures 
should be 
streamlined.
(11) It is appropriate to provide for the con ditions under which 
the 
EU 
Ecolabel 
may be 
used and, 
in 
order to en sure 
com­
pliance 
with those con ditions, 
to require competen t 
bod­
ies 
to undertake 
verification s 
and 
to prohibit 
the use of the 
EU 
Ecolabel 
where the con ditions 
for use have n ot 
been 
complied
 with. It
 is also appropriate to require Memb er
 
States to lay down  
the rules on  
penalties 
applicable 
to 
infringements
 of this Reg ulation
 and
 to ensure
 that they 
are implemen ted.
(12) In order to in crease the use of the E U Ecolabel and in order 
to 
encourage 
those whose products meet the E U 
Ecolabel 
criteria,
 the costs of usin g
 the EU
 Ecolabel should b e
 
reduced.
(13) It is necessary to inform the public and to raise pub lic 
awareness 
of the EU 
Ecolabel 
through 
promotion  
actions, 
information
 and
 education campaig ns,
 at local, n ational
 
and 
Community 
levels, in 
order to mak e 
consumers 
aware of the mean ing 
of the EU 
Ecolabel 
and 
to enable 
them to 
make
 informed
 choices. I t
 is also n eces
sary in order to 
make
 the scheme more attractive to producers an d
 
retailers.
(14) Member States should con sider guidelines when they estab ­
lish 
their national 
Green 
Public 
Procuremen t 
Action 
Plans 
and
 could con sider
 the settin g
 of targets for pub lic
 pur­
chasing 
of environmental 
friendly 
products.
(15) In order to facilitate the mark eting of products b earing 
environmental 
labels 
at national 
and 
Community 
levels, to 
limit addition al 
work 
for compan ies, 
in 
particular SME s, 
and 
to avoid con fusing 
consumers, 
it is also n ecessary 
to 
enhance
 the coheren ce
 and
 promote harmon isation
 
between 
the EU 
Ecolabel 
scheme an d 
national 
ecolabelling 
schemes 
in 
the Commun ity.
(16) In order to en sure a harmon ised application  of the award­
ing 
system an d 
of the mark et 
surveillan ce 
and 
control 
of 
the use of the E U 
Ecolabel 
throughout 
the Commun ity, 
competen t
 bodies
 should exchan ge
 information
 and
 
experiences.
(17) The measures n ecessary for the implemen tation of this 
Regulation 
should be 
adopted in  
accordance 
with Coun cil 
Decision 
1999/468/E C 
of 28 June 
1999 layin g 
down 
the 
procedures for the exercise of implemen ting 
powers con ­
ferred 
on 
the Commission
(2) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23. (2).
(18) In particular, the Commission  should be empowered to 
adopt
 the criteria with which products must comply in 
order to b ear 
the EU 
Ecolabel 
and 
to amend 
the Annexes 
to
 this Regulation.
 Since
 those measures are of g eneral
 
scope and 
are designed 
to amend 
non-essential 
elements 
of 
this Regulation,
 inter
 alia by
 supplemen ting
 it with n ew
 
non-essential
 elements,
 they must b e
 adopted in accor­
dance
 with the reg ulatory
 procedure with scrutin y
 pro­
vided for in  
Article 5a of Decision  
1999/468/E C.
(19) For reason s of clarity an d legal certainty, Regulation (EC) 
No
  1980/2000 should therefore b e
 replaced b y
 this 
Regulation.
(20) Appropriate tran sitional provisions should be provided to 
ensure
 a smooth tran sition
 between
 Regulation
 (EC)
 
No 1980/2000 an d 
this Regulation,
HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Subject 
matter
This Regulation 
lays down  
rules for the estab lishment 
and 
appli­
cation 
of the volun tary 
EU 
Ecolabel 
scheme.N E 2 / 7 2 LOfficial Journ alof the EuropeanUnion L 27/3
Article 2
Scope
1. This Regulation 
shall apply to an y 
goods 
or services which 
are supplied for distrib ution,
 consumption
 or use on the Com­
munity 
market 
whether in  
return 
for paymen t 
or free of charg e 
(hereinafter ‘
products’).
2. This Regulation
 shall apply n either
 to medicin al
 products 
for human  
use, as defin ed 
in 
Directive 2001/83/E C 
of the Euro­
pean 
Parliamen t 
and 
of the Coun cil 
of 6 Novemb er 
2001 on 
the 
Commun ity
 code relatin g
 to medicin al
 products for human 
use
(1) OJ L 311, 28.11.2001, p. 67. (1), or for veterin ary use, as defin ed in Directive 2001/82/E C 
of 
the European 
Parliamen t 
and 
of the Coun cil 
of 6 Novemb er 
2001
 on 
the Commun ity 
code relatin g 
to veterin ary 
medicinal 
products
(2) OJ L 311, 28.11.2001, p. 1. (2), nor to any type of medical device.
Article 
3
Definitions
For 
the purposes of this Reg ulation, 
the followin g 
definitions 
shall 
apply:
1. ‘product g roup
’ means
 a set of products that serve similar 
purposes an d
 are similar in terms of use, or have similar 
functional 
properties, an d 
are similar in  
terms of con sumer 
perception ;
2. ‘
operator’ mean s 
any 
producer, man ufacturer, 
importer, ser­
vice provider, wholesaler or retailer;
3. ‘environmental 
impact’ mean s 
any 
change 
to the en viron­
ment 
resulting 
wholly or partially from a product durin g 
its 
life cycle;
4. ‘environmental 
performan ce
’ means 
the result of a man ufac­
turer’s 
management 
of those characteristics of a product that 
cause environmental 
impact;
5. ‘verification ’ means 
a procedure to certify that a product 
complies with specified E U 
Ecolabel 
criteria.
Article 4
Competent bodies
1. Each 
Member 
State shall desig nate 
the body 
or bodies, 
within 
government 
ministries 
or outside, respon sible 
for carryin g 
out 
the tasks 
provided for in  
this Regulation 
(‘the competen t 
body
’ 
or ‘the competen t
 bodies
’) and
 ensure
 that they are operation al.
 
Where more than  
one 
competen t 
body 
is designated, 
the Mem­
ber 
State shall determin e 
those bodies’ 
respective powers an d 
the 
coordination 
requiremen ts 
applicable 
to them.
2. The composition  
of the competen t 
bodies 
shall be 
such as 
to guarantee 
their independence 
and 
neutrality 
and 
their rules of 
procedure shall b e 
such as to en sure 
transparency 
in 
the conduct 
of 
their activities as well as the in volvement 
of all interested 
parties.
3. Member 
States shall en sure 
that competen t 
bodies 
meet the 
requiremen ts 
laid down  
in 
Annex 
V.4. Competen t 
bodies 
shall ensure 
that the verification  
process 
is carried out in a con sistent,
 neutral
 and
 reliable
 manner
 by
 a 
party independent
 from the operator b eing
 verified, b ased
 on 
international, 
European 
or national 
standards 
and 
procedures 
concerning 
bodies 
operating 
product-certification  
schemes.
Article 5
European 
Union Ecolabelling Board
1. The Commission  shall estab lish a European Union Ecolabel­
ling Board (EUEB) consisting of the represen tatives of the compe­
tent
 bodies
 of all the Memb er
 States, as referred to in Article 4, 
and 
of other in terested 
parties. The E UEB 
shall elect its presiden t 
according 
to its rules of procedure. I t 
shall contribute 
to the devel­
opment 
and 
revision 
of EU 
Ecolabel 
criteria an d 
to any 
review of 
the implemen tation 
of the EU 
Ecolabel 
scheme. It 
shall also pro­
vide the Commission with advice an d
 assistance
 in these areas 
and, 
in 
particular, issue recommen dations 
on 
minimum 
environ­
mental 
performan ce 
requiremen ts.
2.
 The Commission shall en sure
 that, in the con duct
 of its 
activities, the E UEB
 observes
 a balanced
 participation of all rel­
evant 
interested 
parties in 
respect of each product g roup, 
such as 
competen t
 bodies,
 producers, man ufacturers,
 importers, service 
providers, wholesalers, retailers, n otably 
SMEs, 
and 
environmen­
tal 
protection  
groups 
and 
consumer 
organisations.
Article 
6
General requ irements 
for EU Ecolabel criteria
1. EU
 Ecolabel
 criteria shall b e
 based
 on the en vironmental
 
performan ce 
of products, tak ing 
into 
account 
the latest strateg ic 
objectives 
of the Commun ity 
in 
the field of the en vironment.
2. EU 
Ecolabel 
criteria shall set out the en vironmental 
require­
ments 
that a product must fulfil in  
order to b ear 
the EU 
Ecolabel.
3. EU 
Ecolabel 
criteria shall b e 
determined 
on 
a scientific 
basis 
considering 
the whole life cycle of products. I n 
determining 
such 
criteria, the followin g 
shall be 
considered: 
(a) the 
most significant 
environmental 
impacts, in  
particular the 
impact on  
climate chan ge, 
the impact on  
nature 
and 
biodi­
versity,
 energy
 and
 resource con sumption,
 generation
 of 
waste, emission s
 to all en vironmental
 media, pollution 
through 
physical effects an d 
use and 
release of hazardous 
substances;N E 0 1 0 2 . 1 . 0 3Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 30.1.2010
(b) the sub stitution of hazardous sub stances by safer substances, 
as
 such or via the use of altern ative
 materials or desig ns,
 
wherever it is techn ically 
feasible;
(c) the 
potential 
to reduce en vironmental 
impacts due to dura­
bility 
and 
reusability 
of products;
(d) the net
 environmental
 balance
 between
 the environmental
 
benefits 
and 
burdens, 
including 
health and 
safety aspects, at 
the various life stag es 
of the products;
(e) where appropriate, social an d 
ethical aspects, e.g . 
by 
making 
reference 
to related in ternational 
conventions 
and 
agree­
ments 
such as relevan t 
ILO 
standards 
and 
codes of con duct;
(f)
 criteria estab lished
 for other en vironmental
 labels,
 particu­
larly officially recog nised,
 nationally
 or region a
lly, EN ISO
 
14024 type I  
environmental 
labels, 
where they exist for that 
product g roup 
so as to en hance 
synergies;
(g) as 
far as possib le 
the principle 
of reducin g 
animal 
testing.
4. EU 
Ecolabel 
criteria shall in clude 
requiremen ts 
intended 
to 
ensure
 that the products b earing
 the EU
 Ecolabel
 function
 
adequately in  
accordance 
with their in tended 
use.
5. Before developin g
 EU
 Ecolabel
 criteria for food and feed 
products, as defin ed 
in 
Regulation 
(EC) 
No 178/2002 of the E uro­
pean 
Parliamen t 
and 
of the Coun cil 
of 28 January 
2002 layin g 
down 
the general 
principles 
and 
requiremen ts 
of food law, estab ­
lishing 
the European 
Food Safety Authority an d 
laying 
down 
pro­
cedures in matters of food safety
(1) OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1. (1), the Commission shall 
undertake 
a study, b y 31 
December 
2011 at the latest, explorin g 
the
 feasibility
 of establishing
 reliable
 criteria coverin g
 environ
­
mental 
performan ce 
during 
the whole life cycle of such products, 
including 
the products of fishin g 
and 
aquaculture. The study 
should pay particular atten tion 
to the impact of an y 
EU 
Ecolabel 
criteria
 on food an d
 feed products, as well as un processed
 agri
­
cultural products that lie within  
the scope of Reg ulation 
(EC) 
No
 834/2007. The study should con sider
 the option that on ly
 
those products certified as org anic 
would be 
eligible 
for award of 
the EU 
Ecolabel, 
to avoid con fusion 
for consumers.
The 
Commission  
shall decide, tak ing 
into 
account 
the outcome of 
the study an d 
the opinion 
of the EUEB, 
for which g roup 
of food 
and
 feed, if an y,
 the developmen t
 of EU
 Ecolabel
 criteria is fea­
sible, 
in 
accordance 
with the reg ulatory 
procedure with scrutin y 
referred 
to in 
Article 16(2).
6. The EU 
Ecolabel 
may not 
be 
awarded to g oods 
containing 
substances 
or preparation s/mixtures 
meeting 
the criteria for clas­
sification as toxic, hazardous to the en vir
onment, carcin oge
nic, 
mutagenic
 or toxic for reproduction (CMR), in accordan ce
 with 
Regulation 
(EC) 
No 1272/2008 of the E uropean 
Parliamen t 
and 
of 
the Council 
of 16 Decemb er 
2008 on 
classification , 
labelling and 
packaging 
of substances 
and 
mixtures
(2) OJ L 353, 31.12.2008, p. 1. (2), nor to goods con­
taining 
substances 
referred to in  
Article 57 of Reg ulation 
(EC) 
No 
1907/2006 of the E uropean 
Parliamen t 
and 
of the Coun cil 
of
18  Decemb er
 2006 concerning
 the Registration,
 Evaluation,
 
Authorisation an d
 Restriction of Chemicals (RE ACH),
 establish
­
ing 
a European 
Chemicals Ag ency
(3) OJ L 396, 30.12.2006, p. 1. (3).
7. For specific categ ories
 of goods
 containing
 substances
 
referred to in  
paragraph 
6, and 
only 
in 
the event 
that it is not tech­
nically 
feasible 
to substitute 
them as such, or via the use of alter­
native 
materials or desig ns, 
or in 
the case of products which have 
a significantly 
higher 
overall en vironment 
performan ce 
compared 
with other g oods
 of the same categ ory,
 the Commission may 
adopt measures to g rant 
derogations 
from parag raph 
6. No dero­
gation 
shall be 
given 
concerning 
substances 
that meet the criteria 
of Article 57 of Reg ulation 
(EC) 
No 1907/2006 an d 
that are iden ­
tified 
according 
to the procedure describ ed 
in 
Article 59(1) of that 
Regulation, 
present 
in 
mixtures, in  
an 
article or in  
any 
homoge­
neous
 part of a complex article in con centrations
 higher
 than 
0,1 % (weig ht 
by 
weight). 
Those measures, desig ned 
to amend 
non-essential
 elements
 of this Reg ulation,
 shall be
 adopted in 
accordance 
with the reg ulatory 
procedure with scrutin y 
referred 
to in 
Article 16(2).
Article 7
Development 
and revision of EU Ecolabel criteria
1. Following 
consultation 
of the EUEB, 
the Commission , 
Mem­
ber 
States, competen t 
bodies 
and 
other stak eholders 
may initiate 
and 
lead the developmen t 
or revision  
of EU 
Ecolabel 
criteria. 
Where such other stak eholders
 are put in charg e
 of leadin g
 the 
developmen t
 of criteria, they must demon strate
 expertise in the 
product area, as well as the ab ility 
to lead the process with n eu­
trality 
and 
in 
line 
with the aims of this Reg ulation. 
In 
this regard, 
consortiums 
consisting 
of more than  
one 
interest 
group 
shall be 
favoured. 
The 
party which in itiates 
and 
leads the developmen t 
or revision  
of 
EU 
Ecolabel 
criteria shall, in  
accordance 
with the procedure set 
out in 
Part A of An nex 
I, 
produce the followin g 
documents: 
(a) a 
preliminary 
report;
(b) a 
proposal for draft criteria;
(c) a technical 
report in 
support of the proposal for draft criteria;
(d) a final 
report;
(e) a manual 
for potential 
users of the E U 
Ecolabel 
and 
compe­
tent 
bodies;
(f) a 
manual 
for authorities awardin g 
public 
contracts.
Those 
documents 
shall be 
submitted 
to the Commission  
and 
to 
the EUEB.N E 4 / 7 2 LOfficial Journ alof the EuropeanUnion L 27/5
2. Where criteria have already b een developed un der another 
ecolabel 
scheme complyin g 
with the requiremen ts 
of EN 
ISO 
14024 
type I 
environmental 
labels 
for a product g roup 
for which 
no 
EU 
Ecolabel 
criteria have b een 
established, 
any 
Member 
State 
in 
which the other ecolab el 
scheme is recog nised 
may, after con ­
sulting 
the Commission  
and 
the EUEB, 
propose those criteria for 
developmen t 
under 
the EU 
Ecolabel 
scheme. 
In 
such cases, the shorten ed 
criteria developmen t 
procedure laid 
down 
in 
Part B of An nex 
I 
may apply provided that the proposed 
criteria have b een 
developed in  
line 
with Part A of An nex 
I. 
Either 
the 
Commission  
or the Memb er 
State which, according to the first 
subparagraph, 
has proposed the shorten ed 
criteria developmen t 
procedure 
shall lead that procedure. 
3. Where a n on-substantial 
revision 
of the criteria is n ecessary, 
the 
shortened 
revision 
procedure laid down  
in 
Part C of An nex 
I 
may 
apply.
4. By 19 February 
2011, the E UEB 
and 
the Commission  
shall 
agree 
on 
a working 
plan 
including 
a strategy 
and 
a non-exhaustive 
list 
of product g roups. 
This plan 
will consider 
other Commun ity 
action 
(e.g. 
in 
the field of g reen 
public 
procuremen t) 
and 
may be 
updated
 according
 to the latest strateg ic
 objectives
 of the Com­
munity 
in 
the field of the en vironment. 
This plan 
shall be 
regu­
larly 
updated.
Article 8
Establishment of EU Ecolabel criteria
1. Draft EU 
Ecolabel 
criteria shall b e 
developed in  
accordance 
with 
the procedure laid down  
in 
Annex 
I 
and 
taking 
into 
account 
the 
working 
plan.
2. The 
Commission  
shall, no 
later than 
nine 
months 
after con­
sulting 
the EUEB, 
adopt measures to estab lish 
specific EU 
Ecola­
bel 
criteria for each product g roup. 
These measures shall b e 
published 
in 
the Official Journ al 
of the European 
Union. 
In 
its final 
proposal, the Commission  
shall take 
into 
account 
the 
comments 
of the EUEB 
and 
shall clearly hig hlight, 
document 
and 
provide 
explanations 
for the reason ing 
behind 
any 
changes 
in 
its 
final 
proposal compared to the proposal for draft criteria follow­
ing 
the consultation 
of the EUEB. 
Those 
measures, desig ned 
to amend 
non-essential 
elements 
of this 
Regulation, 
by 
supplemen ting 
it, shall be 
adopted in  
accordance 
with
 the regulatory
 procedure with scrutin y
 referred to in 
Article 16(2). 
3. In 
the measures referred to in  
paragraph 
2 the Commission  
shall: 
(a)
 establish
 requiremen ts
 for assessin g
 the complian c
e of spe­
cific products with E U
 Ecolabel
 criteria (‘assessmen t
 
requiremen ts
’);
(b)
 specify, for each product g roup,
 three key
 environmental
 
characteristics that may b e 
displayed in  
the option al 
label 
with 
text box 
described 
in 
Annex 
II;(c) specify, for each product g roup, the relevan t period of valid­
ity of the criteria an d 
of the assessmen t 
requiremen ts;
(d) specify 
the degree 
of product variab ility 
allowed durin g 
the 
period of validity referred to in  
point 
(c).
4. When 
establishing 
EU 
Ecolabel 
criteria, care shall b e 
taken 
not
 to introduce
 measures whose implemen tation
 may impose 
disproportion ate 
administrative 
and 
economic 
burdens 
on 
SMEs.
Article 
9
Award of the EU Ecolabel and terms and conditions of its 
use
1. Any 
operator who wishes to use the E U 
Ecolabel 
shall apply 
to the competen t
 bodies
 referred to in Article 4 in accordan ce
 
with the followin g 
rules: 
(a) where a product orig inates
 in a single
 Member
 State, the 
application shall b e
 presented
 to a competen t
 body
 of that 
Member 
State;
(b) where 
a product orig inates 
in 
the same form in  
several Mem­
ber 
States, the application  
may be 
presented 
to a competen t 
body 
in 
one 
of those Memb er 
States;
(c) where a product orig inates
 outside the Commun ity,
 the 
application  
shall be 
presented 
to a competen t 
body 
in 
any 
of 
the Memb er 
States in 
which the product is to b e 
or has been 
placed 
on 
the market.
2. The 
EU 
Ecolabel 
shall have the form depicted in  
Annex 
II. 
The 
EU 
Ecolabel 
may only 
be 
used in 
connection 
with products 
complying
 with the E U
 Ecolabel
 criteria applicab le
 to the prod­
ucts concerned 
and 
for which the E U 
Ecolabel 
has been 
awarded. 
3. Application s 
shall specify the full con tact 
details of the 
operator, as well as the product g roup 
in 
question 
and 
shall con­
tain 
a full description  
of the product as well as all other in forma­
tion 
requested b y 
the competen t 
body. 
Application s
 shall include
 all relevan t
 documen tation,
 as speci­
fied in 
the relevan t 
Commission  
measure estab lishing 
EU 
Ecola­
bel 
criteria for the product g roup 
in 
question. 
4. The 
competen t 
body 
to which an  
application  
is made shall 
charge 
fees accordin g 
to Annex 
III. 
The use of the E U 
Ecolabel 
shall 
be 
conditional 
upon 
the fees havin g 
been 
paid in 
due time.
5. Within 
two months 
of receipt of an  
application , 
the com­
petent 
body 
concerned 
shall check  
whether the documen tation 
is 
complete an d 
shall notify 
the operator. The competen t 
body 
may 
reject the application  
if the operator fails to complete the docu­
mentation 
within 
six months 
after such n otification. N E 0 1 0 2 . 1 . 0 3Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 30.1.2010
Provided that the documen tation is complete an d the competen t 
body 
has verified that the product complies with the E U 
Ecolabel 
criteria
 and
 assessmen t
 requiremen ts
 published
 accordin g
 to 
Article 8, the competen t 
body 
shall assig n 
a registration 
number 
to 
the product. 
Operators shall meet the costs of testin g 
and 
assessmen t 
of con­
formity 
with EU 
Ecolabel 
criteria. Operators may b e 
charged 
for 
travel and 
accommodation  
costs where an  
on-site 
verification  
is 
needed 
outside the Memb er 
State in 
which the competen t 
body 
is 
based. 
6.
 Where EU
 Ecolabel
 criteria require production facilities to 
meet certain  
requiremen ts, 
they shall b e 
met in 
all facilities in  
which 
the product b earing 
the EU 
Ecolabel 
is manufactured. 
Where
 appropriate, the competen t
 body
 shall undertake on-site 
verification s 
or assign 
an 
authorised ag ent 
for that purpose.
7. Competen t 
bodies 
shall preferen tially 
recognise 
tests which 
are accredited accordin g 
to ISO 
17025 an d 
verification s 
per­
formed by 
bodies 
which are accredited un der 
the EN 
45011 stan ­
dard
 or an equivalen t
 international
 standard.
 Competen t
 bodies
 
shall collab orate 
in 
order to en sure 
the effective an d 
consistent 
implemen tation
 of the assessmen t
 and
 verification procedures, 
notably 
through 
the working 
group 
referred to in  
Article 13.
8. The competen t
 body
 shall con clude
 a contra
ct with each 
operator, coverin g 
the terms of use of the E U 
Ecolabel 
(including 
provisions 
for the authorisation  
and 
withdrawal of the E U 
Ecola­
bel, 
notably 
following 
the revision  
of criteria). To that en d 
a stan­
dard 
contract 
shall be 
used in 
accordance 
with the template in  
Annex 
IV.
9.
 The operator may place the E U
 Ecolabel
 on the product 
only 
after conclusion 
of the con tract. 
The operator shall also place 
the registration 
number 
on 
the product b earing 
the EU 
Ecolabel.
10. The 
competen t 
body 
which has awarded the E U 
Ecolabel 
to 
a product shall n otify 
the Commission  
thereof. The Commis­
sion shall estab lish
 a common reg ister
 and
 update it reg ularly.
 
That register 
shall be 
publicly 
available 
on 
a website 
dedicated to 
the EU 
Ecolabel.
11. The 
EU 
Ecolabel 
may be 
used on 
the products for which 
the EU
 Ecolabel
 has been
 awarded an d
 on their associated pro­
motional 
material.
12. The award of the E U 
Ecolabel 
shall be 
without prejudice to 
environmental
 or other reg ulatory
 requiremen ts
 of Commun ity
 
or national 
law applicab le 
to the various life stag es 
of the product.
13. The right 
to use the E U 
Ecolabel 
shall not 
extend 
to the use 
of the EU 
Ecolabel 
as a compon ent 
of a trademark .Article  10
Market su rveillance 
and control of the u se 
of the EU 
Ecolabel
1. Any
 false or misleadin g
 advertisin g
 or use of an y
 label
 or 
logo 
which leads to con fusion 
with the E U 
Ecolabel 
shall be 
prohibited.
2. The 
competen t 
body 
shall, in 
respect of products to which 
it has awarded the E U 
Ecolabel, 
verify that the product complies 
with the E U 
Ecolabel 
criteria an d 
assessmen t 
requiremen ts 
pub­
lished 
under 
Article 8, on  
a regular 
basis. 
The competen t 
body 
shall, 
as appropriate, also un dertake 
such verification s 
upon 
com­
plaint.
 These verification s
 may tak e
 the form of ran dom
 
spot-check s. 
The 
competen t 
body 
which has awarded the E U 
Ecolabel 
to the 
product shall in form 
the user of the E U 
Ecolabel 
of any 
com­
plaints 
made con cerning 
the product b earing 
the EU 
Ecolabel, 
and 
may
 request the user to reply to those complain ts.
 The compe­
tent 
body 
may withhold the iden tity 
of the complain ant 
from the 
user. 
3. The user of the E U 
Ecolabel 
shall allow the competen t 
body 
which 
has awarded the E U 
Ecolabel 
to the product to un dertake 
all
 necessary
 investigations
 to monitor
 its on-goi
ng complian ce
 
with the product g roup 
criteria an d 
Article 9.
4. The user of the E U 
Ecolabel 
shall, upon  
request by 
the com­
petent 
body 
which has awarded the E U 
Ecolabel 
to the product, 
grant 
access to the premises on  
which the product con cerned 
is 
produced. The request may b
e
 made at an y
 reasonable
 time and
 without 
notice. 
5. Where, 
after giving 
the user of the E U 
Ecolabel 
the oppor­
tunity 
to submit 
observations, 
any 
competen t 
body 
which fin ds 
that 
a product b earing 
the EU 
Ecolabel 
does not 
comply with the 
relevant 
product g roup 
criteria or that the E U 
Ecolabel 
is not 
used 
in 
accordance 
with Article 9, it shall either prohib it 
the use of the 
EU 
Ecolabel 
on 
that product, or, in  
the event 
that the EU 
Ecolabel 
has 
been 
awarded b y 
another 
competen t 
body, 
it shall inform 
that 
competen t 
body. 
The user of the E U 
Ecolabel 
shall not 
be 
entitled 
to 
repaymen t 
of the fees referred to in  
Article 9(4), either in  
whole 
or in 
part. 
The competen t 
body 
shall without delay in form 
all other compe­
tent 
bodies 
and 
the Commission  
of that prohib ition. 
6. The 
competen t 
body 
which has awarded the E U 
Ecolabel 
to 
the product shall n ot
 disclose, or use for any purpose un con
­
nected 
with the award for use of the E U 
Ecolabel, 
information 
to 
which it has g ained 
access in 
the course of assessin g 
the compli­
ance 
by 
a user of the E U 
Ecolabel 
with the rules on  
use of the E U 
Ecolabel 
set out in 
Article 9. 
It
 shall take
 all reason able
 steps to secure the protection of the 
documents
 provided to it ag ainst
 falsification an d
 
misappropriation . N E 6 / 7 2 LOfficial Journ alof the EuropeanUnion L 27/7
Article 11
Ecolabelling schemes in the Member States
1. Where EU 
Ecolabel 
criteria for a g iven 
product g roup 
have 
been
 published,
 other nationally
 or regionally
 officially recog n
­
ised EN 
ISO 
14024 type I  
ecolabelling 
schemes which do n ot 
cover 
that product g roup 
at the time of pub lication 
may be 
extended 
to that product g roup 
only 
where the criteria developed 
under 
those schemes are at least as strict as the E U 
Ecolabel 
criteria.
2. In 
order to harmon ise 
the criteria of E uropean 
ecolabelling 
schemes
 (EN
 ISO
 14024 type I ),
 EU
 Ecolabel
 criteria shall also 
take 
into 
account 
existing 
criteria developed in  
officially recog n­
ised 
ecolabelling 
schemes in  
the Memb er 
States.
Article 12
Promotion of the EU Ecolabel
1. Member
 States an d
 the Commission shall, in cooperation 
with the E UEB, 
agree 
on 
a specific action  
plan 
to promote the use 
of the EU 
Ecolabel 
by: 
(a) awareness-raising 
actions 
and 
information 
and 
public 
educa­
tion 
campaigns 
for consumers, 
producers, man ufacturers, 
wholesalers,
 service providers, pub lic
 purchasers, traders, 
retailers an d 
the general 
public,
(b) encouraging 
the uptake 
of the scheme, especially for SME s,
thus 
supportin g 
the developmen t 
of the scheme.
2. Promotion  
of the EU 
Ecolabel 
may be 
und
ertaken 
via the EU 
Ecolabel
 website
 providing
 basic
 information
 and
 promotion al
 
materials on  
the EU 
Ecolabel, 
and 
information 
on 
where to pur­
chase EU 
Ecolabel 
products, in  
all Commun ity 
languages.
3.
 Member
 States shall en courage
 the use of the ‘Manual
 for 
authorities awardin g
 public
 contracts
’, as specified in An nex
 I,
 
Part A, poin t 
5. For this purpose, Memb er 
States shall con sider, 
for 
example, the settin g 
of targets 
for the purchasin g 
of products 
meeting 
the criteria specified in  
that Manual.
Article 
13
Exchange of information and experiences
1. In 
order to foster con sistent 
implemen tation 
of this Reg u­
lation,
 competen t
 bodies
 shall reg ularly
 exchange
 information
 
and
 experiences,
 in particular on the application of Articles 9 
and 
10.
2. The Commission shall set up a work ing
 gro
up of compe­
tent
 bodies
 for this purpose. The work i
ng group
 shall meet at 
least twice a year. Travel expen ses 
shall be 
borne 
by 
the Commis­
sion. 
The working 
group 
shall elect its chair an d 
adopt its rules of 
procedure.Article 14
Report
By 19 February 
2015, the Commission  
shall submit 
to the Euro­
pean 
Parliamen t 
and 
the Council 
a report on  
the implemen tation 
of 
the EU 
Ecolabel 
scheme. The report shall also iden tify 
elements 
for 
a possible 
review of the scheme.
Article 15
Amendment of Annexes
The Commission  
may amen d 
the Annexes, 
including 
modifying 
the 
maximum fees provided for in  
Annex 
III 
taking 
into 
account 
the 
need 
for fees to cover the costs of run ning 
the scheme.
Those measures, desig ned 
to amend 
non-essential 
elements 
of this 
Regulation,
 shall be
 adopted in accordan ce
 with the reg ulatory
 
procedure with scrutin y 
referred to in  
Article 16(2).
Article 16
Committee procedu re
1. The 
Commission  
shall be 
assisted by 
a Committee.
2. Where referen ce 
is made to this parag raph, 
Article 5a(1) 
to (4) and 
Article 7 of Decision  
1999/468/E C 
shall apply, havin g 
regard 
to the provision s 
of Article 8 thereof.
Article 17
Penalties
Member 
States shall lay down  
the rules on  
penalties 
applicable 
to 
infringements 
of the provision s 
of this Reg ulation 
and 
shall take 
all 
measures n ecessary 
to ensure 
that they are implemen ted. 
The 
penalties
 provided for must b e
 effective, proportionate an d
 dis­
suasive. The Memb er
 States shall notify those provision s
 to the 
Commission  
without delay an d 
shall notify 
it without delay of an y 
subsequent 
amendment 
affecting 
them.
Article 18
Repeal
Regulation 
(EC) 
No 1980/2000 is hereb y 
repealed.
Article 19
Transitional provisions
Regulation
 (EC)
 No 1980/2000 shall con tinue
 to apply to con­
tracts con cluded 
under 
Article 9 thereof un til 
the date of expiry 
specified in  
those con tracts, 
except for its provision s 
concerning 
fees.
Article 
9(4) of an d 
Annex 
III 
to this Reg ulation 
shall apply to such 
contracts.N E 0 1 0 2 . 1 . 0 3L 27/8 EN Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 30.1.2010
Article 20
Entry into force
This Regulation 
shall enter 
into 
force on 
the twentieth 
day followin g 
its publication 
in 
the Official Journal of the 
European Union.
This Regulation 
shall be 
binding 
in 
its entirety 
and 
directly applicab le 
in 
all Member 
States.
Done 
at Strasbourg, 25 
November 
2009.
For the European Parliament
The President
J. BUZEKFor the Council
The President
Å. TORSTE NSSONOfficial Journ alof the EuropeanUnion L 27/9
ANNEX I
PROCED URE 
FOR 
THE DEVELOPMENT 
AND 
REVISION OF  
EU ECOLABEL CRITERIA
A. Standard procedu re
The 
following 
documents 
must be 
drawn 
up:
1. Preliminary report
The prelimin ary 
report must con tain 
the followin g 
elements:
—Quantitative 
indication 
of the poten tial 
environmental 
benefits 
related to the product g roup, 
including 
con­
sideration  
of the benefits 
from other similar E uropean 
and 
national 
or regional 
EN 
ISO 
14024 type I  
ecola­
belling 
schemes, 
—Reasoning 
for choice an d 
scope of product g roup,
 
—Consideration 
of any 
possible 
trade issues, 
—Analysis 
of other en vironmental 
labels’ 
criteria, 
—Current 
laws and 
ongoing 
legislative 
initiatives 
related to the product g roup 
sector, 
—Analysis 
of the possib ilities 
of substitution 
of hazardous sub stances 
by safer sub stances, 
as such or via the use 
of alternative 
materials or desig ns, 
wherever techn ically 
feasible, 
in 
particular with reg ard 
to substances 
of very 
high 
concern 
as referred to in  
Article 57 of Reg ulation 
(EC) 
No 1907/2006, 
—Intra-community 
market 
data for the sector, in cluding 
volumes an d 
turno
ver, 
—Current 
and 
future poten tial 
for market 
penetration 
of the products b ear
ing 
the EU 
Ecolabel,
 
—Extent 
and 
overall relevan ce 
of the environmental 
impacts associated with the product g roup, 
based 
on 
new 
or 
existing
 life cycle assessmen t
 studies. Other scien tific
 evidence
 may also b e
 used. Critical an d
 controversial
 
issues shall b e 
reported in  
detail and 
evaluated, 
—References 
of data an d 
information 
collected an d 
used for issuin g 
the report.
The prelimin ary 
report shall b e 
made availab le 
on 
the Commission ’s 
dedicated E U 
Ecolabel 
website 
for commen t 
and 
reference 
during 
the developmen t 
of the criteria.
Where criteria are to b e 
developed for food an d 
feed product g roups, 
the prelimin ary 
report must, with referen ce 
to 
the study un dertaken 
according 
to Article 6(5), demon strate 
the following :
—there 
is a real added en vironmental 
value in 
developin g 
EU 
Ecolabel 
criteria for the chosen  
product, 
—the EU 
Ecolabel 
has considered 
the whole life cycle of the product, an d
 
—the use of the E U 
Ecolabel 
on 
the chosen  
product will n ot 
cause con fusion 
when 
compared with other food 
labels.
2.
 Proposal for draft criteria and associated technical report
Following 
the publication 
of the prelimin ary 
report, a proposal for draft criteria an d 
a technical 
report in 
support of 
the proposal shall b e 
established.N E 0 1 0 2 . 1 . 0 3Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 30.1.2010
The draft criteria shall comply with the followin g requiremen ts:
—they 
shall be 
based 
on 
the best 
products availab le 
on 
the Commun ity 
market 
in 
terms of en vironmental 
per­
formance 
throughout 
the life cycle, an d 
they shall correspon d 
indicative
ly to the b est 
10-20 % of the products 
available 
on 
the Commun ity 
market 
in 
terms of en vironmental 
performan ce 
at the momen t 
of their adoption ,
 
—in 
order to allow for the n ecessary 
flexibility 
the exact percen tage 
shall be 
defined 
on 
a case-by-case 
basis 
and 
in 
each case with the aim of promotin g 
the most en vironmentally 
friendly 
products an d 
ensuring 
that con­
sumers 
are provided with sufficien t 
choice, 
—they shall tak e 
into 
consideration 
the net 
environmental 
balance 
betwee
n 
the environmental 
benefits 
and 
bur­
dens, 
including 
health and 
safety aspects; where appropriate, social an d 
ethical aspects shall b e 
considered, 
e.g. 
by 
making 
reference 
to related in ternational 
conventions 
and 
agreements 
such as relevan t 
ILO 
standards 
and 
codes 
of conduct,
 
—they shall b e 
based 
on 
the most sig nificant 
environmental 
impacts of the product, b e 
expressed as far as rea­
sonably 
possible 
via technical 
key 
environmental 
performan ce 
indicator
s of the product, an d 
be 
suitable 
for 
assessmen t 
according 
to the rules of this Reg ulation,
 
—they shall b e 
based 
on 
sound 
data and 
information 
which are represen tative 
as far as possible of the en tire 
Com­
munity 
market,
 
—they shall b e 
based 
on 
life cycle data an d 
quantitative 
environmental 
impacts, where applicab le 
in 
compliance 
with 
the European 
Reference 
Life Cycle Data Systems (E LCD),
 
—they shall tak e 
into 
consideration 
the views of all in terested 
parties involved in  
the consultation 
process, 
—they shall g uarantee 
harmonisation 
with existin g 
legislation 
applicable to the product g roup 
when 
considering 
definitions, 
test methods an d 
technical 
and 
administrative 
documentati
on,
 
—they shall tak e 
into 
account 
relevant 
Community 
policies an d 
work 
done 
on 
other related product g roups.
The 
proposal for draft criteria shall b e 
written 
in 
a way that is easily accessib le 
to those wishin g 
to use them. I t 
shall 
provide justification  
for each criterion  
and 
explain 
the environmental 
benefits 
related to each criterion . 
It 
shall high­
light 
the criteria correspon ding 
to the key 
environmental 
characteristics.
The techn ical 
report shall in clude 
at least the followin g 
elements:
—the 
scientific 
explanations 
of each requiremen t 
and 
criterion,
 
—a quantitative 
indication 
of the overall en vironmental 
performan ce 
that the criteria are expected to achieve in  
their 
totality, when  
compared to that of the averag e 
products on  
the market
, 
—an 
estimation  
of the expected en vironmental/economic/social 
impacts of the criteria as a whole, 
—the relevan t 
test methods for assessmen t 
of the differen t 
criteria, 
—an 
estimation  
of testing 
costs, 
—for each criterion , 
information 
about 
all tests, reports an d 
other documen tation 
that shall b e 
produced b y 
users 
on 
request from a competen t 
body 
in 
accordance 
with Article 10(3).
The proposal for draft criteria an d 
the technical 
report shall b e 
made availab le 
for public 
consultation 
on 
the Com­
mission’s 
dedicated E U 
Ecolabel 
website 
for commen t. 
The party leadin g 
the product g roup 
developmen t 
shall dis­
tribute 
the proposal an d 
the report to all in terested 
parties.
At least two open  
working 
group 
meetings 
shall be 
held on 
the draft criteria, to which all in terested 
parties, such as 
competen t 
bodies, 
industry 
(including 
SMEs), 
trade unions, 
retailers, importers, en vironmental 
and 
consumer 
organi­
sations, 
shall be 
invited. 
The Commission  
shall also participate in  
those meetin gs.
The 
proposal for draft criteria an d 
the technical 
report shall b e 
made availab le 
at least on e 
month 
before 
the first 
working 
group 
meeting. 
Any 
subsequent 
proposal for draft criteria shall be made availab le 
at least on e 
month 
before 
subsequent 
meetings. 
The reason ing 
behind 
any 
changes 
to the criteria in  
subsequent 
drafts shall b e 
fully explain ed 
and 
documented 
with referen ce 
to discussion s 
in 
the open 
worki
ng groups meetin gs 
and 
comments 
received in  
pub­
lic 
consultation.
Responses 
shall be 
given 
to all commen ts 
received durin g 
the criteria developmen t 
process, in dicating 
whether they 
are accepted or rejected an d 
why.N E 0 1 / 7 2 LOfficial Journ alof the EuropeanUnion L 27/11
3. Final report and draft criteria
The final 
report shall con tain 
the followin g 
elements:
Clear 
responses 
to all commen ts 
and 
proposals, in dicating 
whether they are accepted or rejected an d 
why. Euro­
pean 
Union 
and 
non-European 
Union 
interested 
parties shall b e 
treated on  
an 
equal footin g.
It 
shall also in clude 
the followin g 
elements:
—a 
one-page 
summary of the level of support for the draft criteria b y 
the competen t 
bodies,
 
—a summary list of all documen ts 
circulated in  
the course of the criteria developmen t 
work, 
together 
with an 
indication 
of the date of circulation  
of each documen t 
and 
to whom each documen t 
has been 
circulated, an d 
a 
copy of the documen ts 
in 
question,
 
—a list of the in terested 
parties involved 
in 
the work 
or which have b een 
consulted or have expressed an  
opin­
ion, 
together 
with their con tact 
information,
 
—an 
executive summary, 
—three key 
environmental 
characteristics for the product g roup 
that may be displayed in  
the option al 
label 
with 
text box 
described 
in 
Annex 
II,
 
—a proposal for a mark eting 
and 
communication 
strategy 
for the product g ro
up.
Any 
observations 
received on  
the final 
report shall b e 
taken 
into 
consider
ation, 
and 
information 
on 
the follow-up 
to the commen ts 
shall be 
provided on  
request.
4. Manual for potential users of the EU Ecolabel and competent bodiesA man
ual 
shall be 
established 
in 
order to assist poten tial 
users of the E U 
Ec
olabel 
and 
competen t 
bodies 
in 
assessing 
the 
compliance 
of products with the criteria.
5. Manual for authorities awarding public contracts
A manual 
providing 
guidance 
for the use of E U 
Ecolabel 
criteria to authorities awardin g 
public 
contracts 
shall be 
established.
The 
Commission  
will provide templates tran slated 
into 
all official Commun ity 
languages 
for the man ual 
for poten­
tial 
users and 
competen t 
bodies 
and 
for the man ual 
for authorities awarding  
public 
contracts.
B.
 Shortened procedu re 
where criteria have been developed by other EN ISO 14024 type I ecolabelling schemes
A single 
report shall b e 
submitted 
to the Commission . 
This report shall in c
lude a section  
demonstrating 
that the tech­
nical 
and 
consultation 
requiremen ts 
set out in 
Part A have b een 
met, along 
with a proposal for draft criteria, a man ual 
for 
potential 
users of the E U 
Ecolabel 
and 
competen t 
bodies, 
and 
a manual 
for authorities awardin g 
public 
contracts.
If 
the Commission  
is satisfied that the report an d 
criteria meet the requiremen ts 
set out in  
Part A, the report an d 
the 
proposal for draft criteria shall b e 
made availab le 
for public 
consultati
on 
on 
the Commission ’s 
dedicated E U 
Ecolabel 
website 
for a period of two mon ths 
for commen t.
Responses 
shall be 
given 
to all commen ts 
received durin g 
the public 
consul
tation 
period, indicating 
whether each com­
ment 
is accepted or rejected an d 
why.
Subject 
to any 
changes 
made durin g 
the public 
consultation 
period, an d 
if no Memb er 
State requests an  
open 
working 
group 
meeting, 
the Commission  
may adopt the criteria pursuan t 
to Article 8.N E 0 1 0 2 . 1 . 0 3L 27/12 EN Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 30.1.2010
Upon request from an y Member State, an open working group meeting shall be held on the draft criteria, in  which all 
interested 
parties, such as competen t 
bodies, 
industry 
(including 
SMEs)
, trade unions, 
retailers, importers, en vironmen­
tal 
and 
consumer 
organisations, 
shall participate. The Commission  
shall also participate in  
that meetin g.
Subject 
to any 
changes 
made durin g 
the public 
consultation 
period or during  
the working 
group 
meeting, 
the Com­
mission 
may adopt the criteria pursuan t 
to Article 8.
C. Shortened procedu re 
for non-substantial 
revision of the criteria
The Commission  
shall produce a report con taining 
the followin g:
—a 
justification  
explaining 
why there is n o 
need 
for a full revision  
of the criteria an d 
why a simple updatin g 
of the 
criteria an d 
their strin gency 
levels is sufficien t,
 
—a technical 
section 
updating 
the previous mark et 
data used for the setting  
of the criteria, 
—a proposal for draft revised criteria, 
—a quantitative 
indication 
of the overall en vironmental 
performan ce 
that the revised criteria are expected to achieve 
in 
their totality, when  
compared to that of the averag e 
products on  
the market, 
—a revised man ual 
for potential 
users of the E U 
Ecolabel 
and 
competen t 
bodi
es, and
 
—a revised man ual 
for authorities awardin g 
public 
contracts.
The 
report and 
the proposal for draft criteria shall b e 
made availab le 
for public 
consultation 
on 
the Commission ’s 
dedi­
cated EU 
Ecolabel 
website 
for a period of two mon ths 
for commen t.
Responses 
shall be 
given 
to all commen ts 
received durin g 
the public 
consul
tation 
period, indicating 
whether each com­
ment 
is accepted or rejected an d 
why.
Subject 
to any 
changes 
made durin g 
the public 
consultation 
period, an d 
if no Memb er 
State requests an  
open 
working 
group 
meeting, 
the Commission  
may adopt the criteria pursuan t 
to Article 8.
Upon 
request from an y 
Member 
State, an 
open 
working 
group 
meeting 
shall be 
held on 
the draft revised criteria, in  
which 
all interested 
parties, such as competen t 
bodies, 
industry 
(includ
ing 
SMEs), 
trade union s
, retailers, importers, en vi­
ronmental 
and 
consumer 
organisations, 
shall participate. The Commission  
shall also participate in  
that meetin g.
Subject 
to any 
changes 
made durin g 
the public 
consultation 
period or during  
the working 
group 
meeting, 
the Com­
mission 
may adopt the criteria pursuan t 
to Article 8.30.1.2010 EN Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion L 27/13
ANNEX II
FORM 
OF 
THE EU ECOLABEL
The EU 
Ecolabel 
shall take 
the followin g 
form:
Label:
Optional 
label 
with text b ox 
(the possib ility 
for the operator to use this text b ox 
and 
the text used shall b e 
that specified in  
the 
relevant 
product g roup 
criteria):
The EU 
Ecolabel 
registration 
number 
shall also appear on  
the product. I t 
shall take 
the followin g 
form:
Where xxxx refers to the coun try 
of registration, 
yyy refers to the product g roup 
and 
zzzzz refers to the n umber 
given 
by 
the 
competen t 
body.
The 
label, 
the option al 
label 
with text b ox 
and 
the registration 
number 
shall be 
printed 
either in 
two colours (Pan tone 
347 
green 
for the leaves an d 
stem of the flower, the ‘Є’ symbol, 
the web 
address an d 
the EU 
acronym 
and 
Pantone 
279 for all 
other elemen ts, 
text and 
borders), 
or in 
black 
on 
white, or in  
white on 
black
.Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 30.1.2010
ANNEX III
FEES
1.
 Application fee
The competen t 
body 
to which an  
application  
is made shall charg e 
a fee accordin g 
to the real admin istrative 
costs of pro­
cessing 
the application . 
This fee shall b e 
no 
lower than  
EUR 
200 and 
no 
highe
r than 
EUR 1 
200.
In 
the case of small an d 
medium en terprises
(1) SMEs an d micro-enterprises as defined by Commission  Recommen dation 2003/361/E C  of 6 May 2003 (OJ L 124, 20.5.2003, p. 36). (1) and operators in  developin g countries, the maximum application  fee shall 
be 
no 
higher 
than 
EUR 
600.
In 
the case of micro-en terprises
(1) SMEs and  micro-enterprises  as defined  by  Commission  Recommen dation  2003/361/E C  of 6 May 2003 (OJ L 124, 20.5.2003, p. 36). (1) the maximum application  fee shall b e EUR 350.
The 
application  
fee shall b e 
reduced b y 
20 % for applican ts 
registered 
unde
r the Commun ity 
eco-management 
and 
audit 
scheme (E MAS) 
and/or 
certified un der 
the standard 
ISO 
14001. This reduction  
is subject 
to the con dition 
that the appli­
cant 
explicitly commits, in  
its environmental 
policy, to en sure 
full complian ce 
of its ecolab elled 
products with the E U 
Ecolabel 
criteria throug hout 
the period of validity of the con tract 
and 
that this commitmen t 
is appropriately in corpo­
rated 
into 
the detailed en vironmental 
objectives. 
ISO 
14001 certified applican ts 
shall demon strate 
annually 
the imple­
mentation 
of this commitmen t. 
EMAS 
registered 
applicants 
shall forward a copy of their annually verified environmen tal 
statement.
2.
 Annual 
fee
The competen t 
body 
may require each applican t 
who has b een 
awarded an  
EU 
Eco
label 
to pay an 
annual 
fee of up to 
EUR 1 
500 for the use of the lab el.
In 
the case of small an d 
medium en terprises 
and 
operators in  
developin g 
countries, 
the maximum an nual 
fee shall b e 
no 
higher 
than 
EUR 
750.
In 
the case of micro-en terprises 
the maximum an nual 
fee shall b e 
EUR 
350.
The period covered b y 
the annual 
fee will begin 
with the date of the award of the E U 
Ecolabel 
to the applican t.N E 4 1 / 7 2 LOfficial Journ alof the EuropeanUnion L 27/15
ANNEX IV
STANDARD 
CONTRACT COVERING THE TERMS OF  
USE OF 
THE EU ECOLABEL
PREAMBLE
The 
competen t 
body
 ............................................................ (fu ll title) herein after 
called ‘the competen t 
body
’,
registered 
at ............  (full address), which for the purposes of the sig nature 
of this con tract 
is represen ted 
by
 ............  
(name 
of person 
responsible),
 ....................  (full name 
of holder), in  
his capacity as producer, man ufacturer, 
importer, 
service provider, wholesaler or retailer whose official reg istered 
address is ......................  (full address), hereafter called
‘the holder’, represen ted 
by
 ......................  (name 
of person 
responsible), 
have agree
d the following  
with regard to the 
use of the E U 
Ecolabel, 
pursuant 
to Regulation 
(EC) 
No 66/2010 of the E urope
an 
Parliamen t 
and 
of the Coun cil 
of
25 Novemb er 
2009 on 
the EU 
Ecolabel
(1) OJ L 27, 30.1.2010, p. 1. (1), hereinafter ‘ the EU Ecolabel Regulation ’:
1. USE 
OF THE 
EU 
ECOLABEL
1.1. The 
competen t 
body 
grants 
the holder the rig ht 
to use the E U 
Ecolabel 
for his products as describ ed 
in 
the annexed 
product 
specification s, 
which con form 
to the relevan t 
product g roup 
criteria in  
force for the period .................., 
adopted b y 
the Commission  
of the European 
Communities 
on .................  (date), pub lished 
in 
the Official Journal 
of the European Union of ...............  (full referen ce), 
and 
annexed 
to this con tract. 
1.2. The 
EU 
Ecolabel 
shall be 
used only 
in 
the forms stipulated in  
Annex 
II 
to the EU 
Ecolabel 
Regulation. 
1.3. The 
holder shall en sure 
that the product to b e 
labelled 
complies throug hout 
the duration  
of this con tract 
with all the 
terms of use an d 
provisions 
set out in 
Article 9 of the E U 
Ecolabel 
Regulatio
n, 
at all times. No n ew 
application  
will be 
required 
for modification s 
in 
the characteristics of the products which do n ot 
affect complian ce 
with the criteria. The 
holder shall however in form 
the competen t 
body 
of such modification s 
by 
registered 
letter. The competen t 
body 
may 
carry out appropriate verification s. 
1.4. The 
contract 
may be 
extended 
to a wider ran ge 
of products than  
those ini
tially foreseen , 
subject 
to agreement 
by 
the 
competen t 
body, 
and 
subject 
to the con dition 
that they b elong 
to the same product g roup 
and 
that they also comply 
with its criteria. The competen t 
body 
may verify that these con ditions 
are met. The An nex 
detailing 
the product speci­
fications 
shall be 
modified accordin gly. 
1.5. The 
holder shall n ot 
advertise or mak e 
any 
statement 
or use any 
label 
or logo 
in 
a way which is false or misleadin g 
or 
which results in  
confusion 
with, or calls in to 
question 
the integrity 
of, the EU 
Ecolabel. 
1.6. The 
holder shall b e 
responsible 
under 
this contract 
for the man ner 
in 
which the E U 
Ecolabel 
is used in 
relation 
to his 
product, especially in  
the context 
of advertisin g. 
1.7. The 
competen t 
body, 
including 
its agents 
authorised for such purpose, may un dertake 
all necessary 
investigations 
to 
monitor 
the ongoing 
compliance 
by 
the holder with b oth 
the product g roup 
criteria an d 
the terms of use an d 
provi­
sions 
of this con tract 
in 
accordance 
with the rules laid down  
in 
Article 10 of the E U 
Ecolabel 
Regulation. 
2. SUSPENSION 
AND WITHDRAWAL
2.1. In 
the event 
that the holder b ecomes 
aware that he is failin g 
to meet the terms of use or provision s 
contained 
in 
Article 
1 of this con tract, 
the holder shall n otify 
the competen t 
body 
and 
refrain 
from usin g
 the EU 
Ecolabel 
until 
those 
terms for use or provision s 
have been 
fulfilled an d 
the competen t 
body 
has been 
notified 
thereof. 
2.2. Where the competen t 
body 
considers 
that the holder has con travened 
any of the terms of use or provision s 
of this 
contract, 
the competen t 
body 
shall be 
entitled 
to suspen d 
or withdraw its authorisation  
to the holder to use the E U 
Ecolabel, 
and 
to take 
such measures as are n ecessary 
to prevent 
the holder from usin g 
it further, in cluding 
such mea­
sures as are provided for in  
Articles 10 an d 
17 of the E U 
Ecolabel 
Regulation
. N E 0 1 0 2 . 1 . 0 3Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 30.1.2010
3. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND INDEMNITY
3.1. The 
holder shall n ot 
include 
the EU 
Ecolabel 
as part of an y 
guarantee 
or warran ty 
in 
relation 
to the product referred 
to in 
Article 1.1 of this con tract. 
3.2. The 
competen t 
body, 
including 
its authorised ag ents, 
shall not 
be 
liable 
for any 
loss or damag e 
sustained 
by 
the holder 
arising 
out of the award an d/or 
use of the E U 
Ecolabel. 
3.3. The 
competen t 
body, 
including 
its authorised ag ents, 
shall not 
be 
liable 
for any 
loss or damag e 
sustained 
by 
a third 
party and 
arising 
out of the award an d/or 
use, including 
advertisin g, 
of the EU 
Ecolabel. 
3.4. The 
holder shall in demnify 
and 
keep 
indemnified 
the competen t 
body 
and its authorised ag ents 
against 
any 
loss, dam­
age 
or liability 
sustained 
by 
the competen t 
body, 
or its authorised ag ents
, as a result of a b reach 
of this con tract 
by 
the 
holder or as a result of relian ce
 by
 the competen t
 body
 on information
 or documen tation
 provided b y
 the holder, 
including 
any 
claims by 
a third party. 
4. FEES
4.1. The 
amount 
of application  
fee and 
annual 
fee shall b e 
defined 
in 
accordance 
with Annex 
III 
of the EU 
Ecolabel 
Regulation. 
4.2. Use 
of the EU 
Ecolabel 
is conditional 
upon 
all relevan t 
fees havin g 
bee
n 
paid in 
due time. 
5. CONTRACT DURATI ON 
AND APPLI CABLE 
LAW
5.1. Except 
as provided for in  
Article 5.2, 5.3 an d 
5.4, this con tract 
shall run 
from the date on  
which it is sig ned 
until 
(…) 
or until 
expiry of the product g roup 
criteria, whichever is soon er. 
5.2.
 Where the holder has con travened
 any
 of the terms of use or provision s
 of this con t
ract within the mean ing
 of 
Article 2.2, the competen t 
body 
shall be 
entitled 
to treat this as a b reach 
of contract 
entitling 
the competen t 
body, 
in 
addition 
to the provision s 
in 
Article 2.2, to termin ate 
the contract, 
by 
registered 
letter to the holder, at an  
earlier date 
than 
that set out in  
Article 5.1, within  
(a time period to b e 
determined 
by 
the competen t 
body). 
5.3. The 
holder may termin ate 
the contract 
by 
giving 
the competen t 
body 
three mon ths’ 
notice 
by 
registered 
letter. 
5.4. If 
the product g roup 
criteria as stated in  
Article 1.1 are exten ded 
without amen dments 
for any 
period, an d 
if no 
writ­
ten 
notice 
of termination 
from the competen t 
body 
has been 
given 
at least three mon ths 
before 
the expiry of the prod­
uct group 
criteria an d 
of this con tract, 
the competen t 
body 
shall inform 
the holder at least three mon ths 
in 
advance 
that 
the contract 
shall be 
automatically ren ewed 
for as lon g 
as the product g roup 
criteria remain  
in 
force. 
5.5. After the termin ation 
of this con tract 
the holder may n ot 
use the EU 
Eco
label 
in 
relation 
to the product specified in  
Article 
1.1 and 
in 
the Annex 
to this con tract, 
either as lab elling 
or for advertisin g 
purposes. The E U 
Ecolabel 
may nev­
ertheless, 
for a period of six mon ths 
after the termin ation, 
be 
displayed on  
stock 
held by 
the holder or others an d 
manu­
factured 
before 
the termin ation. 
This latter provision  
shall not 
apply if the con tract
 has be
en terminated for the reason s 
set 
out in 
Article 5.2. 
5.6. Any 
dispute between 
the competen t 
body 
and 
the holder or an y 
claim by 
one party ag ainst 
the other b ased 
on 
this 
contract 
which has n ot 
been 
settled by 
amicable 
agreement 
between 
the cont
racting 
parties, shall b e 
subject 
to the 
applicable 
law determin ed 
in 
accordance 
with Regulation 
(EC) 
No 593/2008 of the E uropean 
Parliamen t 
and 
of the 
Council
 of 17  June
 2008 on the law applicab le
 to cont
ractual oblig ations
 (Rome I )
(1) OJ L 177, 4.7.2008, p. 6. (1) and Regulation (EC) 
No 
864/2007 of the E uropean 
Parliamen t 
and 
of the Coun cil 
of 11 July 2007 on  
the law applicab le 
to non-contractual 
obligations 
(Rome II
(2) OJ L 199, 31.7.2007, p. 40. (2)).
The followin g 
Annexes 
shall form part of this con tract:
—a 
copy of Reg ulation 
(EC) 
No 66/2010 of the E uropean 
Parliamen t 
and 
of the Coun cil 
of 25 Novemb er 
2009 on 
the 
EU 
Ecolabel, 
in 
(the relevan t 
Community 
language(s)),
 
—product specification s, 
which shall at least in clude 
details of the n ame
s, and/or 
the manufacturer’s 
internal 
ref­
erence 
numbers, 
the manufacturing 
sites, and 
the related E U 
Ecolabel 
regi
stration 
number 
or numbers,
 
—a copy of Commission  
Decision 
(............... on  product g roup 
criteria),N E 6 1 / 7 2 L30.1.2010 EN Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion L 27/17
Done at ............................................................ date ............................................................
...............................................................
..........................................................................
(Competen t 
body)
Designated 
person ...................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................
(Legally 
binding 
signature)
...............................................................
..........................................................................
(Holder)
Designated 
person ...................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................
(Legally 
binding 
signature)Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 30.1.2010
ANNEX V
REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO COMPETENT BOD IES
1. A 
competen t 
body 
shall be 
independent 
of the org anisation 
or the product it assesses. 
A body 
belonging 
to a business 
association  
or profession al 
federation  
representing 
undertakings 
involved 
in 
the design, 
manufacturing, 
provision, 
assembly, 
use or main tenance 
of products which it assesses, may, on  
condition 
that its inde­
pendence 
and 
the absence 
of any 
conflict 
of interest 
are demon strated, 
be 
designated 
as a competen t 
body. 
2. A 
competen t 
body, 
its top-level man agement 
and 
the person nel 
responsib
le for carryin g 
out the con formity 
assessmen t 
tasks 
shall not 
be 
the designer, 
manufacturer, 
supplier, in staller, 
purchaser, own er, 
user or main tainer 
of the products 
which they assess, n or 
the authorised represen tative 
of any 
of those parties. This shall n ot 
preclude the use of assessed 
products that are n ecessary 
for the operation s 
of the competen t 
body 
or the use of such products for person al 
purposes. 
A competen t 
body, 
its top-level man agement 
and 
the person nel 
responsible 
for carryin g 
out the con formity 
assessmen t 
tasks 
shall not 
be 
directly in volved 
in 
the design, 
manufacture 
or constru
ction, 
the marketing, 
installation, 
use or main ­
tenance 
of those products, or represen t 
the parties en gaged 
in 
those activities. They shall n ot 
engage 
in 
any 
activity that 
may conflict 
with their in dependence 
of judgment 
or integrity 
in 
relation 
to conformity 
assessmen t 
activities for which 
they are desig nated. 
This shall in  
particular apply to con sultancy 
services. 
Competen t 
bodies 
shall ensure 
that the activities of their sub sidiaries 
or subcontractors 
do not 
affect the con fidentiality, 
objectivity 
or impartiality of their con formity 
assessmen t 
activities. 
3. Competen t 
bodies 
and 
their person nel 
shall carry out the con formity 
assessmen t 
activities with the hig hest 
degree 
of 
profession al 
integrity 
and 
the requisite techn ical 
competen ce 
in 
the specific field an d 
shall be 
free from all pressures an d 
inducements, 
particularly fin ancial, 
which mig ht 
influence 
their judg m
ent 
or the results of their con formity 
assessmen t 
activities, 
especially as reg ards 
persons 
or groups 
of persons 
with an 
int
erest in 
the results of those activities. 
4. A competen t 
body 
shall be 
capable 
of carryin g 
out all the con formity 
assessmen t 
tasks 
assigned 
to it by 
this Regulation, 
whether 
those task s 
are carried out b y 
the competen t 
body 
itself or on  
its be
half and 
under 
its respon sibility. 
At 
all times an d 
for each con formity 
assessmen t 
procedure an d 
each kind 
or category 
of products in  
relation 
to which 
it has been 
designated, 
a competen t 
body 
shall have at its disposal the n ece
ssary: 
(a) technical 
knowledge 
and 
sufficient 
and 
appropriate experien ce 
to perform the con formity 
assessmen t 
tasks;
(b) description s 
of procedures in  
accordance 
with which con formity 
assessmen t 
is carried out, en suring 
the transpar­
ency 
and 
the ability 
of reproduction  
of those procedures. I t 
shall have appropriate policies an d 
procedures in  
place 
that distin guish 
between 
tasks 
it carries out as a competen t 
body 
and 
other activities;
(c) procedures for the performan ce 
of activities which tak e 
due accoun t 
of the size of an  
undertaking, 
the sector in  
which 
it operates, its structure, the deg ree 
of complexity of the product techn ology 
in 
question 
and 
the mass or 
serial nature 
of the production  
process.
It 
shall have the mean s 
necessary 
to perform the techn ical 
and 
administrative 
tasks 
connected 
with the con f
ormity assess­
ment 
activities in  
an 
appropriate man ner 
and 
shall have access to all n eces
sary equipmen t 
or facilities.
5. The person nel 
responsible 
for carryin g 
out conformity 
assessmen t 
activities shall have the followin g: 
(a) sound 
knowledge 
covering 
all the con formity 
assessmen t 
activities in  
relation 
to which the competen t 
body 
has 
been 
designated;
(b) the 
ability 
to draw up certificates, records an d 
reports demon stratin
g 
that assessmen ts 
have been 
carried out.N E 8 1 / 7 2 L30.1.2010 EN Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion L 27/19
6. The impartiality of the competen t  bodies,  of their top level management an d  of the assessmen t  personnel  shall be  
guaranteed. 
The 
remuneration 
of the top-level man agement 
and 
assessmen t 
personnel 
of a competen t 
body 
shall not 
depend 
on 
the 
number 
of assessmen ts 
carried out or on  
the results of those assessmen ts. 
7. Competen t 
bodies 
shall participate in , 
or ensure 
that their assessmen t 
personnel 
are informed 
of, the relevan t 
standardi­
sation 
activities an d 
the activities of the work ing 
group 
of competen t 
bod
ies referred to in  
Article 13 of this Reg ulation 
and 
apply as g eneral 
guidance 
the admin istrative 
decisions 
and 
documents 
produced as a result of the work  
of that gro
up.