COMMISSION DECISION (EU) 2022/1229

of 11 July 2022

amending Decisions 2014/312/EU, 2014/391/EU, 2014/763/EU, (EU) 2016/1332 and (EU) 2017/176 as regards the period of validity of the EU Ecolabel criteria and of the related assessment and verification requirements

(notified under document C(2022)4739)

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 on the EU Ecolabel (1), and in particular Article 8(2) thereof,

After consulting the European Union Ecolabelling Board,

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 provides that the EU Ecolabel may be awarded to products with a reduced environmental impact during their entire life cycle. Specific EU Ecolabel criteria are to be established for each product group.

(2) By Decision 2014/312/EU (2), the Commission established EU Ecolabel criteria for the product group ‘indoor and outdoor paints and varnishes’. The validity of those criteria and of the related assessment and verification requirements is to expire on 31 December 2022.

(3) By Decision 2014/391/EU (3), the Commission established EU Ecolabel criteria for the product group ‘bed mattresses’. The validity of those criteria and of the related assessment and verification requirements is to expire on 28 July 2022.

(4) By Decision 2014/763/EU (4), the Commission established EU Ecolabel criteria for the product group ‘absorbent hygiene products’. The validity of those criteria and of the related assessment and verification requirements is to expire on 31 December 2022.

(5) By Decision (EU) 2016/1332 (5), the Commission established EU Ecolabel criteria for the product group ‘furniture’. The validity of those criteria and of the related assessment and verification requirements is to expire on 28 July 2022.

(6) By Decision (EU) 2017/176 (6), the Commission established EU Ecolabel criteria for the product group ‘wood-, cork- and bamboo-based floor coverings’. The validity of those criteria and of the related assessment and verification requirements is to expire on 26 January 2023.

(7) In line with the conclusions of the EU Ecolabel Fitness check of 30 June 2017 (7), the Commission, together with the EU Ecolabelling Board, assessed and confirmed the relevance of the above mentioned product groups for the EU Ecolabel scheme.

(8) Moreover, in line with the conclusions of the EU Ecolabel Fitness check of 30 June 2017, the Commission, together with the EU Ecolabelling Board, is implementing solutions to improve synergies across product groups and to increase the uptake of EU Ecolabel, including bundling of closely related product groups where appropriate and ensuring that, during the revision process, appropriate attention is paid to the coherence between relevant EU policies, legislation and scientific evidence.

(9) To further facilitate the transition to a more circular economy, the Commission is testing the integration of the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method (8) in the revision of the EU Ecolabel criteria for absorbent hygiene products and for indoor and outdoor paints and varnishes in line with the New Circular Economy Action Plan for a cleaner and more competitive Europe (9). It is therefore appropriate to prolong the validity of the EU Ecolabel criteria set out in Decisions 2014/312/EU and 2014/763/EU in order for the Commission to carry out the revision of the criteria for indoor and outdoor paints and varnishes once the industry has finalised the revision process of Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules for decorative paints (10), and to finalise the ongoing revision of the criteria for absorbent hygiene products, that is taking longer than originally planned, by integrating the results of PEF studies.

(10) For the same reason, the EU Ecolabel criteria for bed mattresses, furniture and for wood-, cork- and bamboo-based floor coverings are to be revised in line with the New Circular Economy Action Plan for a cleaner and more competitive Europe and related forthcoming legislative initiatives. It is therefore appropriate to prolong the validity of the EU Ecolabel criteria set out in Decisions 2014/391/EU, (EU) 2016/1332 and (EU) 2017/176 until the same end date in order for the Commission to revise the criteria for the three product groups together, in synergy with forthcoming legislative initiatives, and bundling them if deemed possible.

(11) In order to allow sufficient time to finalise the revision processes for all product groups, and to ensure market continuity to licence holders, the period of validity of the current criteria and of the related assessment and verification requirements should be prolonged until 31 December 2025 for indoor and outdoor paints and varnishes, until 31 December 2026 for bed mattresses, until 31 December 2023 for absorbent hygiene products and until 31 December 2026 for furniture and for wood-, cork- and bamboo-based floor coverings.

(12) Decisions 2014/312/EU, 2014/391/EU, 2014/763/EU, (EU) 2016/1332 and (EU) 2017/176 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(13) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established by Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No 66/2010,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 Amendment to Decision 2014/312/EU Article 4 of Decision 2014/312/EU is replaced by the following: ‘Article 4 The EU Ecolabel criteria for the product group “indoor and outdoor paints and varnishes” and the related assessment and verification requirements shall be valid until 31 December 2025.’

Article 2 Amendment to Decision 2014/391/EU Article 4 of Decision 2014/391/EU is replaced by the following: ‘Article 4 The EU Ecolabel criteria for the product group “bed mattresses” and the related assessment and verification requirements shall be valid until 31 December 2026.’

Article 3 Amendment to Decision 2014/763/EU Article 4 of Decision 2014/763/EU is replaced by the following: ‘Article 4 The EU Ecolabel criteria for the product group “absorbent hygiene products” and the related assessment and verification requirements shall be valid until 31 December 2023.’

Article 4 Amendment to Decision (EU) 2016/1332 Article 4 of Decision (EU) 2016/1332 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 4 The EU Ecolabel criteria for the product group “furniture” and the related assessment and verification requirements shall be valid until 31 December 2026.’

Article 5 Amendment to Decision (EU) 2017/176 Article 4 of Decision (EU) 2017/176 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 4 The EU Ecolabel criteria for the product group “wood-, cork- and bamboo- based floor coverings” and the related assessment and verification requirements shall be valid until 31 December 2026.’

Article 6 This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 11 July 2022. For the Commission Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 27, 30.1.2010, p. 1.

(2) Commission Decision 2014/312/EU of 28 May 2014 establishing the ecological criteria for the award of the EU Ecolabel for indoor and outdoor paints and varnishes (OJ L 164, 3.6.2014, p. 45).

(3) Commission Decision 2014/391/EU of 23 June 2014 establishing the ecological criteria for the award of the EU Ecolabel for bed mattresses (OJ L 184, 25.6.2014, p. 18).

(4) Commission Decision 2014/763/EU of 24 October 2014 establishing the ecological criteria for the award of the EU Ecolabel for absorbent hygiene products (OJ L 320, 6.11.2014, p. 46).

(5) Commission Decision (EU) 2016/1332 of 28 July 2016 establishing the ecological criteria for the award of the EU Ecolabel for furniture (OJ L 210, 4.8.2016, p. 100).

(6) Commission Decision (EU) 2017/176 of 25 January 2017 on establishing EU Ecolabel criteria for wood-, cork- and bamboo-based floor coverings (OJ L 28, 2.2.2017, p. 44).

(7) Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the review of implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on 25 November 2009 on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) and the Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 of the Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 on the EU Ecolabel (COM(2017) 355 final).

(8) https://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/smgp/policy_footprint.htm

(9) Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a cleaner and more competitive Europe (COM(2020) 98 final).

(10) https://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/smgp/documents/PEFCR_Decorative%20Paints_Feb%202020.pdf