European Ecolabel
Verified 09 September 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
The European Ecolabel (or “ European ecolabel ") is a label awarded to products or services which environmental performance criteria. Labeled products have a reduced environmental impact (pollution, contribution to climate change, etc.) compared to similar unlabeled products.
Step-by-step approach
Product categories eligible for the European Ecolabel are:
- Cleaning : detergents for dishwashers, for hand-held dishes, for industrial and institutional dishwashers, for laundry, for industrial and institutional washing machines, cleaning products for hard surfaces
- Clothing and textile products : footwear and textile products
- Coatings : Hard coating materials and floor coverings based on wood, cork and bamboo
- Do it yourself : consumer paints, varnishes and similar products
- Electronic equipment : TVs, computer screens, traffic signs, etc.
- Furniture and mattresses : tables, shelves, wardrobes, chairs and sofas for indoor or outdoor use, and mattresses that can be placed on an existing bed structure or on an independent structure for indoor use
- Gardening : growing media and soil improvers (sand, clay, lime, etc.)
- Lubricants : oils, fats, etc.
- Paper : graphic paper, printed paper, stationery, paper bags, handkerchiefs, toilet paper, paper towels, etc.
- Care products : absorbent hygiene products (diapers, sanitary napkins, tampons, etc.), animal care products (soaps, shampoos, etc.), cosmetic products (soaps, toothpastes, creams, deodorants, oils, etc.) and reusable menstrual cups.
Please note
The indoor cleaning services and tourist accommodation (hotels, campsites, etc.) can also benefit from the European Ecolabel.
General criteria
The European Ecolabel is issued if the product or service meets a number of criteria.
The Ecolabel criteria for the European Union (EU) are determined on the basis of scientific data, taking into account the full life cycle of the products.
These criteria relate to the following:
- Environmental impact the most significant, in particular the impact on climate change, the impact on nature and biodiversity, energy and resource consumption, waste generation, emissions to all environmental compartments, pollution linked to physical effects and the use and release of hazardous substances
- Replacement of hazardous substances by safer substances, by themselves or by the use of alternative materials or designs, whenever technically feasible
- Potential to reduce environmental impacts resulting from the durability and the possibility of re-use of products
- Net balance of environmental benefits and charges, including health and safety aspects, at the different stages of the life of the products concerned
- Where relevant, social and ethical aspects
- Criteria established for other environmental labels officially recognized at national or regional level, where they exist for the product group concerned, in order to enhance synergies
- As far as possible, the principle of reduction of animal testing.
The EU EcolabelEU: titleContent may not be granted to products containing substances or preparations or mixtures classified as:
- Toxic
- Dangerous for the environment
- Carcinogens
- Mutagens or Toxic to Reproduction (CMR.)
The EU Ecolabel cannot be awarded to products containing REACH chemicals.
Criteria by product
The criteria are specified for each product category on the dedicated page of the European Commission's website (‘Discover the full range of EU Ecolabel product groups’):
To know the product categories and the criteria for awarding the European eco-label
European Commission
Pour en savoir plus
Please note
They are also presented in sheets drawn up by ADEME, by product category:
One royalty must be paid to the labeling body in all of the following cases:
- At the time of application for certification (between €350 and €1,442)
- If the certification is changed (between €280 and €1,092)
- Annually (between €350 and €1,764). The maximum annual fee is set to €25,000 per product group and per applicant, or €18,750 for small and medium-sized companies.
- In case of inspection by the labeling body (around €1,500 per day + travel)
FYI
Micro-companies in the European sense benefit from the lowest planned fees, around €350 annually and for any action.
The tariffs are detailed in a document published by the European Commission:
It is possible contact the Agency for the Ecological Transition (ADEME) to be accompanied in its approach:
Who shall I contact
Show your difference with the European Ecolabel (ADEME)
Ecological Transition Agency (Ademe)
Pour en savoir plus
Please note
ADEME may also provide information on the financial support to which the company is entitled.
The applicant for the label must pre-register their product (good or service) in the EU Ecolabel online catalogEU: titleContent (ECAT) or the catalog of tourist accommodation bearing the EU Ecolabel.
Registration of a product or service in the European Ecolabel catalog (ECAT)
Every ecolabel holders are responsible for registration of their goods and services in ECAT in order to ensure traceability of labels.
A user manual shall be made available:
Please note
The products will not be publicly displayed in the catalog once the application has been approved.
The EU Ecolabel may only be awarded by a accredited body.
Accredited organizations are:
- Afnor: titleContent for all product categories
AFNOR: get an ecolabel for my products or services
- ECOCERT Greenlife, only for detergents, cosmetics and animal care products
ECOCERT: request for a quote for the European eco-label
- Bureau Veritas Certification, only for detergents, cosmetics and animal care products
Bureau Veritas: certification for the European Ecolabel
The applicant shall decide which of these bodies he wishes to apply for its labeling.
Reminder
One royalty must be paid to the labeling body at the time of application for certification (between €350 for micro-companies in the European sense and €1,442).
The applicant shall respond to any additional requests from the certifying body, in particular concerning additional details or documents.
The body shall give its opinion in a two months from receipt of the request.
Contract
The organization conclude a contract with each applicant on the conditions of use of the EU EcolabelEU: titleContent (including provisions on the authorization and withdrawal of the EU Ecolabel, in particular following the revision of the criteria).
The applicant may only apply the EU Ecolabel to the product after the conclusion of the contract. It must also affix the registration number to the product bearing the EU Ecolabel.
Label Shape
The EU Ecolabel shall take the form described in Annex II to the following European Regulation:
Using the label
Where the EU Ecolabel criteria require production facilities to comply with certain requirements, all facilities where the product bearing the EU Ecolabel is manufactured must respect them. For example, if a product which has benefited from the eco-label is produced in a new production unit, the latter must comply with all the manufacturing criteria of the labeled product.
The labeling body may carry out on-the-spot checks or appoint an authorized representative for that purpose.
The EU Ecolabel may be used on products to which it has been assigned and related promotional material.
The right to use the EU Ecolabel does not allow the use of the EU Ecolabel name as a component of a trade name. For example, it is forbidden to name a product "Eco-labeled Footwear".
The body which issued the label check regularly that the products to which it has awarded the EU Ecolabel comply with the criteria defined by that label. Such checks may take the form of unannounced checks by sampling.
The user of the EU Ecolabel must allow the body to which has been awarded the eco-label of carry out all necessary investigations to check that it continues to comply with the label criteria. Upon request of the eco-label awarding body, the user of the eco-label shall grant access to the premises where the product concerned is manufactured. The request can be made at any reasonable time (e.g., outside holidays, during the day, etc.) and without notice.
Please note
The body shall inform the user of the EU Ecolabel of any complaint against the EU Ecolabel product and may request the user to respond. The organization may refrain from disclosing the identity of the complainant to the user.
Where an organization note an EU Ecolabel product does not meet the criteria applicable to the product group concerned, prohibits the use of the label the EU's environmental impact on this product. The user of the EU Ecolabel must have had the opportunity to comment.
In the event of a ban under these conditions, the user of the EU Ecolabel shall not be entitled to reimbursement, even in part, of the fees paid to the labeling body.
FYI
Any use of a label or logo that may create confusion with the EU Ecolabel is forbidden.
Implementation of the European Ecolabel
Details on the certification and control of the European eco-label
Ecological Transition Agency (Ademe)
Ecological Transition Agency (Ademe)
European Commission
European Commission
European Commission
European Commission
European Parliament