The EU Ecolabel covers a wide range of products that we use in our day-to-day home and work life, products for professionals, as well as tourist accommodation.
Take a look at the EU Ecolabel Tourist Accomodation Catalogue
The EU Ecolabel sets criteria for these products to minimise their main environmental impacts over their entire life cycle. The European Commission, Member States, competent bodies and other stakeholders may initiate and lead the development or revision of EU Ecolabel criteria. These criteria are developed by experts in the field, in consultation with key stakeholders including industry and consumers associations. Because the life cycle of every product and service is different, the criteria are tailored to address the unique characteristics of each product type.
The criteria are revised periodically to reflect technical innovations, for example in material production processes or in emission reductions, as well as changes in the market and in EU policies. This revision process reinforces the trust that consumers and professionals place in the EU Ecolabel to only include high quality goods and services that respect the latest environmental standards.
For more information on the criteria setting process, please see the "EU Ecolabel product group criteria and development" section below or visit the European Product Bureau by the JRC.
Check out all the products groups currently covered by the EU Ecolabel, as well as their selection criteria, helpful guidance for applying for the EU Ecolabel and other relevant documents below.
Current product groups and criteria
Cleaning
Clean privately or professionally with less substances.
Clothing and textiles
Textiles and footwear with sustainable fibres.
Coverings
Floor, roof, and all coverings reducing an impact on land.
Do it yourself
Paint and varnishes which are safe for you, your family, and the environment.
Electronic equipment
Energy efficient screens and displays, built for the future.
Furniture and mattresses
Make the spaces we are in safer, reducing impacts on the forests.
Gardening
Provide the best conditions for your garden to thrive.
Holiday accommodation
Find your next eco-friendly holiday accommodation.
Lubricants
Care for biodiversity and avoid hazardous substances.
Paper
Lower your daily environmental impact with eco-friendly alternatives.
Personal and animal care products
Find everything for your daily routine from cosmetics to hygiene products.
EU Ecolabel product group criteria under development
Category | Criteria development status |
Financial products | The European Commission started the development of criteria for Financial products in October 2018. More information can be found on the European Product Bureau website. |
Food and feed products? | The Commission carried out a study on the feasibility of developing EU Ecolabel criteria for food and feed products. Read the final report of the feasibility study and the opinion of the European Union Ecolabelling Board. Based on the findings, the Commission is currently not intending to develop EU Ecolabel criteria for food and feed products. The Commission could, however, revisit this issue in the future within in the context of the EU Ecolabel’s potential role in the development of any wider EU food strategy, in particular in light of developments in methodologies and tools for measuring the environmental impact (including by, for example, environmental foot-printing) of food and feed products. |
Office buildings? | Development of EU Ecolabel criteria for office buildings has been put on hold while the European Commission develops a framework with core indicators for the assessment of the environmental performance of buildings. This work is part of the implementation of the Communication Resource Efficiency Opportunities in the Building Sector (COM (2014) 445). Development of EU green public procurement (GPP) criteria related to life cycle and climate resilience based on Level(s): The current EU GPP criteria for office buildings are being revised and publication is scheduled for end 2022. The revision process should include an analysis of the possible extension of the scope, in particular to include other types of buildings such as schools and residential buildings (social housing). More information can be found here. |
Proposing a new EU Ecolabel product group
Anyone who wishes to propose a new product group to be included in the EU Ecolabel scheme can do so by filling out the product group development form. Additionally, anyone can also volunteer to lead the criteria development process by filling out the criteria development form, presenting reasons why the new category is proposed. The EU Ecolabelling Board, which meets at least twice a year, reviews all applications and may make selections for new product groups to be developed accordingly.
After considering all proposals, the EUEB will select priority product groups for which the criteria will be developed in the following years.
Considering the priorities identified in the Strategic EU Ecolabel Work Plan 2020 – 2024, please note that no request for development of criteria for new product groups can be considered in 2022.
As stated in the Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 on the EU Ecolabel, EU Ecolabel criteria are based on the best products available on the EEA market in terms of environmental performance throughout the life cycle and correspond indicatively to the best 10- 20 % of the products available on the EEA market in terms of environmental performance at the moment of their adoption. The criteria are based on scientific data and information considering the whole life cycle of products. They cover the main environmental impacts of the product and their technical performance, including health, safety, social and ethical aspects, where appropriate. The criteria favour substitution of hazardous substances with safer ones and support durability, reusability, recyclability and recycled content of products. They include fitness for use requirements and guarantee compliance with existing EU legislation. The EU Ecolabel criteria are regularly revised to follow the technological evolution and are adopted as Commission Decisions. An overview of the existing product and service groups and the associated criteria can be found on the Product Groups and Criteria website.
EU Ecolabel criteria development/revision is a multi-step and multi-stakeholder process carried out according to the Annex I of the EU Ecolabel Regulation.
Following consultation of the EUEB, the Commission, Member States, competent bodies and other stakeholders may initiate and lead the development or revision of EU Ecolabel criteria.
The party which initiates and leads the development or revision of EU Ecolabel criteria produces various necessary documents, including a proposal for draft criteria, a technical report in support of the proposal, a preliminary report, a final report, a manual for potential users of the EU Ecolabel and competent bodies as well as a manual for authorities awarding public contracts. Those are submitted to the Commission and to the European Union Ecolabelling Board (EUEB).
Where criteria have already been developed under another ecolabel scheme complying with the requirements of EN ISO 14024 Type 1 environmental labels for a product group for which no EU Ecolabel criteria have been established, a shortened criteria development procedure may apply. Please consult the section Criteria Development and Revision for more information.
Criteria development is currently underway for several new product groups, you can see the full list of criteria that are under development on the Product Groups and Criteria section. Further information on the criteria development process can be found on the relevant website of the Joint Research Centre (JRC).
A license represents an EU Ecolabel contract between the competent body and the license holder, covering one or several awarded products from the same product group category. The applicant, after being awarded, becomes a license holder. A license number has the following form: XX/YYY/ZZZ (where XX refers to the country of registration, YYY to the product group, ZZZ to the number assigned from the competent body to the applicant). If a license holder submits a new application for the same product group (=extension of the license), the same license number is issued.
The European Commission and competent bodies are committed to limiting animal testing. This commitment has been the subject of an inscription in Article 6 of the EU Ecolabel Regulation, mentioning that the criteria development process will try to include ‘as far as possible the principle of reducing animal testing’. This provision has been integrated for the first time in the EU Ecolabel criteria for “animal care products” adopted in 2021.
Not necessarily – they may even cost less. Moreover, because EU Ecolabel means reduced environmental impact alongside guaranteed high performance, a great deal of value is added to the product.
Product group criteria are usually valid for a period of three to five years, depending on the Commission decision for each product group. By being revised on a regular basis, criteria reflect technical innovation, such as evolution of materials or production processes, emission reductions and changes in the market. The criteria are reviewed prior to their expiration and may be revised or their validity prolonged. If criteria are revised, license holders need to renew their contract. If criteria validity is prolonged, the contract is automatically renewed as long as the criteria remain valid for a product or service. Licence holders may use the EU Ecolabel starting from the date it is awarded until the end of the period of the validity of the criteria.
New EU Ecolabel product groups are constantly being identified and criteria developed for them. The prioritisation of the development of new criteria is set out in the Strategic EU Ecolabel Work Plan 2020 - 2024. In principle, any interested stakeholder can submit a proposal for a new product group if they want a product to be included in the EU Ecolabel scheme. However, considering the priorities identified in the Strategic EU Ecolabel Workplan, please note that no request for development of criteria for new product groups can be considered in 2022.
