Introducing the Ecolabel
The European Union Ecolabel - also known as the Flower - is a flower symbol which can be used by goods and services which have a lighter environmental footprint.
It is a voluntary scheme. Manufacturers are not obliged to apply for the label. Instead the scheme places emphasis on consumer demand to transform markets, and actively encourages manufacturers to design products with reduced environmental impacts.
The European Ecolabel was established in 1992 to be a recognisable environmental label across the EU, partly in response to the growing number of national schemes. The success of these national labelling schemes indicated consumer interest in the protection of the environment, and prompted calls for an environmental labelling scheme that would both command credibility and be recognised throughout the EU.
Its aims are:
- To promote the design, production, marketing and use of products which have a reduced environmental impact during their entire life cycle
- To provide consumers with better information on the environmental impact of products, without compromising product or workers' safety or significantly affecting the properties which make a product fit for use.
To consumers, the scheme allows the ability to recognise and choose
environmentally friendly products.
To manufacturers, the scheme offers a way of differentiating and enhancing their products - and a competitive advantage with customers seeking out goods which meet high environmental standards.
The Flower has the advantage of being EU-wide. It operates in the 27 member states of the EU, as well as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. This allows manufacturers to produce goods to a common specification, making the scheme consistent and supportive of the single market. Products bearing the EU Ecolabel have the potential to reach a consumer base of more than 450 million people.
Within the European Commission, the Ecolabel comes under the work of the Environment Directorate-General. It forms part of a larger, more general objective of the Commission to promote sustainable consumption and production within the EU. The EU Ecolabelling Scheme established a recognisable environmental label across all countries in the European Union. In September 2000 the scheme was revised to cover services as well as goods, and to enable retailers to apply for the Flower.
Each member state is required to designate a Competent Body to administer the scheme at a national level. The Competent Bodies, which must be independent and neutral, receive applications for the award of the EU Ecolabel and decide whether the products meet the set criteria. They also have a role in promoting awareness of the scheme amongst producers and consumers.
In the UK, Defra carries out the Competent Body function in partnership with UK Ecolabel Delivery
In July 2008 the European Commission announced plans for relaunching the scheme. Details are available on the Commission's Ecolabel website
The proposals are the subject of detailed discussion by all Member States. The proposals (in whatever final version they are agreed) are not expected to take effect before 2010.
As the proposals stand at present, they would repeal the existing Commission Regulation governing the scheme and would put in place new arrangements to give the scheme a more significant and visible role in the supply and marketing of greener products. The aim is to make it simpler, cheaper and more attractive for companies to obtain the Ecolabel, which would be extended to cover a wider (and more environmentally relevant) range of goods and services. The Ecolabel would maintain a high ambition, and harmonise better with other labels, globally and nationally.
Specific changes proposed by the Commission include:
- Making the criteria development process more balanced, and ensuring input from all relevant interests.
- The removal of the restriction excluding food.
- A simplified and quicker procedure for obtaining the label, with a lower application fee and no annual fee.
Page last modified: 03 June 2009