(fra kommisjonsbeslutningen)

(1) Under Regulation (EC) No 66/2010, the EU Ecolabel may be awarded to products which have a reduced environmental impact during their entire life cycle. 

(2) Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 provides that specific EU Ecolabel criteria are to be established for each product group. 

(3) Commission Decision (EU) 2017/1216 established EU Ecolabel criteria and related assessment and verification requirements for the product group ‘dishwasher detergents’. The period of validity of those criteria and requirements expires on 31 December 2026. 

(4) Commission Decision (EU) 2017/1214 established EU Ecolabel criteria and related assessment and verification requirements for the product group ‘hand dishwashing detergents’. The period of validity of those criteria and requirements expires on 31 December 2026. 

(5) Commission Decision (EU) 2017/1215 established EU Ecolabel criteria and related assessment and verification requirements for the product group ‘industrial and institutional dishwasher detergents’. The period of validity of those criteria and requirements expires on 31 December 2026. 

(6) Commission Decision (EU) 2017/1218 established EU Ecolabel criteria and related assessment and verification requirements for the product group ‘laundry detergents’. The period of validity of those criteria and requirements expires on 31 December 2026. 

(7) Commission Decision (EU) 2017/1219 established EU Ecolabel criteria and related assessment and verification requirements for the product group ‘industrial and institutional laundry detergents’. The period of validity of those criteria and requirements expires on 31 December 2026. 

(8) Commission Decision (EU) 2017/1217 established EU Ecolabel criteria and related assessment and verification requirements for the product group ‘hard surface cleaning products’. The period of validity of those criteria and requirements expires on 31 December 2026. 

(9) In order to better reflect best practice in the market for the product groups concerned and to take account of policy developments, potential future windows of opportunity for increased uptake and the market demand for sustainable products, it is appropriate to establish a new set of criteria and related assessment and verification requirements for dishwasher detergents, hand dishwashing detergents, industrial and institutional dishwasher detergents, laundry detergents, industrial and institutional laundry detergents and hard surface cleaning products. 

(10) The EU Ecolabel Fitness Check Report of 30 June 2017, reviewing the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 66/2010, concluded on the need to develop a more strategic approach for the EU Ecolabel, including the bundling of the criteria and related assessment and verification requirements for closely related product groups where appropriate. This is also in line with the political priority of simplification of Union legislation.

(11) In line with the conclusions of the EU Ecolabel Fitness Check Report and after consulting the European Union Ecolabelling Board, it is considered appropriate to adopt a single decision with six annexes, where each annex sets out the criteria and related assessment and verification requirements for one of the product groups concerned. 

(12) The Circular Economy Action Plan for a cleaner and more competitive Europe adopted on 11 March 2020 underlines that durability, energy and resource efficiency, and carbon and environmental footprint requirements are to be more systematically included in the EU Ecolabel criteria. 

(13) The revised EU Ecolabel criteria, and related assessment and verification requirements, for dishwasher detergents, hand dishwashing detergents, industrial and institutional dishwasher detergents, laundry detergents, industrial and institutional laundry detergents and hard surface cleaning products should promote products that have limited environmental impact throughout their life cycle, and that are produced using material-efficient and energy-efficient processes. In particular, to achieve these objectives, those criteria should promote products that have limited impact in terms of eco-toxicity and biodegradability by setting more stringent thresholds, and minimised content of hazardous substances, including more restrictions on the use of fragrances. Moreover, in order to contribute towards the transition to a more circular economy, the criteria should promote the use of more sustainable raw materials and a more efficient use of the products by guarantying their good performance, reduced packaging, and use of packaging which can be easily recycled and includes recycled content. 

(14) To ensure alignment with the relevant regulatory framework and incentivise innovation in more sustainable products, the product groups ‘dishwasher detergents’, ‘hand dishwashing detergents’, and ‘industrial and institutional dishwasher detergents’ that contain micro-organisms should be eligible to be awarded the EU Ecolabel from 23 September 2029, which is the date of application of Regulation (EU) 2026/405 of the European Parliament and of the Council. From that date, products from those product groups are to comply with the requirements on detergents containing microorganisms set out in Annex II to that Regulation. 

(15) The new criteria and related assessment and verification requirements should remain valid until 31 December 2033, taking into account the innovation cycle for the product groups concerned. 

(16) As the EU Ecolabel criteria and related assessment and verification requirements laid down in this Decision replace those laid down in Decisions (EU) 2017/1216, (EU) 2017/1214, (EU) 2017/1215, (EU) 2017/1218, (EU) 2017/1219 and (EU) 2017/1217, those decisions should be repealed. 

(17) Manufacturers whose products have been awarded the EU Ecolabel for dishwasher detergents, hand dishwashing detergents, industrial and institutional dishwasher detergents, laundry detergents, industrial and institutional laundry detergents and hard surface cleaning products on the basis of Decisions (EU) 2017/1216, (EU) 2017/1214, (EU) 2017/1215, (EU) 2017/1218, (EU) 2017/1219 or (EU) 2017/1217, should be given sufficient time to adapt their products so that they comply with the criteria and requirements laid down in this Decision. Therefore, EU Ecolabel licences awarded in accordance with the Decisions to be repealed should be allowed to be used for a period of 24 months following the date which this Decision starts to apply. In addition, for a limited period of time following the date which this Decision starts to apply, manufacturers should also be allowed to submit applications based either on the Decisions to be repealed or on this Decision. 

(18) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established by Article 16(1) of Regulation (EC) No 66/2010.