Environment Council agrees compromise on Eco-Label revision

The compromise proposal provides for:

• the establishment, by the Commission, of a European Union Eco-Labelling Board (EUEB) composed of the competent bodies designated by the Member States and of the Consultation Forum of interested parties concerned;
• the extension of the right to apply for eco-labels not only to retailers, but also to services, service providers and traders;
• more detailed information to be provided to consumers on the criteria and on key aspects of the product (no grading of the eco-label is foreseen);
• ceilings for the annual fees might be established in future by the Commission through the Committee procedure; these fees should be reduced for applicant SMEs and manufacturers in developing countries;
• the existing national eco-label schemes will co-exist with the Community scheme and co-ordination will take place between them, particularly for the selection of product groups and the development and revision of criteria;
• establishment every three years of a Community eco-label working plan containing a strategy for developing the scheme, a list of priority product groups for the development of criteria, plans for co-ordination between EU and national schemes, and plans for financing the scheme.