This is the project website for the revision of the current EU Ecolabel criteria for six detergent product groups:
This study is being carried out by the Joint Research Centre's Directorate B - Fair and Sustainable Economy (JRC), on behalf of the European Commission's Directorate-General for the Environment (DG ENV).
The EU Ecolabel for detergents promotes the production and consumption of products with a reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle, being awarded to the best performing products available in the market.
The EU Ecolabel criteria are based on the requirements addressed in the Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 of the European Parliament and the Council of 25 November 2009 on the EU Ecolabel. They are defined on the basis of the environmental information derived from Life Cycle Assessment and product oriented environmental performance assessment studies. Several environmental, safety and functional aspects are considered. A core element during the EU Ecolabel development and revision processes is the continuous wide consultation with experts and stakeholders, e.g. manufacturers, supply chain industry, consumer organizations and NGOs
If you would like to be involved in the consultation process, please, register your interest. Registered stakeholders will be regularly informed about the progress of the revision.
The revision process is ongoing and its end is expected by Q2 of 2026 (date to be determined).
The 1st technical meeting (Ad Hoc Working Group – AHWG) happened virtually on the 12th and 13th of March 2024, accepting written comments until the 19th April 2024.
The JRC organised three technical working sub-groups (sub-AHWG) on Fitness for Use (FfU), Microbial containing products (MCP) and Packaging (PACK) after the 1st AHWG meeting to best progress within certain criteria areas. Two meetings were held per sub-AHWG: FfU (11th June / 17th September); MCP (25th June / 1st October); and PACK (16th July / 29th October). All documentation associated to these sub-AHWG (presentations, minutes, background documents) are available at https://susproc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/product-bureau/product-groups/411/documents.
The 2nd AHWG meeting will take place on the 12th (afternoon) and 13th (full day) of March 2025 in hybrid format (virtual + in person in Brussels). The documents that serve as the basis for the discussions during the second consultation are:
• Draft Technical Report 2 (TR2) – including a second proposal for the revision of the criteria, supported by a rationale for the proposed changes to the criteria.
• Draft Table of Comments (ToC1) – received after the 1st AHWG meeting, with JRC answers to the comments.
• Draft Fitness for Use protocols – containing the proposals made in this TR2 with regards to the performance frameworks/protocols to show compliance with the criterion Fitness for Use (v1.1).
• Draft proposal of the Act – for the EU Ecolabel for detergents
• Draft proposal of the Annex I – EU Ecolabel criteria for awarding EU Ecolabel to dishwasher detergents.
• Draft proposal of the Annex II - EU Ecolabel criteria for awarding EU Ecolabel to hand dishwashing detergents.
• Draft proposal of the Annex III – EU Ecolabel criteria for awarding EU Ecolabel to industrial and institutional dishwasher detergents.
• Draft proposal of the Annex IV – EU Ecolabel criteria for awarding EU Ecolabel to laundry detergents .
• Draft proposal of the Annex V – EU Ecolabel criteria for awarding EU Ecolabel to industrial and institutional laundry detergents.
• Draft proposal of the Annex VI – EU Ecolabel criteria for awarding EU Ecolabel to hard surface cleaning products.
The 2nd AHWG documents are accessible at:
• The “Documents” section of this website: https://susproc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/product-bureau/product-groups/411/documents (please, check tab 2023 Revision documents)
• The BATIS platform (http://eippcb.jrc.ec.europa.eu/batis/)
Registered stakeholders can share their written comments to the Draft TR2 only via the BATIS platform.
Stakeholders are invited to provide their written comments to the Draft Technical Report 2 no later than 11 April 2025.
Following the 2nd AHWG meeting and the expression of interest by some participating entities on sharing further (quantitative) inputs, the JRC has released a call for data inputs. These data is expected to contribute to refine the data analysis carried out and presented in the 2nd draft technical report (TR2), thus contributing towards 3rd draft criteria proposals, particularly with regards to criteria based on quantitative thresholds (e.g. CDV, aNBO, anNBO, WUR, elemental P, VOCs).
Stakeholders willing to contribute to this call for data inputs are invited to check and fill in the EU survey created for this purpose, accessible here: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/Post-2nd-AHWG_Data-Inputs
This survey discloses the means to share such inputs, as attachments/uploads to it, being (in JRC’s order of preference):
A. Provide the EUEL application sheet containing full details of the EUEL awarded product (e.g. Template for LD/DD/HDD/HSC);
B. Fill the template provided by the JRC for this data collection exercise available at the dedicated website to the project (within 2023 revision documents);
C. Discuss with the JRC alternative formats/means (via email at JRC-B5-DETERGENTS@ec.europa.eu).
The deadline to complete this survey, thus for the call for data, is the 03/06/25 at 23:00 CEST.
Thank you for your interest!
