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
The revision process is ongoing and its end is expected by Q2 of 2026 (date to be determined). 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 1st technical meeting (Ad Hoc Working Group – AHWG) happened virtually on the 12th and 13th of March 2024. Written comments on the first draft criteria proposals were accepted until the 19th April 2024.
Then, the JRC published the 1st AHWG meeting minutes and it 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 took place on the 12th (afternoon) and 13th (full day) of March 2025 in hybrid format (virtual + in person in Brussels). Written comments on the second draft criteria proposals were accepted until the 11th April 2025. The documents that served as the basis for the discussions during the second consultation were:
• 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.
Following the 2nd AHWG meeting, the JRC published the 2nd AHWG meeting minutes and it released a call for data inputs via a EU survey (deadline 03/06/25) to contribute towards 3rd draft criteria proposals, particularly with regards to criteria based on quantitative thresholds (e.g. CDV, aNBO, anNBO, WUR, elemental P, VOCs).
The next milestone of the project is happening during October 2025, when the 3rd draft criteria proposals and all the accompanying draft documentation (as per 2nd AHWG list but updated; eg TR3) are expected to be released, approximately one month before of the EU Ecolabelling Board (EUEB) meeting scheduled on the 18th November 2025. Written feedback on this 3rd criteria draft proposal can be via submitted via BATIS until the 8th of December2025
All the documents shared as part of the EUEL criteria revision 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/)
Thank you for your interest!
