EU Ecolabel is the European Union ecological quality mark used to certify (according to EC Regulation No. 66/2010) the reduced environmental impact of the products or services offered by the companies that have obtained their use.

It was established in 1992 by Regulation (EEC) No. 880/1992 and is now governed by Regulation (EC) No. 66/2010 as amended by Regulation (EU) No. 782/2013. It is in force in the 28 countries of the European Union and in the countries belonging to the European Economic Area – EEA (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein).

The necessary certification can be requested, on a voluntary basis, by any company operating in Europe.

The EU Ecolabel is a voluntary Community mark that certifies environmentally compatible products, allowing the consumer to recognize through a mark the respect for the environment by the product (or service) throughout its life cycle, which can thus differentiate itself from competitors on the market, maintaining high environmental performance standards.

Respect for the environment must be certified through a series of criteria defined for each product category, evaluated on the basis of an analysis of the life of the products, disposal costs, packaging and consumption.

These procedures provide for the determination by the manufacturer of the degree of detail necessary for the analysis, the quality guarantee of the data and the correct interpretation of the results; In addition, an inventory analysis must be carried out which, for each stage of the product’s life, catalogues all material and energy flows in order to draw up a balance sheet.

For the Ecolabel mark assignment, the company must send an application and documentation to the committee in charge, which uses ISPRA (Higher Institute for Environmental Prevention and Research) for technical verification and laboratory tests. The application must contain all documents, certificates and technical data sheets to establish that the product meets criteria.

The Food Contact Center can support the company intending to obtain the Ecolabel mark or to perform product safety verification tests by performing the laboratory tests required by the reference legislation applied.