BEUC NEWS - 02.06.2022

This week, the European Commission has celebrated the EU Ecolabel turning 30. The launch event – which took place in Brussels – kicked off a several months-long bike ride across Europe for the anniversary ‘Showroom on wheels’.

But first, what is the Ecolabel exactly? The EU Ecolabel is now displayed on nearly 90,000 products and services sold in Europe. This voluntary flower-shaped label indicates to shoppers which detergents, textiles or hotels – to name a few – have a lower impact on the environment.

At a time when consumers are increasingly misled by greenwashing, the EU Ecolabel stands as a reliable signpost. BEUC, together with the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), have been participating in setting the criteria from the very start, to make sure the label remains an indicator of true environmental excellence.

Interestingly, this week coincides with the publication of our assessment of the European Commission’s performance on consumer files halfway through its mandate. Among the top-ranking files features the EU Ecolabel. Why is that? Because thanks to rules adopted last year, any cosmetic displaying the EU Ecolabel must be free of many problematic substances, such as endocrine disrupting chemicals and microplastics.

To learn more about BEUC’s work on the Ecolabel, check out our related blog posts and our dedicated page

More info on the European Commission’s anniversary webpage.