Project to support the evaluation of the implementation of the EU ecolabel regulation : final report

The EU Ecolabel is a voluntary instrument aimed at identifying the environmentally best performing (typically the top 10-20%) products on the market. Since the first EU Ecolabel Regulation in 1992, there have been two revisions, in 2000 and 2010. The overarching aims of the EU Ecolabel are twofold: to promote products with a reduced environmental impact during their entire life cycle; and to provide consumers with accurate, science-based information on the environmental impact of products. To ensure the Ecolabel continues to improve the environmental performance and resource efficiency of products as part of the sustainable production and consumption policy framework, the 7th Environmental Action Programme calls for a review of the existing legislation, as does the EU Ecolabel Regulation itself, Article 14, hence the need for this study. The study is divided into two main evaluations: An ex-post evaluation to identify the key findings and lessons learnt through the implementation of the EU Ecolabel. This is addressed in Task 1 to 4. An ex-ante evaluation to assess options for improvements to the EU Ecolabel scheme based on the findings from the ex-post evaluation. This is covered in Task 5).