EU Ecolabelling Board June 2015 Cross-cutting Issues Jiannis Kougoulis, Silvia Ferratini, Nicholas Dodd, Ecolabel Team – European Commission Eco-innovation and circular economy, DG Environment, & Sustainable production and consumption Unit , DG Joint Research Centre

Cross cutting issues – June 2015 in Ecolabel Cross cutting issues – June 2015 1. Hazardous Substances criterion – follow-up a. Criteria text with a standard structure and wording Comments received: same structure per product families but not workable one structure for all. Practical guidance to CB and applicants for implementation of this criterion b. Handling reclassification of substances and application to articles Scope of The work: measuring sustainability with life cycle approach Life indicators assess the environmental impact of European production, consumpyion and waste management 2. Criteria on energy supply Comments received: Work towards a standardized criterion on renewable/ sustainable / bioabased energy production. Criteria on green electricity for use across different product groups EU Ecolabel criteria?

Cross cutting issues in Ecolabel 3. Requirements on Packaging in Ecolabel Guidelines on when to address packaging criteria in Ecolabel and harmonisation across product groups 4. Ecolabel for Circular materials economy: Recycled content and recyclability Comments received to focus on verification, traceability and better understanding of the potential constraints posed by hazardous substances that may be present. Scope of The work: measuring sustainability with life cycle approach Life indicators assess the environmental impact of European production, consumpyion and waste management 5. Guidelines on determining the appropriate type of testing or verification Comments received : Guidelines on what kind of testing really is needed and consider the overall price of testing, availability of number of testing laboratories in Europe

Cross cutting issues in Ecolabel Criteria on repairability of products Technical basis and work on Ecodesign and emerging focus expected in the new Circular Economy package   7. Criteria on the use of nanomaterials and harmonisation across product groups 8. Harmonisation on criteria addressing "sustainable forestry" -suggestion to work on a standard wording 9. Harmonisation on criteria on social requirements Scope of The work: measuring sustainability with life cycle approach Life indicators assess the environmental impact of European production, consumpyion and waste management

Issue 1: Hazardous substances Follow-up to Horizontal Task Force Aim: To address on a ‘task and finish’ basis a number of defined improvements and challenges identified in relation to Article 6(6)/(7) implementation Proposal: Establish a sub-group which during a defined timescale will address the following issues: How to apply the hazardous substance criterion to articles How to address CLP reclassifications Possibilities to simplify the criterion text Harmonisation of the criterion text

Issue 2: Criteria on energy supply. Development of common criterion Aim: To develop a common criterion promoting low/zero carbon energy supplies and on-site generation for production sites. Proposal: Define scope of different types of ‘green’ energy sources and forms e.g. electricity, heat, biofuels Identify options for how these could be promoted by such a criterion Present/circulate draft criterion and background paper for comment and EUEB support/comment

Development of a common approach Issue 3: Packaging Development of a common approach Aim: To develop common ‘rules’ to inform decision making as to whether packaging should be included in criteria sets. Proposal: Develop a decision making tool which can be used during the criteria revision/development process: Create a matrix of products groups comparing their packaging e.g. high turnover products, material complexity, recycling market Issue/present a working paper with a draft set of ‘rules’ and a ‘decision tree’ Integrate comments in order to develop final ‘rules’ document presented and seek EUEB support/adoption

Thank you for your attention More information DG ENV: Jiannis.Kougoulis@ec.europa.eu DG JRC: Nicholas.Dodd@ec.europa.eu 8 8