EU Ecolabel (EEE)

The EU Ecolabel is the European Union's official voluntary environmental label, awarded to products and services that meet strict ecological criteria set at EU level. Identified by its flower logo, it signals that a product or service has a reduced environmental impact across its whole life cycle, from raw material extraction through manufacturing, distribution and use to disposal or recycling.

It applies to a broad range of categories, including cleaning products, cosmetics, textiles, paper, paints, electronic displays and tourist accommodation. To use the label, manufacturers and service providers must demonstrate compliance with the specific criteria defined for their product group.

How the EU Ecolabel relates to sustainability

The label is based on a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach, so criteria address energy and resource use, emissions, hazardous substances, durability and recyclability rather than a single attribute. By rewarding efficient resource use, lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduced waste, the EU Ecolabel supports the circular economy and can help lower a product's carbon footprint.

Benefits of the EU Ecolabel

For businesses

• Differentiation: an independently verified label helps products stand out in markets that increasingly value environmental performance.
• Market access: the label is recognised across the EU and is often favoured in green public procurement.
• Regulatory alignment: it supports compliance with the EU's wider environmental agenda, including the European Green Deal.

For consumers

• Trust: independently checked criteria give confidence that environmental claims are genuine, helping to counter greenwashing.
• Transparency: clear, comparable information supports more responsible purchasing decisions.

How the EU Ecolabel is awarded

Criteria are developed by the European Commission together with experts, NGOs, industry and other stakeholders, and reviewed periodically. The award process generally involves:

1. Application to the relevant Competent Body in a Member State (in Spain, the process is handled in coordination with the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, MITECO).
2. Assessment of the product or service against the criteria for its group, including documentation and, where needed, testing.
3. Verification and award, which may include audits to ensure objectivity before the licence to use the label is granted.

Legal framework

The EU Ecolabel is governed by Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council, which remains in force in 2026 and sets a consistent framework across all Member States. It works in a complementary way with newer EU instruments, in particular the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the EU Energy Label: where product groups are covered by both, ESPR requirements and EU Ecolabel criteria are developed in parallel to ensure they reinforce each other.

At Manglai we help companies measure their carbon footprint and prepare the environmental data behind labels and sustainability reporting. Discover how Manglai can help you.