EU Eco-label for washing machines
The Community Eco-label or "Flower logo" is the official mark in the European Union (EU) for products with the lowest environmental impact in a product range. Its aim is to promote, as well as to help consumers to identify those products which contribute significantly to improvements in relation to key environmental aspects.
Participation on the scheme is voluntary. This means that products can be sold within the EU market without the Flower logo and that there are no regulations which oblige to apply for the Eco-label.
Product scope
According to Commission Decision 2000/45/EC (OJ L-16 21/01/2000) the product group ‘washing machines’ comprises front and top loading household washing machines excluding twin-tubs and washer-dryers.
Procedure
When a product is included in the product group definition and complies with the published Eco-label criteria, manufacturers, importers, service providers, trader or retailers who want to market their products in the EU, may apply for the Eco-label.
For a product made outside the European Community, the application must be presented to a Competent Body of any of the Member States in which the product is to be or has been placed on the market.
The application must include all relevant documentation to prove that the product complies with the ecological and performance criteria. The Competent Body will inform the applicant of the necessary documents that need to be submitted, the test results that must be provided, how they should be carried out, etc.
After assessing whether the product conforms to the Eco-label criteria and that the application complies with the assessment and verification requirements set out in Commission Decision 2000/45/EC, the Competent Body will decide on the award the label. If the application is successful the Competent Body will conclude a contract with the applicant covering the terms of use of the label. Eco-labelled products can be marketed in all Member States.
Once obtained, the holder has the choice of displaying the Flower logo on any part of the product. It can be used from the date it is awarded until the end of the period of validity of the criteria.
Applications for the award of an Eco-label are subject to payment of a fee. In addition, there is an annual fee for the use of the label.
Requirements
In order to be awarded the Community Eco-label, washing machines must comply with the criteria set out in the Annex to Commission Decision 2000/45/EC referring to:
· Energy efficiency
· Water consumption
· Spin drying efficiency
· Noise
· Prevention of excessive use of detergent
· Appliance design
· User instructions
· Take-back and recycling
· Lifetime extension
· Washing performance
· Consumer information
The end of the period of validity of the criteria for washing machines will be 30 November 2007.
Detailed information on the Eco-label scheme as well as a user friendly product fact sheet in several languages is available at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/ecolabel/product/pg_washingmachines_en.htm
Legislation
· Regulation (EC) No 1980/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 July 2000 on a revised Community Eco-label Award Scheme (OJ L-237 21/09/2000).
· Commission Decision 2000/45/EC of 17 December 1999 establishing the ecological criteria for the award of the Community eco-label to washing machines (OJ L-16 21/01/2000).
· Commission Decision 2003/240/EC of 24 March 2003 as regards the validity of the ecological criteria for the award of the Community eco-label to washing machines. (OJ L-89 05/04/2003).
· Commission Decision 2005/384/EC of 12 May 2005 amending Decisions 2000/45/EC, 2001/405/EC, 2001/688/EC, 2002/255/EC and 2002/747/EC in order to prolong the validity of the ecological criteria for the award of the Community eco-label to certain products (OJ L-127 20/05/2005).
Additional information for Austria
Competent authorities / competent bodies
Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft - BMLFUW (Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management)
Stubenring 1
AT-1012 Wien
Tel: (+43) 1 71100 2745
Fax: (+43) 1 71100 2891
E-mail:
Website: http://www.lebensministerium.at
Other information sources
http://www.umweltzeichen.at
Additional information for Belgium
Competent bodies
SPF Santé publique, Sécurité de la Chaîne alimentaire et Environnement (Federal Public Service for Public Health, Food Chain Safety and the Environment)
Direction générale Environnement - Secrétariat écolabel - Service politique des produits (Directorate-General Environment - Ecolabel Secretariat - Product Policy Service)
Place Victor Horta, 40 - bte 10
B -1060 Bruxelles
Tel: (+32) 2 524 95 46
Fax: (+32) 2 524 96 01
E-mail:
Website: http://www.health.fgov.be/
Other information sources
· Services fédéraux pour les Affaires environnementale (Federal Department of the Environment)
Website: http://www.environment.fgov.be/Ecolabel/
· Eco-label catalogue: http://www.eco-label.com/
Additional information for Cyprus
Competent authorities / competent bodies
Ypourgeio Georgias, Fysikon Poron kai Perivallontos (Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment)
Ypiresia Perivalontos (Environment Service)
GR. Afxentiou
CY-2360 Nicosia
Tel: (+357) 22 303 865
Fax: (+357) 22 774 945
E-mail:
Website: http://www.moa.gov.cy
Additional information for the Czech Republic
Competent authorities / competent bodies
Ministerstvo životního prostředí (Ministry of Environment)
Vršovická 65
CZ-100 10 Praha
Tel: (+420) 267 122 983
Fax: (+420) 267 120 340
E-mail:
Website: http://www.env.cz
Other information sources
Czech National Ecolabelling Programme and Information: http://www.ekoznacka.cz
Additional information for Denmark
Competent authorities / competent bodies
· Miljøministeriet (Ministry of the Environment)
Miljøstyrelsen (Danish Environmental Protection Agency)
Strandgade 29
DK-1401 København K
Tel: (+45) 3266 0403
Fax: (+45) 3257 6265
E-mail:
Website: http://www.mst.dk
· Miljømærkesekretariatet (Ecolabelling Denmark)
Kollegievej 5
DK-2920 Charlottenlund
Tel: (+45) 7230 0450
Fax: (+45) 7230 0451
E-mail:
Website: http://www.ecolabel.dk
Additional information for Estonia
Competent authorities / competent bodies
Eesti Keskkonnaministeerium (Ministry of Environment)
Keskkonnakorralduse ja -tehnoloogiaosakond (Environmental Management and Technology Department)
Narva mnt 7a
EE-15172 Tallinn
Tel: (+372) 6262 971 / 6262 974
Fax: (+372) 6262 801
E-mail:
Website: http://www.envir.ee
Additional information for Finland
Competent authorities / competent bodies
Suomen Standardisoimisliitto - SFS (Finnish Standards Association)
Ympäristömerkintä (Environmental Labelling)
P.O.Box 116
FIN-00241 Helsinki
Tel: (+358) 9 149 933 1
Fax: (+358) 9 149 933 20
E-mail:
Website: http://www.sfs.fi
Additional information for France
Competent bodies
Association Française de Normalisation - AFNOR (French Standardisation Association)
AFNOR Certification - (AFNOR Certification)
11, Rue Francis de Pressensé
Saint-Denis La Plaine Cedex
F-93571 Paris
Tel: (+33) 1 41 62 80 00 / 1 46 11 37 00
Fax: (+33) 1 49 17 90 00
E-mail:
Website: http://www.afnor.org
Other information sources
· AFNOR Certification (AFNOR Certification) website: http://portailgroupe.afnor.fr/v3/espace_certification/ecolabel.htm
· Eco-label catalogue: http://www.eco-label.com
Additional information for Germany
Competent authorities / competent bodies
Umweltbundesamt (Federal Environmental Agency)
Postfach 1406
DE-06813 Dessau
Tel: (+49) 340 2103 3025
Fax: (+49) 340 2104 2025
E-mail:
Website: http://www.umweltbundesamt.de
Additional information for Greece
Competent authorities / competent bodies
Ypourgeio Perivallontos, Chorotaxias kai Dimosion Ergon (Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works)
Patission Street 147
GR-11251 Athens
Tel: (+30) 210 86 46192
Fax: (+30) 210 86 76772
E-mail:
Website: http://www.minenv.gr
Additional information for Hungary
Competent authorities / competent bodies
Környezetvédelmi és Vízügyi Minisztérium - KvVM (Ministry of Environment and Water Management)
Fő u. 44-50.
HU-1011 Budapest
Tel: (+36) 1 457 3353
Fax: (+36) 1 201 3056
E-mail:
Website: http://www.kvvm.hu
Additional information for Ireland
Competent bodies
National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI)
Glasnevin
Dublin 9
Ireland
Tel: (+353) 1 807 38 00
Fax: (+353) 1 807 38 44
E-mail:
Website: http://www.nsai.ie/Certification_Services/Eco_Label_Scheme/Eco_Label_Scheme.html
Other information sources
Eco-label catalogue: http://www.eco-label.com/
Additional information for Italy
Competent bodies
· APAT - Agenzia per la Protezione dell'Ambiente e per i Servizi Tecnici (Agency for the Environment Protection and Technical Services)
Via Vitaliano Brancati, 48
I-00144 Roma
Tel: (+39) 06 5007 2020 / 06 5007 2926
Fax: (+39) 06 5007 2078
E-mail:
Website: http://www.apat.gov.it/certificazioni/site/it-IT/Ecolabel/
· Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare (Ministry for the Environment, Territory and Sea)
Comitato Ecolabel Ecoaudit (Ecolabel-Ecoaudit Committee)
Via Vitaliano Brancati, 64
I-00144 Roma
Tel: (+39) 06 5007 2435 /6 /7
Fax: (39) 06 5007 2439
E-mail:
Website: http://www.minambiente.it/st/Ministero.aspx?doc=ministero/comitaticsi/hpcomitati.xml
Other information sources
Eco-label catalogue: http://www.eco-label.com/
Additional information for Latvia
Competent authorities / competent bodies
Latvijas Vides, ģeoloģijas un meteoroloģijas aģentūra (Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Agency)
Maskavas 165
LV-1019 Riga
Tel: (+371) 703 2016
Fax: (+371) 703 5154
E-mail:
Website: http://www.lvgma.gov.lv
Additional information for Lithuania
Competent authorities / competent bodies
Lietuvos Respublikos Aplinkos ministerija (Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania)
Aplinkos apsaugos agentūra (Environment Agency)
A. Juozapavičiaus g. 9
LT-09311 Vilnius
Tel: (+370) 5 722 554
Fax: (+370) 5 722 536
E-mail:
Website: http://aaa.am.lt
Additional information for Luxembourg
Competent bodies
Ministère de l'Environnement (Ministry of the Environment)
18 Montée de la Petrusse
L-2918 Luxembourg
Tel: +352 478 68 24
Fax: +352 40 04 10
Website: http://www.environnement.public.lu/index.html
Other information sources
Eco-label catalogue: http://www.eco-label.com/
Additional information for Malta
Competent authorities / competent bodies
Ministry for Competitiveness and Communications
Malta Standards Authority - MSA
Evans Building
Merchants Street
MT-Valletta VLT 03
Tel: (+356) 21 242 420
Fax: (+356) 21 242 406
E-mail:
Website: http://www.msa.org.mt/ecolabel
Additional information for the Netherlands
Competent authorities / competent bodies
Stichting Milieukeur - SMK (Organisation for Eco-labelling)
Eisenhowerlaan 150
NL-2517 KP´s Gravenhage
Tel: (+31) 70 358 63 00
Fax: (+31) 70 350 25 17
E-mail:
Website: http://www.milieukeur.nl
Additional information for Poland
Competent bodies
Polskie Centrum Badan i Certyfikacji S.A. (Polish Centre for Testing and Certification)
23A, Klobucka Str.
PL-02-699 Warszawa
Tel: (+48) 22 46 45 200
Fax: (+48) 22 647 12 22
E-mail:
Website: http://www.pcbc.gov.pl
Other information sources
Eco-label catalogue: http://www.eco-label.com/
Additional information for Portugal
Competent bodies
Direçao Geral da Empresa (Directorate-General of Enterprises)
Avenida Visconde Valmor, N° 72
P - 1069-041 Lisboa
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 21 791 9100
Fax: (+351) 21 796 5158
E-mail:
Website: http://www.dgcc.pt
Other information sources
Eco-label catalogue: http://www.eco-label.com/
Additional information for Slovakia
Competent authorities / competent bodies
Ministerstvo životného prostredia (Ministry of Environment)
Nám. L'. Štúra 1
SK-81235 Bratislava
Tel: (+421) 2 5956 2177
Fax: (+421) 2 5956 2367
E-mail:
Website: http://www.enviro.gov.sk
Additional information for Slovenia
Competent authorities / competent bodies
Ministrstvo za okolje in prostor (Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning)
Dunajska cesta 48
SI-1000 Ljubljana
Tel: (+386) 1 478 7302
Fax: (+386) 1 478 7425
E-mail:
Website: http://wwwmop..gov.si
Additional information for Spain
In Spain the Comunidades Autónomas (Regional Governments) designate the Competent Bodies responsible for receiving applications for the award of the Eco-label.
When the Regional Government has not yet designated a Competent Body, producers shall provisionally contact the Ministerio de Medio Ambiente (Ministry of Environment) which will refer them to any of the already designated Competent Bodies in other Comunidad Autónoma (Regional Government).
Competent bodies
Ministerio de Medio Ambiente (Ministry of the Environment)
Dirección General de Calidad y Evaluación Ambiental (Directorate-General for Environmental Quality and Evaluation)
Plaza San Juan de la Cruz, s/n
E-28071 – Madrid
Tel: (+34) 915 976 000
Fax: (+34) 915 975 931
Website: http://www.mma.es/portal/secciones/
Cantabria
Consejería de Medio Ambiente (Environment Department)
C/ Lealtad 24
E - 39002 Santander
Tel: (+34) 942 202 323 / 942 202 331
Fax: (+34) 942 202 307
Website: http://www.gobcantabria.es
Castilla - La Mancha
Consejería de Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo Rural- Dirección General de Calidad Ambiental (Environment and Rural Development Department - Directorate-General for Environmental Quality)
C/Quintanar de la Orden, s/n
E-45071 Toledo
Tel: (+34) 925 286 706 / 925 286 700
Fax: (+34) 925 286 739
E-mail:
Website: http://www.jccm.es/medioambiente/
Cataluña
Departamento de Medio Ambiente y Vivienda (Environment and Housing Department)
Av. Diagonal, 523 - 525
E-08029 Barcelona
Tel: (+34) 934 445 000
Fax: (+34) 934 197 630
E-mail:
Website: http://mediambient.gencat.net/esp//empreses/ecoproductes_i_ecoserveis/inici.jsp
Illes Balears
Dirección General de Calidad Ambiental y Litoral - Consejería de Medio Ambiente (Directorate-General for Environmental Quality - Environment Department)
Av. Gabriel Alomar y Villalonga, 33
E-07006 Palma de Mallorca
Tel: (+34) 971 176 800
Fax: (+34) 971 176 849 / 971 176 801
E-mail:
Website: http://www.caib.es
Madrid
D.G. de Promocion y disciplina Ambiental (Directorate-General for Environment Promotion and Discipline)
C/ Princesa, 3
E-28008 Madrid
Tel: (+34) 915 801 897
Fax: (+34) 914 206 682
E-mail:
Website: http://medioambiente.comadrid.es
Murcia
Consejería de Industria y Medio Ambiente - Dirección General de Calidad Ambiental (Department of Industry and Environment - Directorate-General for Environmental Quality)
C/Catedrático Eugenio Úbeda, 3, 4ª planta
E-30071 Murcia
Tel: (+34) 968 228 800/01
Fax: (+34) 968 228 828
Website: http://www.carm.es
Valencia
Dirección General de Calidad Ambiental - Servicio de Control Integrado de la Contaminación (Directorate-General for Environmental Quality - Service of Integrated control of Pollution)
7, Francisco Cubells
E-46011 Valencia
Tel: (+34) 961 973 648/ 961 973 583
Fax: (+34) 961 973 879/ 961 973 883
Website: http://www.gva.es
Other information sources
· Eco-label catalogue: http://www.eco-label.com/
Additional information for Sweden
Competent bodies
Swedish Standards Institute (SIS) Miljömärking AB (Swedish Standards Institute (SIS) Eco-Labelling AB)
Sankt Paulsg. 6
SE-118 80 Stockholm
Tel: (+46) 8 55 55 24 00 / 8 55 55 24 06
Fax: (+46) 8 55 55 24 01
E-mail:
Website: http://www.sismab.se/
Other information sources
· http://www.blomman.nu/
· Eco-label catalogue: http://www.eco-label.com/
Additional information for the United Kingdom
Competent bodies
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
The Ecolabelling Competent Body
Zone 4 / G15, Ashdown House
123 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6DE
Tel: (+44) 20 7082 8672 / 20 7082 8676
Fax: (+44) 20 7082 8698 / 20 7238 2188
E-mail:
Website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/consumerprod/ecolabel/index.htm
Other information sources
Eco-label catalogue: http://www.eco-label.com/