EU wants to limit eco-label boom

The European Commission wants to limit how so-called eco-labels can be used in the European market, as a study found that sustainability claims were rarely substantiated, causing confusion and even scepticism among consumers.

Too many labels

Currently, there are hundreds of eco-labels within Europe, and the criteria they use are often barely checked. The Commission therefore wants to regulate the certification process, banning new public initiatives (unless they are developed within the European Union). There is, however, an exception if they offer added value over existing initiatives.

The Commission discovered that the control mechanism is flawed after it conducted its own investigation, which showed that consumers do not know that there is a distinction between labels awarded by an external party and those manufactured by a producing company itself.

One option could be to start using a methodology that already exists in the market, such as the Product Environment Footprint (PEF). The Commission recognises the relevance of that procedure, but considers it too limited in itself. After all, the PEF cannot be used with food and textile labels.