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ANNEX

FRAMEWORK

EU ECOLABEL CRITERIA

Criteria for awarding the EU Ecolabel to hard surface cleaning products

CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT AND VERIFICATION

(a)    Requirements

The specific assessment and verification requirements are indicated within each criterion.

Where the applicant is required to provide the competent bodies with declarations, documentation, analyses, test reports, or other evidence to show compliance with the criteria, these may originate from the applicant and/or their supplier(s), as appropriate.

Competent bodies shall preferentially recognise attestations which are issued by bodies accredited in accordance with the relevant harmonised standard for testing and calibration laboratories and verifications by bodies that are accredited in accordance with the relevant harmonised standard for bodies certifying products, processes and services. Accreditation shall be carried out in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 3 ).

Where appropriate, test methods other than those indicated for each criterion may be used if the competent body assessing the application accepts their equivalence.

Where appropriate, competent bodies may require supporting documentation and may carry out independent verifications or site visits.

As a prerequisite, the product shall meet all applicable legal requirements of the country or countries in which the product is intended to be placed on the market. The applicant shall declare the product's compliance with this requirement.

The ‘Detergent ingredient database’ list (DID list), available on the EU Ecolabel website, contains the most widely used ingoing substances in detergents and cosmetics formulations. It shall be used for deriving the data for the calculations of the critical dilution volume (CDV) and for the assessment of the biodegradability of the ingoing substances. For substances not present on the DID list, guidance is given on how to calculate or extrapolate the relevant data.

The list of all ingoing substances shall be provided to the competent body, indicating the trade name (if existing), the chemical name, the CAS number, the DID number, the ingoing quantity, the function and the form present in the final product formulation (including water-soluble foil.

Preservatives, fragrances and colouring agents shall be indicated regardless of concentration. Other ingoing substances shall be indicated at or above the concentration of 0,010 % weight by weight.

All ingoing substances present in the form of nanomaterials shall be clearly indicated in the list with the word ‘nano’ written in brackets.

For each ingoing substance listed, the safety data sheets (SDSs) in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 4 ) shall be provided. Where an SDS is not available for a single substance because it is part of a mixture, the applicant shall provide the SDS of the mixture.

(b)    Measurement thresholds

Compliance with the criteria is required for all ingoing substances as specified in Table 1.

(c)    Product group specificities

If a product can be found both in RTU and undiluted form and both forms are sold as part of a single lot (e.g. one bottle of RTU product and a refill bottle of undiluted product), both types of products shall meet the requirements set out in all the criteria for their respective types.

Undiluted products in packaging designed for the sole purpose of refilling trigger sprays shall meet the packaging requirements for RTU products.

REFERENCE DOSAGE

The following dosage shall be taken as the reference dosage for the calculations aiming at documenting compliance with the EU Ecolabel criteria and for testing of cleaning ability.

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide the product label or user instruction sheet that includes the dosing instructions.

Criterion 1 — Toxicity to aquatic organisms

The critical dilution volume (CDVchronic) of the product shall not exceed the following limits for the reference dosage.

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide the calculation of the CDVchronic of the product. A spreadsheet for calculating the CDVchronic value is available on the EU Ecolabel website.

The CDVchronic is calculated for all ingoing substances (i) in the product, except micro-organisms, using the following equation:

Where:

dosage(i)

:

weight (g) of the substance (i) in the reference dose;

DF(i)

:

degradation factor for the substance (i);

TFchronic(i)

:

chronic toxicity factor for the substance (i).

The values of DF(i) and TFchronic(i) shall be as given in the most updated Part A of the DID list. If an ingoing substance is not included in Part A, the applicant shall estimate the values following the approach described in Part B of that list and attaching the associated documentation.

Criterion 2 — Biodegradability

(a)    Biodegradability of surfactants

All surfactants shall be readily degradable (aerobically).

All surfactants classified as hazardous to the aquatic environment: Acute Category 1 (H400) or Chronic Category 3 (H412), in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 5 ) shall be in addition anaerobically biodegradable.

(b)    Biodegradability of organic compounds

The content of organic substances in the product, except micro-organisms, that are aerobically non-biodegradable (not readily biodegradable, aNBO) or anaerobically non-biodegradable (anNBO) shall not exceed the following limits for the reference dosage.

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide documentation for the degradability of surfactants, as well as the calculation of aNBO and anNBO for the product. A spreadsheet for calculating aNBO and anNBO values is available on the EU Ecolabel website.

For both the degradability of surfactants and the aNBO and anNBO values for organic compounds, reference shall be made to the most updated DID list.

For ingoing substances that are not included in Part A of the DID list, the relevant information from literature or other sources, or appropriate test results, showing that they are aerobically and anaerobically biodegradable shall be provided, as described in Part B of that list.

In the absence of documentation for degradability, an ingoing substance other than a surfactant may be exempted from the requirement for anaerobic degradability if one of the following three alternatives is fulfilled:

Testing for adsorption/desorption shall be conducted in accordance with OECD Guideline 106.

Criterion 3 — Sustainable sourcing of palm oil, palm kernel oil and their derivatives

Ingoing substances used in the products which are derived from palm oil or palm kernel oil shall be sourced from plantations that meet the requirements of a certification scheme for sustainable production that is based on multi-stakeholder organisations that has a broad membership, including NGOs, industry and government and that addresses environmental impacts including on soil, biodiversity, organic carbon stocks and conservation of natural resources.

Assessment and verification: The applicant shall provide evidence through third-party certificates and chain of custody that palm oil and palm kernel oil used in the manufacturing of the ingoing substances originates from sustainably managed plantations.

Certificates accepted shall include Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) (by identity preserved, segregated or mass balance) or any equivalent or stricter sustainable production scheme.

For chemical derivatives of palm oil and for palm kernel oil, it shall be acceptable to demonstrate sustainability through book and claim systems such as GreenPalm certificates or equivalent by providing the Annual Communications of Progress (ACOP) declared amounts of procured and redeemed GreenPalm certificates during the most recent annual trading period.

Criterion 4 — Excluded and restricted substances

(a)    Specified excluded and restricted substances

(i)    Excluded substances

The substances indicated below shall not be included in the product formulation regardless of concentration:

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide a signed declaration of compliance supported by declarations from suppliers, if appropriate, confirming that the listed substances have not been included in the product formulation regardless of concentration.

(ii)    Restricted substances

The substances listed below shall not be included in the product formulation above the concentrations indicated:

The total phosphorus (P) content calculated as elemental P shall be limited to the following values for the reference dosage.

Fragrance substances subject to the declaration requirement provided in Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 shall not be present in quantities ≥ 0,010 % weight by weight per substance.

VOCs shall not be present above the limits specified below (VOCs means any organic compound having a boiling point lower than 150 °C).

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide the following documents:

(b)    Hazardous substances

(i)    Final product

The final product shall not be classified and labelled as being acutely toxic, a specific target organ toxicant, a respiratory or skin sensitiser, carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction, or hazardous to the aquatic environment, as defined in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 and in accordance with the list in Table 2.

(ii)    Ingoing substances

The product shall not contain ingoing substances at a concentration limit at or above 0,010 % weight by weight in the final product that meet the criteria for classification as toxic, hazardous to the aquatic environment, respiratory or skin sensitisers, carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction in accordance with Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 and in accordance with the list in Table 2.

Where stricter, the generic or specific concentration limits determined in accordance with Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 shall take precedence.

This criterion does not apply to ingoing substances covered by Article 2(7)(a) and (b) of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 which set out criteria for exempting substances within Annexes IV and V to that Regulation from the registration, downstream user and evaluation requirements. In order to determine whether that exclusion applies, the applicant shall screen any ingoing substance present at a concentration above 0,010 % weight by weight.

Substances and mixtures included in Table 3 are exempted from requirement 4(b)(ii).

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall demonstrate compliance with this criterion for the final product and for any ingoing substance present at a concentration greater than 0,010 % weight by weight in the final product. The applicant shall provide a signed declaration of compliance supported by declarations from suppliers, if appropriate, or SDS confirming that none of these substances meets the criteria for classification with one or more of the hazard statements listed in Table 2 in the form(s) and physical state(s) in which they are present in the product.

For substances listed in Annexes IV and V to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, which are exempted from registration obligations under points (a) and (b) of Article 2(7) of that Regulation, a declaration to this effect by the applicant shall suffice to comply.

The applicant shall provide a signed declaration of compliance supported by declarations from suppliers, if appropriate, or SDS confirming the presence of ingoing substances that fulfil the derogation conditions.

(c)    Substances of very high concern (SVHCs)

The final product shall not contain any ingoing substances that have been identified in accordance with the procedure described in Article 59(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1907/2006, which establishes the candidate list for substances of very high concern.

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide a signed declaration of compliance supported by declarations from their suppliers, if appropriate, or SDS confirming the non-presence of all the candidate list substances.

Reference to the latest list of substances of very high concern shall be made on the date of application.

(d)    Fragrances

Any ingoing substance added to the product as a fragrance shall be manufactured and handled following the code of practice of the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) ( 8 ). The recommendations of the IFRA Standards concerning prohibition, restricted use and specified purity criteria for substances shall be followed by the manufacturer.

Assessment and verification: the supplier or fragrance manufacturer, as appropriate, shall provide a signed declaration of compliance.

(e)    Preservatives

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide a signed declaration of compliance supported by declarations from suppliers, if appropriate, along with the SDS of any preservative added and information on its BCF or log Kow values. The applicant shall also provide artwork of the packaging.

(f)    Colouring agents

Colouring agents in the product shall not be bio-accumulating.

A colouring agent is considered not bio-accumulating if the BCF is < 100 or log Kow is < 3,0. If both the BCF and log Kow values are available, the highest measured BCF value shall be used. In the case of colouring agents approved for use in food, it is not necessary to submit documentation of bio-accumulation potential.

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide a signed declaration of compliance supported by declarations from suppliers, if appropriate, along with the SDS of any colouring agent added and information on its BCF or log Kow value, or documentation to ensure that the colouring agent is approved for use in food.

(g)    Enzymes

Only enzyme encapsulated (in solid form) and enzyme liquids/slurries shall be used.

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide a signed declaration of compliance supported by declarations from suppliers, if appropriate, along with the SDS of any enzyme added.

(h)    Micro-organisms

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide:

Criterion 5 — Packaging

(a)    Products sold in spray bottles

Sprays containing propellants shall not be used. Spray bottles shall be refillable and reusable.

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide a signed declaration of compliance along with relevant documentation describing or demonstrating how the spray bottles that are part of the packaging can be refilled.

(b)    Packaging take-back systems

If the product is delivered in packaging that is part of a take-back system for a product, that product is exempted from the requirements set out in points (c) and (d) of Criterion 5.

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide a signed declaration of compliance along with relevant documentation describing or demonstrating that a take-back system has been put in place for the packaging.

(c)    Weight/utility ratio (WUR)

The weight/utility ratio (WUR) of the product shall be calculated for the primary packaging only and shall not exceed the following values for the reference dosage.

Primary packaging made of more than 80 % recycled materials is exempted from this requirement.

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide the calculation of the WUR of the product. If the product is sold in different packaging (i.e. with different volumes), the calculation shall be submitted for each packaging size for which the EU Ecolabel shall be awarded.

The WUR is calculated as follows:

Where:

Wi

:

weight (g) of the primary packaging (i);

Ui

:

weight (g) of non-post-consumer recycled packaging in the primary packaging (i). Ui = Wi unless the applicant can prove otherwise;

Di

:

number of reference doses contained in the primary packaging (i). In the case of RTU products, Di = product volume (in litres);

Ri

:

refill index. Ri = 1 (packaging is not reused for the same purpose) or Ri = 2 (if the applicant can document that the packaging component can be reused for the same purpose and they sell refills).

The applicant shall provide a signed declaration of compliance confirming the content of post-consumer recycled material, along with relevant documentation. Packaging is regarded as post-consumer recycled if the raw material used to make the packaging has been collected from packaging manufacturers at the distribution stage or at the consumer stage.

(d)    Design for recycling

Plastic packaging shall be designed to facilitate effective recycling by avoiding potential contaminants and incompatible materials that are known to impede separation or reprocessing or to reduce the quality of recyclate. The label or sleeve, closure and, where applicable, barrier coatings shall not comprise, either singularly or in combination, the materials and components listed in Table 4. Pump mechanisms (including in sprays) are exempted from this requirement.

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide a signed declaration of compliance specifying the material composition of the packaging including the container, label or sleeve, adhesives, closure and barrier coating, as appropriate, along with photos or technical drawings of the primary packaging.

Criterion 6 — Fitness for use

The product shall have a satisfactory cleaning performance at the lowest temperature and dosage recommended by the manufacturer for the water hardness in accordance with the ‘Framework for testing the performance of hard surface cleaners’ available on the EU Ecolabel website ( 10 )

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide documentation demonstrating that the product has been tested under the conditions specified in the framework and that the results showed that the product achieved at least the minimum cleaning performance required. The applicant shall also provide documentation demonstrating compliance with the laboratory requirements included in the relevant harmonised standards for testing and calibration laboratories, if appropriate.

An equivalent test performance may be used if equivalence has been assessed and accepted by the competent body.

Criterion 7 — User information

The product shall be accompanied by instructions for proper use so as to maximise product performance and minimise waste, and reduce water pollution and use of resources. These instructions shall be legible or include graphical representation or icons and include information on the following:

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide a signed declaration of compliance along with a sample of the product label.

Criterion 8 — Information appearing on the EU Ecolabel

The logo shall be visible and legible. The EU Ecolabel registration/licence number shall appear on the product and it shall be legible and clearly visible.

The applicant may choose to include an optional text box on the label that contains the following text:

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide a signed declaration of compliance along with a sample of the product label or artwork of the packaging where the EU Ecolabel is placed.