An EU Ecolabel applicant may start by downloading a calculation spreadsheet. For dishwasher detergents, that can be premature. The first question is whether the product belongs to the household dishwasher detergent group (DD) or the industrial and institutional dishwasher detergent group (IIDD). The second is whether the case is a new application or a modification to an existing licence previously assessed with the 2016 Detergent Ingredient Database (DID) list. Those two decisions determine which criteria and supporting documents need to be considered.
The customer name is not the product group
The European Commission's User Manual for detergents and cleaning products describes DD as dishwasher detergents or rinse aids designed and marketed exclusively for household dishwashers. It also includes professional automatic dishwashers with the same size and use as household machines. IIDD covers products designed and marketed for use by specialised personnel in professional dishwashers, including detergents, rinse aids and pre-soak agents. Some multi-component systems belong in IIDD and are assessed as a whole.
The manual excludes detergents designed for household dishwashers from IIDD. Thus, a sale to a restaurant does not, by itself, establish the industrial and institutional group. A file should describe the intended machine, user, dosing method and whether the product is a stand-alone formulation or part of a multi-component system. Where a borderline use is unclear, confirm the classification with the competent body before preparing a full evidence package.
New application or change to an existing licence?
The Commission's cleaning product-group page identifies Commission Decision (EU) 2017/1216 for household dishwasher detergents and Decision (EU) 2017/1215 for industrial and institutional dishwasher detergents. It also says that the 2023 DID List and associated updated application forms and calculation sheets are to be used for all new applications or licences. For modifications of existing licences that were already assessed with the 2016 DID List, the applicant may use the earlier 2016 forms or the newer 2023 documents.
That is a conditional exception. It does not give every new product in an established brand family an unrestricted choice of the 2016 spreadsheet. A team should identify the actual licence, the product covered by it and the DID edition used in the previous assessment before classifying a change as a licence modification. The Commission's dishwasher detergent manual download page makes both the 2023 and 2016 calculation sheets available, which makes careful file naming and version control particularly useful.
Read the year-end date precisely
As checked on 29 September 2026, the Commission's cleaning page lists 31 December 2026 as the validity date of the current DD and IIDD criteria and indicates that revision is ongoing. This describes the criteria as listed on that page. It is not a universal expiry date for individual company licences, nor does it establish the contents or timing of revised criteria. Before submitting or changing an application, recheck the official page and the competent body's instructions.
A concise product-level record can connect intended use, equipment, DD or IIDD rationale, application type, previous licence and DID edition, chosen calculation sheet, and the competent body's response. This is a practical way to prevent contradictory files, not a claim that the Commission mandates that exact record format. A completed spreadsheet cannot compensate for choosing the wrong product group.
绿色方舟（深圳）认证有限公司 can help applicants map product use, criteria and supporting document versions. Any award decision depends on the actual product evidence and the competent body's assessment. Sources checked on 29 September 2026.
