The EU Ecolabel is a scheme with criteria tailored to defined product and service groups. A useful preparation file starts by identifying the relevant group and current criteria, then maps the applicant, product scope, technical information and verification evidence to those requirements.
1. Confirm the product group and market scope
The European Commission publishes separate criteria for different product and service groups, including areas such as cleaning, textiles, paints, paper, electronic equipment, furniture and tourist accommodation. Eligibility cannot be inferred from a broad “green” description or a supplier’s verbal assurance. Check the product-group page, the current Commission Decision and the applicant user manual.
Operators from around the world may apply when the product or service falls within an established group and is placed on the European Economic Area market. The applicant, manufacturer, brand, production site, model or service scope should be explainable across the file. Do not substitute another group’s criteria for the product under review.
2. Build an evidence index around the criteria
For each model, range or application unit, maintain an index using “requirement, fact, document, version and status”. At minimum, record:
Scope and parties: product-group name, criteria version, applicant or licence holder, brand and manufacturer, production site, model or range, intended market and use.
Product and technical files: specifications, BOM or formulation, critical materials and components, packaging, label artwork, instructions and relevant performance or chemical information. Record the models and conditions covered by each file rather than treating a generic document as universal proof.
Verification evidence: prepare company or supplier declarations, test reports, data sheets and other supporting documents required by the product-group manual and criteria. Testing methods and laboratory expectations should follow the applicable group requirements and what the Competent Body accepts; there is no single universal report-validity period for every group.
Versions and changes: retain download dates, criteria/manual versions, evidence revisions and product-change records. Recheck the file when formulation, materials, suppliers, production sites, packaging, labels or intended use changes.
3. Record the application, review and licence
Choose the appropriate EU Ecolabel Competent Body and use the product-group manual to prepare the application. The process generally involves pre-registering in ECAT, assembling declarations and supporting files, submitting the application and paying the fee set by the Competent Body. The exact evidence and fee depend on the group, applicant and authority.
Keep the submitted version, file list, questions, supplementary documents, communications and final covered scope. After successful verification, the Competent Body grants a licence; the licence holder can then use the EU Ecolabel under its conditions and maintain traceable product information in ECAT. A product under application or review must not be described as already awarded the label.
4. Keep public wording and label use within scope
Public pages should state only the product, product group, attributes and scope supported by the licence file. Logo use on packaging, marketing materials and e-commerce pages should follow the European Commission’s branding guidance. Do not expand an ecolabel into a claim of universal regulatory compliance, guaranteed customs release, marketplace acceptance or guaranteed application success.
If the work is prepared by 绿色方舟（深圳）认证有限公司, describe it as product-group identification, document organisation, criteria mapping, evidence indexing and wording review. Whether a product meets the criteria remains dependent on the applicable Commission Decision, the actual evidence and the Competent Body’s assessment.
5. Pre-submission checklist
□ The target product group and current criteria are identified; □ applicant, brand, manufacturer and production-site information is consistent; □ models, materials/formulation, packaging, labels and instructions are covered; □ every requirement has evidence or a named gap; □ versions, submission records and supplementary communications are retained; □ licence scope and permitted label use are checked; □ the page does not turn an application, licence or environmental attribute into a promise about other regulations, platforms or commercial outcomes.
Sources: European Commission: How to apply; European Commission: Product groups and criteria; European Commission: Branding; EUR-Lex: Regulation (EC) No 66/2010.
