{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2006-402/annex/division-STRATEGY/division-2/division-a",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2006-402/annex/division-STRATEGY/division-2/division-a.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/2006/402",
  "legislation_title": "Commission Decision of 9 February 2006 establishing the Community Eco-label working plan (Text with EEA relevance) (2006/402/EC)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2006-402",
  "path": "annex/division/STRATEGY/division/2/division/a",
  "kind": "division",
  "number": "(a)",
  "heading": "Product group development",
  "text": "Currently criteria have been adopted for 23 product groups: tissue paper, dishwashers, soil improvers, bed mattresses, indoor paints and varnishes, footwear, textile products, personal computers, laundry detergents, detergents for dishwashers, copying paper, light bulbs, portable computers, refrigerators, washing-machines, all purpose and sanitary cleaners, hand dishwashing detergents, televisions, hard floor covering, vacuum cleaners, tourist accommodation service, camp-site service, and lubricants.\nA variety of conditions need to be met in order for a product group to be considered as a priority for the Community Eco-label. Article 2(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1980/2000 in particular expresses some key requirements concerning its suitability for eco-labelling. The product must be significant in terms of the internal market and be sold for final consumption or use. It must involve significant environmental impacts that can be positively influenced by consumer choice, and manufacturers and retailers must be willing to put the Eco-label on their products.\nOn the basis of a check-list of questions provided in the first working plan, a prioritisation study was carried out and the resulting prioritised product group list is presented in Appendix 1. In the light of the revision of the scheme, the EUEB and Member States should continue to develop the methodology for the prioritisation of product groups on the basis of the study and according to the recommendations for further work and improvements published in the study results. They should also extend the evaluation of the environmental benefits and marketing perspectives of the candidate product groups. The special requirements for assessing the degree of priority for services must also be further analysed.\nThe improved methodology should provide an objective way of prioritising product groups for goods and services. It should also take into consideration whether a given good or service has a clear relationship with existing product groups.\nAn ad-hoc management group should be set up to objectively and transparently specify which should be the top priority product groups.\nThe work done on product group development, however, should not prejudice the possibility for making changes to how product groups are dealt with in the revision of the Eco-label Scheme.\nObjectives\nIn the light of the revision of the scheme, establish a set of product groups which forms a sufficiently complete and manageable range of products to attract retailers, manufacturers, including SMEs and consumers.\nMake the best use of the resources allocated to product group development by focusing attention on those product groups which are the most suitable for the Community Eco-label.\nWithin five years, the number of established product groups should increase to between 30 and 35.\nActions\nThe priority product group list should be updated regularly, following consultation with the EUEB. On the occasion of the revision of each product group, its priority should be reassessed by the EUEB.\nTaking into account the prioritisation study carried out during the previous working plan Competent Bodies and the EUEB should continue to improve the prioritisation methodology, in particular seeking to develop an appropriate weighting of the ‘prioritisation questions’ in the study. Amongst other factors this should take into account of the success or failure of the established product groups, the environmental benefits deriving from the candidate product groups and the special requirements for assessing the degree of priority for services, in the light of the results and orientations coming out from the ongoing evaluation of the scheme.\nThe Commission, the EUEB and the Member States should, in addition to carrying out the necessary revisions, aim to establish two new product groups every year. The duration of validity of product group criteria should in general be set at four to five years (although this period may be adapted on a case-by-case basis).\nAn ad-hoc management group of the EUEB should be established to meet once a year in order to recommend which are the top priority product groups and to advise the timetable for product group revisions. The group will also establish a methodology for defining the urgency of criteria revision based on the technical developments in the relevant fields.\nThe development of new product groups, however, should not prejudice the need to dedicate time and resources to inputting into the process of the revision of the Eco-label scheme.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "AEAT in Confidence, Prioritisation of New Ecolabel Product Groups, A Report for the European Commission, DG Environment, May 2004. http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/ecolabel/product/pg_prioritisation_en.htm."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2006/402/annex/division/STRATEGY/division/2/division/a",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:17:34.478120+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}