Division (c) Environmental benefits

The overall objective of the Eco-label is to promote products which have the potential to reduce negative environmental impacts, on the basis of scientific evidence and in line with Article 1(4) of the Eco-label Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1980/2000), as compared with the other products in the same product group, thus contributing to the efficient use of resources and a high level of environmental protection. In doing so it contributes to making consumption more sustainable, and to the policy objectives set out in the Community’s Sustainable Development Strategy (for example in the fields of climate change, resource efficiency and eco-toxicity), the Sixth Environmental Action Programme, and the Communication on Integrated Product Policy.

Previous studies and reports have shown that the specific environmental benefits of Eco-labels are difficult to calculate due to the difficulty of isolating and measuring these from environmental benefits achieved via other environmental measures. Whereas direct benefits relate mainly to the environmental savings that could be gained if the market share of eco-labelled products were to increase, indirect benefits take account of other positive effects the Eco-label has had, and could potentially have, in the future. The recently completed study on the Direct and Indirect Benefits of the Community Eco-label shows that with a 20 % increase of its market uptake the Community Eco-label could achieve significant savings through its indirect benefits, potentially working as one of the more cost-effective instruments for reducing emissions of CO₂ compared with a basket of other policy and programme activities.

Public procurement accounts for approximately 16 %^f1 of total EU GDP and purchasers in companies and other governmental and non-governmental organisations should be encouraged more systematically to use Eco-label criteria or equivalent in their calls for tender. The recently published Handbook on Environmental Public Procurement contributes significantly in this direction.

The awareness of purchasers is, however, not yet high enough to have significant effects on the market. Thus, one specific objective should be to increase in particular public purchaser demand for green products over the next three years. Measures to increase such demand should be explored.

Objectives

Enhance sustainable consumption and reinforce the policy objectives set out in the Community’s Sustainable Development Strategy, the Sixth Environmental Action Programme and the Communication on IPP.

Public procurement officers should be informed as soon as possible of the possibilities of using the Community Eco-label criteria or equivalent in their calls for tenders.

Actions

The EUEB should continue to work to estimate the direct and indirect environmental benefits of the Eco-label as a whole. The potential benefits should also be systematically estimated for all new or revised product group criteria.

The EUEB, Member States and Commission should inform public and private procurement officers on the opportunities for using Community Eco-label criteria or equivalent in their calls for tenders.