How do I apply for the EU-Ecolabel?

You can apply for a certification to use the EU-Ecolabel for many different kinds of product categories.
On this page, you can learn how to apply for an EU- Ecolabel certification - or how to apply to renew, expand or change your existing certification.

Is ecolabelling new to you - and do you have questions?

You are welcome to contact us for a non-binding discussion about the requirements for your product, fees and the application process. That usually ends up saving all of us some time in end.

Become certified in three steps

1) Fill out an online application form with the European Commission

Go to the official website of the European Commission – to get an overview of the application process.

Create an account at Ecat_Admin , which is the EU Commission's system for the administration of licences and products with the EU-Ecolabel. In the EU Commission's guide to Ecat, you can see how you create an account and use the system to apply for or make changes to a licence. The guide is available in both Danish and English.

Fill out an online application form on Ecat - you can see how this is done in in chapter 2 in the Ecat guide. The online registration is important because all products and services that carry the EU Ecolabel are made public in a catalogue on the EU Commission's website. This provides you with a marketing advantage, as the catalogue provides consumers and professional buyers with the opportunity to see what products and services are sold, for example, on the Danish market.

When you have registered your application in Ecat admin, you must send a completed application form along with documentation and your Ecat number to application@ecolabel.dk. Always follow the instructions in our application guide, since that helps to ensure that your application is complete and thereby can be processed quickly.
Should you have any questions during the process, you are welcome to get in touch with us.
2) Application review

We make every effort to provide you with the status of your application no later than three weeks after receipt and let you know if we need more documentation or if there is a need to change something related to the product in order to meet the requirements of the EU-Ecolabel. All applications are treated confidentially.

When all the documentation is in order, then we will contact you to make an appointment for an inspection visit to ensure that the production in reality is in line with what is described in the documentation.

If we find things to be in order, a technical review of your application will be initiated.
3) Certification

When your application has passed the technical review and the last administrative details have been handled, we will send a contract that you must sign and return to us.

Your certification will be graned when we have also signed the contract. After signing the contract, we will approve your application in Ecat. You will then receive the signed contract and an email through the Ecat system.

Having obtained the certification means that you may now market your product or service using the EU-Ecolabel in accordance with the European Parliament's and Council's applicable regulations concerning the EU-Ecolabel. Your certification for the EU- Ecolabel is valid in all the countries that are members of the European Economic Area.

Typically, we will spend 2 to 6 months to process your application. If the processing time takes longer, this is normally because documentation is lacking for one or more important points. Your application is valid for one year, and after this, it will be cancelled if all relevant documentation is not received. You are always welcome to submit a new application.

How to extend, renew or change the certification

How to extend your certification - or change it

If you wish to add or remove products from your certification, you must apply for an extension or reduction of your certification. You must also apply if you wish to change something in your certification, for example, the composition or production of your products, or if you, for example, want to sell an already approved product in a new size.

If the change relates to the number of products/trade names on your certification, or to the composition, design or of volume of the product, you must start by registering your change or expansion in Ecat. You can read more about changes in chapter 4 and about expansion in chapter 5 of the Ecat guide.

At the same time, you must send an email to us at application@ecolabel.dk with information about the changes you wish to make.
If you wish to change what is in the prescription for your product, you do not need to register the changes in Ecat. It will suffice to send an email directly to us.
How to renew your licence

The EU-Ecolabel's criteria are revised approximately every 4-5 years. If new criteria apply to your product, you must renew your certification if you still wish to have the EU-Ecolabel on your product. There is a transition period where both the old and new criteria are in effect - where you can apply for a renewal if you wish to avoid having to remove the EU-Ecolabel from your product for a time.

You can apply for a renewal of your certification by registering it in Ecat. You can read about renewals in chapter 6 of the Ecat guide.

After registering the renewal in Ecat, you must send an application mail with relevant documentation to us at application@ecolabel.dk

How do I apply for the EU-Ecolabel?

Is ecolabelling new to you - and do you have questions?

Select your product group to find more information about criteria and application