HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"L 111/22
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
30.4.2011
COMMISSION DECISION
of 28 April 2011
on establishing the ecological criteria for the award of the EU Ecolabel to detergents for
dishwashers
(notified under document C(2011) 2806)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2011/263/EU)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
(5) Decision
2003/31/EC
should
therefore
be
replaced
for
reasons of clarity.
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European
Union,
(6) A
transitional
period
should
be
allowed
for
producers
whose products have been awarded the Ecolabel for
detergents for dishwashers on the basis of the criteria
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 of the European
set out in Decision 2003/31/EC, so that they have
Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 on the EU
sufficient time to adapt their products to comply with
Ecolabel ( 1 ), and in particular Article 8(2) thereof,
the revised criteria and requirements. Producers should
also be allowed to submit applications based on the
criteria set out in Decision 2003/31/EC or on the
criteria set out in this Decision until the lapse of
After consulting the European Union Ecolabelling Board,
validity of that Decision.
Whereas:
(7) The
measures
provided
for
in
this
Decision
are
in
accordance with the opinion of the Committee estab
lished by Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No 66/2010,
(1) Under
Regulation
(EC)
No
66/2010,
the
EU
Ecolabel
may
be awarded to those products with a reduced environ
mental impact during their entire life cycle.
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
(2) Regulation
(EC)
No
66/2010
provides
that
specific
EU
Ecolabel criteria are to be established according to
product groups.
Article 1
The product group ‘Detergents for Dishwashers’ shall comprise
detergents for dishwashers and products used as rinse aids,
whether in powder, liquid or any other form, which are
(3) Commission
Decision
1999/427/EC
( 2 ) has established
the ecological criteria as well as the related assessment
intended to be marketed and used exclusively in automatic
and verification requirements for detergents for dish
domestic dishwashers and in automatic dishwashers for profes
washers. Following the review of the criteria set out in
sional use, the size and usage of which is similar to that of
that Decision, Commission Decision 2003/31/EC (
domestic dishwashers.

3 ) has
established revised criteria which are valid until 30 April
2011.
Article 2
(4) Those
criteria
have
been
further
reviewed
in
the
light
of For the purpose of this Decision, the following definitions shall
technological developments. It results from the review
apply:
that it is necessary to modify the definition of the
product group so as to include a new sub-product
group and to establish new criteria. Those new criteria,
as well as the related assessment and verification
‘Substance’ means a chemical element and their compounds in
requirements, should be valid for 4 years from the date
the natural state or obtained by any production process,
of adoption of this Decision.
including any additive necessary to preserve the stability of
the products and any impurity deriving from the process
used, but excluding any solvent which may be separated
( 1 ) OJ L 27, 30.1.2010, p. 1.
( 2 ) OJ L 167, 2.7.1999, p. 38.
without affecting the stability of the substance or changing its
( 3 ) OJ L 9, 15.1.2003, p. 11.
composition.

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EN
30.4.2011 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union L
111/23
Article 3
2. Applications
for
the
EU
Ecolabel
for
products
falling
within the product group ‘Detergents for Dishwashers’
In order to be awarded the EU Ecolabel under Regulation (EC)
submitted from the date of adoption of this Decision but by
No 66/2010, a detergent for dishwashers shall fall within the
30 April 2011 at the latest may be based either on the criteria
product group ‘Detergents for Dishwashers’ as defined in
set out in Decision 2003/31/EC or on the criteria set out in this
Article 1, and shall comply with the criteria set out in the
Decision.
Annex to this Decision.
Article 4
Those applications shall be evaluated in accordance with the
The criteria for the product group ‘Detergents for Dishwashers’,
criteria on which they are based.
as well as the related assessment and verification requirements,
shall be valid for 4 years from the date of adoption of this
Decision.
3. Where the Ecolabel is awarded on the basis of an appli
cation evaluated according to the criteria set out in Decision
2003/31/EC, that Ecolabel may be used for 12 months from
Article 5
the date of adoption of this Decision.
For administrative purposes the code number assigned to the
product group ‘Detergents for dishwashers’ shall be ‘015’.
Article 8
Article 6
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Decision 2003/31/EC is repealed.
Done at Brussels, 28 April 2011.
Article 7
1. By
derogation
from
Article
6,
applications
for
the
EU
Ecolabel for products falling within the product group
For the Commission
‘Detergents for Dishwashers’ submitted before the date of
adoption of this Decision shall be evaluated in accordance
Janez POTONIK
with the conditions laid down in Decision 2003/31/EC.
Member of the Commission

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L 111/24
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
30.4.2011
ANNEX
FRAMEWORK
The aims of the criteria
The criteria aim, in particular, at promoting products that have a reduced impact on aquatic ecosystems, contain a limited
amount of hazardous substances and whose performance has been tested.
CRITERIA
These criteria cover the following areas:
1. Total chemicals.
2. Excluded or limited substances or mixtures.
3. Toxicity to aquatic organisms: Critical Dilution Volume.
4. Biodegradability of organics.
5. Washing performance.
6. Packaging requirements.
7. Consumer information.
8. Information appearing on the EU Ecolabel.
1. Assessment and verification
(a) Requirements
The specific assessment and verification requirements are indicated within each criterion.
Where the applicant is required to provide declarations, documentation, analyses, test reports, or other evidence to show
compliance with the criteria, it is understood that these may originate from the applicant, and/or his supplier(s), and/or
their supplier(s), etc., as appropriate.
Where possible, the testing should be performed by laboratories that meet the general requirements of EN ISO 17025 or
equivalent.
Where appropriate, test methods other than those indicated for each criterion may be used if the competent body
assessing the application accepts their equivalence.
Appendix I makes reference to the detergent ingredient database (DID list) which contains the most widely used
ingredients used in detergent formulations. It shall be used for deriving the data for the calculations of the Critical
Dilution Volume (CDV) and for the assessment of the biodegradability of the ingredients. For substances not present on
the DID list, guidance is given on how to calculate or extrapolate the relevant data. The latest version of the DID list is
available from the EU Ecolabel website or via the websites of the individual competent bodies.
Where appropriate, competent bodies may require supporting documentation and may carry out independent verifi
cations.
(b) Measurement thresholds
Constituent substances the concentration of which exceeds 0,010 % by weight of the preparation shall comply with the
ecological criteria.
For preservatives, colouring agents and fragrance compliance with the criteria is required regardless of their concentration
except for criterion 2(b) on the content of hazardous substances and mixtures.
Ingoing substances are defined as all substances in the product including additives (e.g. preservatives or stabilizers) in the
ingredients. Impurities resulting from the raw material production, which are present in concentrations > 0,010 % by
weight of the final formulation shall also comply with the criteria.
If the product has a water-soluble foil intended not to be removed before washing, the foil must be considered to be part
of the product formulation in all requirements.

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EN
30.4.2011 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union L
111/25
2. Functional unit
The functional unit shall be the quantity of product required to wash 12 place settings with a standard soil (as defined by
DIN or ISO standards).
3. Reference dosage
The dosage recommended by the manufacturer to consumers for normally soiled dishes and 12 place settings is taken as
a reference dosage under standard conditions, as laid down in the IKW washing performance test referred to in
criterion 5.
Requirements relating to assessment and verification of (2) Functional unit and (3) Reference dosage: The full formulation
comprising trade name, chemical name, CAS No, DID No (*), ingoing quantity including and excluding water, and
function of all the ingoing ingredients (regardless of concentration) in the product must be submitted to the
competent body. A sample of the artwork including dosage recommendations must be submitted to the competent body.
Safety data sheets for each ingredient shall be submitted to the competent body in accordance with Regulation (EC) No
1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 1 ).
The DID list can be found on the EU Ecolabel website: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/ecolabelled_products/
categories/did_list_en.htm