Commission Decision (EU) 2019/70 of 11 January 2019 establishing the EU Ecolabel criteria for graphic paper and the EU Ecolabel criteria for tissue paper and tissue products (notified under document C(2019) 3) (Text with EEA relevance.)

The product group ‘graphic paper’ shall comprise sheets or reels of not converted, unprinted blank paper or board, whether plain or coloured, made from pulp and fit to be used for writing, printing or conversion purposes. The product group shall not include: (a) packaging; (b) thermally sensitive paper; (c) photographic or carbonless paper; (d) fragranced paper; (e) paper falling within the product group ‘tissue paper and tissue products’ as defined in Article 2.

The product group ‘tissue paper and tissue products’ shall comprise the following: (1) sheets or reels of not converted tissue paper for conversion into products falling within point (2); (2) tissue products fit for use for personal hygiene, absorption of liquids or the cleaning of surfaces, or for a combination of those purposes; including but not limited to tissue products of the following kinds: handkerchiefs, toilet tissues, facial tissues, kitchen or household towels, hand towels, table napkins, mats and industrial wipes. The product group shall not include: (a) products falling within the product group ‘absorbent hygiene products’ as defined in Commission Decision 2014/763/EU ; (b) products containing cleaning agents designed for the cleaning of surfaces; (c) tissue products laminated with materials other than tissue paper; (d) cosmetic products within the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council , including wet wipes; (e) fragranced paper; (f) products falling within the product group ‘graphic paper’ as defined in Article 1 or products falling within the product group ‘printed paper’ as defined in Commission Decision 2012/481/EU .

For the purposes of this Decision, the following definitions shall apply: (1) ‘pulp’ means fibrous material in papermaking produced in a pulp mill either mechanically or chemically from fibrous cellulose raw material (wood being the most common); (2) ‘packaging’ means all products made of any material of any nature to be used for the containment, protection, handling, delivery or presentation of goods, from raw materials to processed goods, from the producer to the user or the consumer; (3) ‘tissue paper’ means lightweight paper made of pulp that may be dry or wet creped or non-creped; (4) ‘tissue products’ mean converted products made of tissue paper in one or several plies, folded or unfolded, embossed or unembossed, with or without lamination, printed or not printed and possibly finished by post-treatment.

1 In order for a product to be awarded the EU Ecolabel under Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 for the product group ‘graphic paper’, it shall fall within the definition of that product group in Article 1 of this Decision and shall comply with the criteria and related assessment and verification requirements set out in Annex I to this Decision.

2 In order for a product to be awarded the EU Ecolabel under Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 for the product group ‘tissue paper and tissue products’, it shall fall within the definition of that product group in Article 2 of this Decision and shall comply with the criteria and related assessment and verification requirements set out in Annex II to this Decision.

The criteria for the product groups ‘graphic paper’ and ‘tissue paper and tissue products’ and the related assessment and verification requirements for each product group shall be valid until 31 December 2024.

1 For administrative purposes, the code number assigned to the product group ‘graphic paper’ shall be ‘011’.

2 For administrative purposes, the code number assigned to the product group ‘tissue paper and tissue products’ shall be ‘004’.

Decision 2009/568/EC, Decision 2011/333/EU and Decision 2012/448/EU are repealed.

1 Notwithstanding Article 7, applications submitted before the date of adoption of this Decision for the EU Ecolabel for products falling within both the product group ‘graphic paper’, as defined in this Decision, and the product group ‘copying and graphic paper’, as defined in Decision 2011/333/EU, shall be evaluated in accordance with the conditions laid down in Decision 2011/333/EU.

2 Notwithstanding Article 7, applications submitted before the date of adoption of this Decision for the EU Ecolabel for products falling within both the product group ‘graphic paper’, as defined in this Decision, and the product group ‘newsprint paper’ as defined in Decision 2012/448/EU, shall be evaluated in accordance with the conditions laid down in Decision 2012/448/EU.

3 Notwithstanding Article 7, applications submitted before the date of adoption of this Decision for the EU Ecolabel for products falling within both the product group ‘tissue paper and tissue products’, as defined in this Decision, and the product group ‘tissue paper’ as defined in Decision 2009/568/EC, shall be evaluated in accordance with the conditions laid down in Decision 2009/568/EC.

4 Applications for the EU Ecolabel for products falling within the product group ‘graphic paper’ or ‘tissue paper and tissue products’ submitted on or after the date of adoption of this Decision but no later than 31 December 2018 may be based either on the criteria set out in this Decision or on the criteria set out in Decision 2011/333/EU, Decision 2012/448/EU or Decision 2009/568/EC, as applicable. Those applications shall be evaluated in accordance with the criteria on which they are based.

5 Where the EU Ecolabel is awarded on the basis of an application evaluated in accordance with the criteria set out in Decision 2009/568/EC, Decision 2011/333/EU or Decision 2012/448/EU, the EU Ecolabel may be used only until 31 December 2019.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.