Commission Decision (EU) 2022/1244 of 13 July 2022 establishing the EU Ecolabel criteria for growing media and soil improvers (notified under document C(2022) 4758) (Text with EEA relevance)

The product group ‘growing media and soil improvers’ shall comprise growing media and soil improvers.

For the purpose of this Decision, the following definitions shall apply: (1) ‘growing medium’ means a product other than soil in situ, the function of which is for plants, including algae, or mushrooms to grow in; (2) ‘soil improver’ means a product, including mulch, the function of which is to maintain, improve or protect the physical or chemical properties, the structure or the biological activity of the soil to which it is added; (3) ‘mulch’ means a type of soil improver used as protective covering placed around plants on the topsoil whose specific functions are to prevent the loss of moisture, control weed growth, help moderate soil temperature and reduce soil erosion.

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

The EU Ecolabel criteria for the product group ‘growing media and soil improvers’ and the related assessment and verification requirements shall be valid until 31 December 2030.

For administrative purposes, the code number assigned to the product group ‘growing media and soil improvers’ shall be ‘048’.

Decision (EU) 2015/2099 is repealed.

1 Applications for the EU Ecolabel for the product group ‘growing media, soil improvers and mulch’, as defined in Article 1 of Decision (EU) 2015/2099, submitted before the date of application of this Decision shall be evaluated in accordance with the conditions laid down in Decision (EU) 2015/2099.

2 Applications for the EU Ecolabel for products falling within the product group ‘growing media and soil improvers’, as defined in Article 1 of this Decision, submitted on or within two months from the date of application of this Decision may be based either on the criteria set out in this Decision or on the criteria set out in Decision (EU) 2015/2099. Those applications shall be evaluated in accordance with the criteria on which they are based.

3 EU Ecolabel licences awarded on the basis of an application evaluated in accordance with the criteria set out in Decision (EU) 2015/2099 may be used for 12 months from the date of application of this Decision.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States. It shall apply from 20 July 2022.