Commission Decision (EU) 2023/1809 of 14 September 2023 establishing the EU Ecolabel criteria for absorbent hygiene products and for reusable menstrual cups (notified under document C(2023) 6024) (Text with EEA relevance)

1 The product group ‘absorbent hygiene products’ shall comprise any article whose function is to absorb and retain human fluids such as urine, faeces, sweat, menstrual fluid or milk, excluding textile products. The product group ‘absorbent hygiene products’ shall include products for both private and professional use.

2 The product group ‘absorbent hygiene products’ shall not include products falling under the scope of Regulation (EU) 2017/745.

1 The product group ‘reusable menstrual cups’ shall comprise reusable flexible cups or barriers worn inside the body whose function is to retain and collect menstrual fluid, and which are made of silicone or other elastomers.

2 The product group ‘reusable menstrual cups’ shall not include products falling under the scope of Regulation (EU) 2017/745.

1 In order for a product to be awarded the EU Ecolabel under Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 for the product group ‘absorbent hygiene products’, it shall fall within the definition of that product group as specified in Article 1 of this Decision, and shall comply with the respective 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 ‘reusable menstrual cups’, it shall fall within the definition of that product group as specified in Article 2 of this Decision and shall comply with the respective criteria and related assessment and verification requirements set out in Annex II to this Decision.

The EU Ecolabel criteria for the product group ‘absorbent hygiene products’ and for the product group ‘reusable menstrual cups’ and the related assessment and verification requirements shall be valid until 31 December 2029.

1 For administrative purposes, the code number assigned to the product group ‘absorbent hygiene products’ shall be ‘047’.

2 For administrative purposes, the code number assigned to the product group ‘reusable menstrual cups’ shall be ‘055’.

Decision 2014/763/EU is repealed.

1 Applications for the EU Ecolabel for the product group ‘absorbent hygiene products’, as defined in Decision 2014/763/EU, submitted before the date of application of this Decision shall be evaluated in accordance with the criteria set out in Decision 2014/763/EU.

2 Applications for the EU Ecolabel for products falling within the product group ‘absorbent hygiene products’ submitted on or within two months from the date of application of this Decision may be based, by the applicant, on, and evaluated in accordance with, either the criteria set out in this Decision, or on the criteria set out in Decision 2014/763/EU.

3 EU Ecolabel licences awarded on the basis of an application evaluated in accordance with the criteria set out in Decision 2014/763/EU 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 21 September 2023.