The Official Journal of the European Union published on 24 November the Commission Decision of 22 November 2010 establishing the European Union Ecolabelling Board. This document establishes the representation that different consumer and business organizations as well as ONGs will hold within this body.

In its Decision, the Commission highlights that for the acceptance of the EU Ecolabel scheme by the general public, it is essential that organisations such as environmental non-governmental organisations and consumer organisations be members of the European Union Ecolabelling Board (EUEB) as interested parties together with the competent bodies of the Member States.

The EUEB, in collaboration with the Commission, is responsible for developing, publishing and promoting criteria for product groups in order to minimise the environmental impacts of a wide range of products and services over their whole life-cycle. Meeting these criteria is necessary for obtaining an EU Ecolabel which is currently hold by nearly 20,000 products and services across the Union, and for which companies that excel in spreading the label have been awarded by the Commission.

The EUEB will  be composed of the representatives of the Competent Bodies of each Member State, of the representatives of the Member State of the European Economic Area and of the representatives of the following organisations:

• Bureau Européen des Consommateurs (BEUC)
• EUROCOOP
• European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
• Business Europe
• European Association of Craft, Small & Medium-sized Enterprises (UEAPME)
• Eurocommerce

Each of the members of the EUEB, which will be appointed by the Commission, will designate a contact person who will attend meetings of the Board. The EUEB will  adopt its rules of procedure in consultation with the Commission.

This Decision will apply from 1 October 2010.