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Member States reject deca-BDE, PVC in eco-label criteria

At a meeting of the EU Eco-labelling Board yesterday, Member States took a firm stand against what is seen as a tendency of the Commission to insist that certain chemicals should be permissible in eco-label product criteria in order to make them compliant with other EU law. They rejected moves to allow biocides in textiles and the flame retardant deca-BDE in textiles and mattresses when it is banned in electrical and electronic equipment. They also rejected the inclusion of PVC in criteria for wooden furniture. The Commission must now come back with revised proposals for all three product groups. NGOs congratulated Member States on their stand, saying that the eco-label is intended to be a mark of excellence and describing as "outrageous" moves to include "problematic substances".

• EEB statement