EN ISO 14024:2026

• Abstract:

  This document specifies principles and requirements and gives guidance on ecolabelling programmes and ecolabels; This document is applicable to ecolabelling programme development, selection of product categories, product environmental criteria and product function criteria, and the process for assessing and certifying products that are licensed to use an ecolabel. It provides guidance on how ecolabels in conformity with this document can be differentiated from other environmental statements and ecolabels in the market.; NOTE Ecolabels and ecolabelling programmes address environmental aspects of products but can also include social and economic aspects in support of sustainable development.

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 12-May-2026
• ICS: 13.020.50 - Ecolabelling
• Technical Committee: CEN/SS S26 - Environmental Management
• Current Stage: 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
• Start Date: 13-May-2026
• Completion Date: 13-May-2026
• Directive: Harmonized Standard765/2008 - REGULATION (EC) No 765/2008 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 9 July 2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93
• Mandate: M/580 - Standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardisation and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation in the area of accreditation and conformity assessment
• Ref Project: SIST EN ISO 14024:2026 - Environmental statements and programmes for products - Ecolabels (ISO 14024:2026)

• Replaces: EN ISO 14024:2018 - Environmental labels and declarations - Type I environmental labelling - Principles and procedures (ISO 14024:2018)
• Effective Date: 23-Aug-2023
• Referred By: EN 12542:2010 - LPG equipment and accessories - Static welded steel cylindrical tanks, serially produced for the storage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) having a volume not greater than 13 m³ - Design and manufacture
• Effective Date: 20-May-2026
• Referred By: EN 16119:2013 - LPG equipment and accessories - Sealing caps and plugs for LPG cylinder and pressure vessel valves - Specification and testing
• Effective Date: 20-May-2026
• Referred By: EN 16119:2021 - LPG equipment and accessories - Sealing caps and plugs for LPG cylinder and pressure vessel valves - Specification and testing
• Effective Date: 20-May-2026
• Consolidated By: ISO 14024:2026 - Environmental statements and programmes for products — Ecolabels
• Effective Date: 12-Feb-2026

Overview

EN ISO 14024:2026 - Environmental Statements and Programmes for Products – Ecolabels is an international standard developed by CEN and ISO. It establishes clear principles, requirements, and guidance for developing and managing ecolabelling programmes and issuing ecolabels for products and services. Ecolabels are valuable tools for communicating verified environmental information to consumers, supporting environmentally sound choices, and promoting sustainable product development.

The standard comprehensively addresses the lifecycle-based assessment of products, criteria for product performance and function, certification processes, and procedures to ensure transparency, impartiality, and credibility. EN ISO 14024:2026 helps differentiate certified ecolabels from other environmental statements in the marketplace, supporting fair competition, consumer trust, and international trade.

Key Topics

EN ISO 14024:2026 covers the following essential aspects of ecolabels and ecolabelling programmes:

• Principles: Grounded in transparency, scientific evidence, life cycle perspective, impartiality, stakeholder involvement, and voluntary participation.
• Ecolabelling Programme Development: Guidance on establishing rules and management systems for ecolabel schemes, including conflict of interest prevention, consultation with stakeholders, and open access to information.
• Selection of Product Categories: Procedures for feasibility studies, defining product groups, environmental impacts analysis, and involving interested parties in category selection.
• Product Criteria Development:
  • Product Environmental Criteria: Requirements focusing on minimizing environmental impacts across a product’s life cycle.
  • Product Function Criteria: Standards to ensure that products awarded an ecolabel meet consumer expectations and intended use.
• Assessment and Certification Process: Framework for third-party assessment, conformity assessment, licensing, monitoring, and the use of relevant testing or evaluation methods to verify compliance.
• Differentiation from Other Environmental Statements: Guidance on distinguishing credible, certified ecolabels complying with ISO 14024 from self-declared claims or other types of environmental labels, minimizing risks of greenwashing.

Applications

The practical value of EN ISO 14024:2026 is evident across diverse sectors and applications:

• Market Differentiation: Manufacturers and service providers can obtain independent verification of their environmental efforts, gaining a recognized ecolabel to support marketing claims and customer trust.
• Public and Private Procurement: Purchasing organizations can use ISO 14024-compliant ecolabels as reliable criteria to select sustainable and environmentally preferable products.
• Product Development: Companies can use the standardized criteria to benchmark and improve product design, materials selection, and manufacturing processes, continually advancing sustainability goals.
• Consumer Choice: Ecolabels foster informed decision-making, enabling individuals and businesses to identify products that meet high environmental standards.
• Support for Regulation and Policy: Governments and regulatory bodies can use ecolabelling programmes as voluntary market mechanisms to complement or inform regulatory measures.

EN ISO 14024 supports international harmonization, facilitating mutual recognition of ecolabels and ensuring consistent approaches to environmental statements and declarations across markets.

Related Standards

EN ISO 14024:2026 is part of the broader ISO 14020 family of standards on environmental labels and declarations, which includes:

• ISO 14020: Environmental statements and programmes for products – Principles and general requirements
• ISO 14021: Self-declared environmental claims (Type II environmental labelling)
• ISO 14025: Environmental product declarations (EPDs)
• ISO 14026: Footprint communications
• ISO/TS 14027: Product Category Rules (PCR) for EPDs
• ISO/TS 14029: Mutual recognition of EPDs and related programmes

Organizations looking to implement or expand ecolabelling initiatives should familiarize themselves with these related standards to ensure a holistic approach to environmental communication and product certification.

---

Keywords: EN ISO 14024, ISO 14024:2026, ecolabelling, ecolabels, environmental statements, product certification, sustainable products, environmental criteria, life cycle assessment, green procurement, ISO 14020 family

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-oktober-2026
Okoljske izjave in programi za proizvode - Okoljske oznake (ISO 14024:2026)
Environmental statements and programmes for products - Ecolabels (ISO 14024:2026)
Umweltaussagen und -programme für Produkte - Umweltzeichen (ISO 14024:2026)
Déclarations environnementales et programmes pour les produits - Écolabels (ISO
14024:2026)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 14024:2026
ICS:
13.020.50 Označevanje z ekološko Ecolabelling
nalepko
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN ISO 14024
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
May 2026
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 13.020.50 Supersedes EN ISO 14024:2018
English Version
Environmental statements and programmes for products -
Ecolabels (ISO 14024:2026)
Déclarations environnementales et programmes pour Umweltaussagen und -programme für Produkte -
les produits - Écolabels (ISO 14024:2026) Umweltzeichen (ISO 14024:2026)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 10 August 2025.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 14024:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3

European foreword
This document (EN ISO 14024:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 207
"Environmental management" in collaboration with CCMC.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by November 2026, and conflicting national standards
shall be withdrawn at the latest by November 2026.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN ISO 14024:2018.
This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to CEN by the European
Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these requests for its
Member States.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards
body/national committee. A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the
United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 14024:2026 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 14024:2026 without any modification.

International
Standard
ISO 14024
Third edition
Environmental statements and
2026-05
programmes for products —
Ecolabels
Déclarations environnementales et programmes pour les
produits — Écolabels
Reference number
ISO 14024:2026(en) © ISO 2026
ISO 14024:2026(en)
© ISO 2026
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
ISO 14024:2026(en)
Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
3.1 Terms related to the environment .1
3.2 Terms related to ecolabels and ecolabelling programmes .2
3.3 Terms related to life cycle.3
3.4 Terms related to conformity assessment of ecolabels .4
4 Principles . 4
5 Other types of environmental statements . 4
6 Requirements applying to ecolabelling programmes . 4
6.1 Ecolabelling programme .4
6.1.1 General .4
6.1.2 Avoidance of conflict of interest .5
6.1.3 Ecolabelling programme establishment and management .5
6.1.4 Ecolabelling programme operating rules .5
6.2 Programme operator .6
6.2.1 General .6
6.2.2 Costs and fees .6
6.3 Involvement of interested parties .6
6.3.1 General .6
6.3.2 Consultation process .6
6.4 Selection of product categories .6
6.4.1 General .6
6.4.2 Conducting a feasibility study of product categories .6
6.4.3 Proposal for product category .7
6.4.4 Mutual recognition .7
6.5 Specific requirements and product criteria for product categories .7
6.5.1 Overall considerations .7
6.5.2 Selection of product environmental criteria .8
6.5.3 Selection of product function criteria .9
6.5.4 Validity of programme requirements .9
6.6 Quantification methodologies, data quality and reporting .10
6.6.1 General .10
6.6.2 Assessment methods .10
6.6.3 Values for each criterion .10
6.6.4 Data quality .10
6.6.5 Hierarchy of determination methods .10
6.6.6 Weighting .11
6.6.7 Availability of test laboratories and others .11
6.6.8 Competency and impartiality .11
6.7 Conformity assessment .11
6.7.1 General .11
6.7.2 Requirements regarding the selection of the determination methods .11
6.7.3 Requirements regarding the certification .11
6.8 Format of ecolabels, reporting and publication .11
6.9 Changes or revisions to ecolabelling programmes, product criteria and ecolabels . 12
7 General requirements applying to ecolabels .13
8 Certification process, licensing and surveillance.13
8.1 General . 13
8.2 Certification applications and agreements . 13

iii
ISO 14024:2026(en)
8.3 Review of determination results . 13
8.4 Decision-making .14
8.5 Licensing .14
8.6 Surveillance . 15
Annex A (informative) Communication guidance for ISO 14024 ecolabels .16
Annex B (informative) Selection of product criteria . 17
Annex C (informative) Examples for product criteria and related conformity assessment
methods .20
Annex D (informative) Alternatives for conformity assessment .23
Bibliography .25

iv
ISO 14024:2026(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 207, Environmental management, Subcommittee
SC 3, Environmental labelling, in collaboration with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), in
accordance with the Agreement on technical cooperation between ISO and CEN (Vienna Agreement).
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (ISO 14024:2018), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— elements that are common to all the documents on environmental statements developed by ISO/TC 207/SC
3 have been removed and are now in ISO 14020:2022;
— the document has been restructured to correspond with the structure of ISO 14020;
— Figure 1 has been added;
— a new Annex A has been added that provides information about how ecolabels made in accordance with
this document can be differentiated from other environmental statements that do not conform to this
document;
— the table and product criteria selection matrix in 6.4.1 has been moved to Annex B and expanded;
— a new Annex C has been added that provides guidance, with examples, for programme operators on how
product criteria and related conformity assessment methods can be matched;
— a new Annex D has been added with methods and requirements associated with conformity assessment
(e.g. testing, inspection, audit) that are necessary to demonstrate the veracity of the ecolabel;
— reference documents have been updated.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

v
ISO 14024:2026(en)
Introduction
0.1  This document contains principles, requirements and guidance for ecolabelling programmes and
ecolabels that provide environmental information about products. Ecolabelling programmes award their
ecolabel to products that meet a set of predetermined requirements. The ecolabel identifies products that
are determined to be most environmentally preferable within a particular product category.
0.2  Ecolabels are voluntary (see ISO 14020:2022, 4.10). They can be operated by public or private agencies
and can be national, regional or international in nature.
0.3  Ecolabels are one type of environmental statement. The overall goals of environmental statements are
to:
a) communicate accurate information about the environmental impacts or aspects of goods and services;
b) encourage the demand for and supply of goods and services that cause less stress on the environment;
c) stimulate market-driven continual environmental improvement in goods and services.
0.4  This document harmonizes the transparent and credible use of ecolabels and differentiates them from
other forms of environmental statements. The benefits of using this document are:
a) ecolabels based on accurate and verifiable information that are not misleading;
b) increased potential for market forces to stimulate the improvement of environmental aspects in
production processes, goods and services;
c) prevention or minimization of unwarranted self-declared environmental labels;
d) avoidance of marketplace confusion with other types of environmental statements and general
certification of products that fulfil environmental or sustainability requirements;
e) facilitation of international trade;
f) increased opportunities for purchasers, potential purchasers, and users of goods and services to make
better informed choices.
0.5  This document is one of the documents developed by ISO/TC 207/SC 3 that provide principles,
requirements and guidance for different types of environmental statements about products. These
documents focus on fighting greenwashing in the marketplace. These documents include the following:
— ISO 14020, which provides common terms and definitions, principles and general requirements for
all environmental statements (e.g. self-declared environmental claims, ecolabels, EPDs and footprint
communications) and associated programmes that enable the communication of environmental aspects
and potential environmental impacts of products.
— ISO 14021, which provides principles, requirements and guidance for environmental statements in the
form of self-declared environmental claims.
— ISO 14024 (this document), which provides principles, requirements and guidance for environmental
statements in the form of ecolabels.
— ISO 14025, which provides principles, requirements and guidance for environmental statements in the
form of environmental product declarations (EPDs).
— ISO 14026, which provides principles, requirements and guidance for environmental statements in the
form of footprint communications.
— ISO/TS 14027, which provides principles, requirements and guidance for product category rules (PCR)
that support the use of life cycle assessment (LCA) as a method to compile and evaluate information that
is used as a basis for making environmental statements.

vi
ISO 14024:2026(en)
— ISO/TS 14029, which provides principles, requirements and guidance for the mutual recognition of EPDs,
footprint communications and associated programmes.
0.6  Environmental statement programme operators are encouraged to cooperate and harmonize with each
other, whenever relevant and applicable, to enhance the coherence of environmental statement programmes,
at regional, national and international levels.
0.7  This document requires the user to apply the requirements in ISO 14020. Those requirements refer
to the generic term “environmental statement”. When reading this document and ISO 14020 together, the
generic term “environmental statement” in ISO 14020 can be interpreted as referring to the specific term
included in this document, i.e. “ecolabel”.
0.8  Figure 1 provides the existing structure of the documents on environmental statements developed by
ISO/TC 207/SC 3 in graphic form.

vii
ISO 14024:2026(en)
Figure 1 — Structure of documents on environmental statements developed by ISO/TC 207/SC 3

viii
International Standard ISO 14024:2026(en)
Environmental statements and programmes for products —
Ecolabels
1 Scope
1.1 This document specifies principles and requirements and gives guidance on ecolabelling programmes
and ecolabels.
1.2 This document is applicable to ecolabelling programme development, selection of product categories,
product environmental criteria and product function criteria, and the process for assessing and certifying
products that are licensed to use an ecolabel. It provides guidance on how ecolabels in conformity with this
document can be differentiated from other environmental statements and ecolabels in the market.
NOTE Ecolabels and ecolabelling programmes address environmental aspects of products but can also include
social and economic aspects in support of sustainable development.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 14020, Environmental statements and programmes for products — Principles and general requirements
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 14020 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1 Terms related to the environment
3.1.1
environmental impact
change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, including possible consequences, wholly or
partially resulting from an organization’s environmental aspects (3.1.2)
[SOURCE: ISO 14020:2022, 3.1.4]
3.1.2
environmental aspect
element of an organization’s activities or products (3.2.1) that interacts or can interact with the environment
Note 1 to entry: Typically, environmental aspects can include emissions to air, discharges to water and soil, and waste,
which in turn can generate environmental and human health impacts such as global warming, smog, water pollution
or contaminated land.
[SOURCE: ISO 14020:2022, 3.1.3, modified — Reference to “soil” and “human” added and “arisings” deleted
in Note 1 to entry.]
ISO 14024:2026(en)
3.2 Terms related to ecolabels and ecolabelling programmes
3.2.1
product
any goods or service
[SOURCE: ISO 14050:2020, 3.5.12]
3.2.2
product category
group of products (3.2.1) that can fulfil equivalent functions
[SOURCE: ISO 14020:2022, 3.2.12]
3.2.3
product criteria
set of requirements that the product (3.2.1) has to meet in order to be awarded an ecolabel (3.2.10)
Note 1 to entry: Product criteria consist of product environmental criteria (3.2.4) and product function criteria (3.2.5).
These can include requirements related to social and economic aspects of the product in support of sustainable
development.
3.2.4
product environmental criteria
environmental requirements that the product (3.2.1) has to meet in order to be awarded an ecolabel (3.2.10)
[SOURCE: ISO 14050:2020, 3.5.9]
3.2.5
product function criteria
requirements for a product’s (3.2.1) performance, use and fitness for purpose (3.2.6) which it has to meet in
order to be awarded an ecolabel (3.2.10)
3.2.6
fitness for purpose
ability of a product (3.2.1) or process to serve a defined purpose under specific conditions
[SOURCE: ISO 14050:2020, 3.5.8]
3.2.7
interested party
stakeholder
person or organization that can affect, be affected by or perceive itself to be affected by an ecolabel (3.2.10)
Note 1 to entry: To “perceive itself to be affected” means the interested party has made its perception known to the
programme operator (3.2.11).
Note 2 to entry: The interested parties for ecolabelling programmes (3.2.9) can include, but are not limited to, material
suppliers, manufacturers, trade associations, purchasers, users, consumers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
public agencies, testing institutes and laboratories and, when relevant, certification bodies.
[SOURCE: ISO 14020:2022, 3.2.15, modified — “stakeholder” added as admitted term. “ecolabel” replaced
“environmental statement” in the definition. “ecolabelling” replaced “environmental statement” and “testing
institutes and laboratories” added in Note 2 to entry.]
3.2.8
environmental statement programme
rules and procedures for providing an environmental statement
Note 1 to entry: Environmental statement programmes can be carried out at international, regional, national or sub-
national levels.
Note 2 to entry: A programme can also be called a scheme.

ISO 14024:2026(en)
Note 3 to entry: An environmental statement programme can include requirements for conformity assessment (3.4.1).
[SOURCE: ISO 14020:2022, 3.3.1, modified — Note 4 to entry and Note 5 to entry deleted.]
3.2.9
ecolabelling programme
environmental statement programme (3.2.8) that is multiple-attribute-based and provided by a third party
(3.4.2) that assesses overall environmental preferability of a product (3.2.1) within a particular product
category (3.2.2) based on life cycle (3.3.1) perspectives
Note 1 to entry: The ecolabelling programme awards a licence (3.2.13) that authorizes the use of a specific ecolabel
(3.2.10) on a product related to environmental performance.
[SOURCE: ISO 14020:2022, 3.3.2, modified — Deprecated term deleted. “perspectives” replaced
“considerations” in the definition. End of the definition moved to a new Note 1 to entry. Original Note 1 to
entry deleted.]
3.2.10
ecolabel
DEPRECATED: Type I environmental label
environmental statement that indicates a product (3.2.1) fulfils the requirements of an ecolabelling
programme (3.2.9)
[SOURCE: ISO 14020:2022, 3.2.7, modified — “requirements” replaced “criteria” in the definition. Note 1 to
entry deleted.]
3.2.11
programme operator
person or organization responsible for developing and maintaining an ecolabelling programme
(3.2.9)
Note 1 to entry: The programme operator can be the certification body at the same time.
[SOURCE: ISO 14020:2022, 3.3.3, modified — Domain added. “ecolabelling” replaced “environmental
statement” in the definition. Note 1 to entry replaced.]
3.2.12
licence holder
party authorized by a programme operator (3.2.11) to use an ecolabel (3.2.10)
3.2.13
licence
document issued under the rules of an ecolabelling programme (3.2.9) certification system,
with which a programme operator (3.2.11) grants to a person or body the right to use ecolabels (3.2.10) for
its products (3.2.1) in accordance with the rules of the ecolabelling programme
3.3 Terms related to life cycle
3.3.1
life cycle
consecutive and interlinked stages, from raw material acquisition or generation from natural resources to
final disposal
[SOURCE: ISO 14044:2006/Amd 2:2020, 3.1]
3.3.2
indicator
quantitative, qualitative or binary variable that can be measured, calculated or described, representing the
status of operations, management, conditions or impacts
[SOURCE: ISO 14050:2020, 3.2.24]

ISO 14024:2026(en)
3.4 Terms related to conformity assessment of ecolabels
3.4.1
conformity assessment
confirmation through the provision of objective evidence, that specified requirements have been fulfilled
[SOURCE: ISO 14050:2020, 3.4.1, modified — Preferred term “verification” deleted.]
3.4.2
third party
person or body that is recognized as being independent of the parties involved, as concerns the issues in
question
Note 1 to entry: When the phrase “… parties involved…” is used in an ecolabelling programme (3.2.9) this normally
refers to supplier and purchaser interests.
[SOURCE: ISO 14050:2020, 3.2.8, modified — Note 1 to entry added.]
4 Principles
The principles of ISO 14020:2022, Clause 4, shall apply. The principles from ISO 14020 include the following:
— credibility;
— evidence-based methodology;
— transparency and availability;
— confidentiality;
— life cycle perspective;
— environmental performance improvement and innovation;
— accessibility and avoidance of unnecessary information and administrative demands;
— interested parties and consultation;
— voluntary;
— regionality.
5 Other types of environmental statements
See ISO 14020:2022, Clause 5 for information.
For information on how to distinguish ecolabels that are in conformity with this document from other
environmental statements and certification programmes, see Annex A.
6 Requirements applying to ecolabelling programmes
6.1 Ecolabelling programme
6.1.1 General
The requirements of ISO 14020:2022, 6.1, shall apply.

ISO 14024:2026(en)
An ecolabelling programme consists of the following elements:
a) the programme rules that govern its operation, including the selection of product categories to be
covered;
b) the product function criteria and their related quantification and reporting for each product category,
which ensure that products bearing the ecolabel meet customer performance expectations;
c) the product environmental criteria and their related quantification and reporting for each product
category, which differentiate products that qualify to use the ecolabel from other products in that
category that are available in the marketplace.
NOTE Licence holders and products bearing the ecolabel are expected to be in compliance with legal requirements.
6.1.2 Avoidance of conflict of interest
Programme operators shall ensure that they act impartially. Programmes shall be able to demonstrate that
sources of funding or any other elements do not create a conflict of interest.
NOTE ISO/IEC 17065 specifies the requirements for the competence, impartiality and consistent operations of
certification bodies doing certification of products.
6.1.3 Ecolabelling programme establishment and management
The establishment and management of ecolabelling programmes shall involve an iterative process, which
includes:
a) consultation with interested parties (see 6.3);
b) the selection of product categories (see 6.4);
c) development, review and modification of product criteria (see 6.5 and 6.9);
d) the establishment of determination methods, certification procedures and other administrative
elements of the programme (see 6.6, 6.7, 6.8 and Clause 8).
6.1.4 Ecolabelling programme operating rules
The programme operator shall prescribe the general rules for the operation of the ecolabelling programme.
These general rules shall include:
a) the general conditions for the awarding of the licence, including an obligation on applicants and licence
holders to inform the programme operator of any changes to their organization or product that would
affect ongoing conformity with the general rules;
b) publicity of licences;
c) procedures to withdraw the licence if legal requirements are not being complied with in production and
in the markets where the ecolabel is used;
d) other conditions that can lead to the suspension, cancellation or withdrawal of a licence;
e) procedures for implementing corrective action in case of nonconformity;
f) procedures for resolution of complaints, disputes and appeals;
g) fee structure;
h) guidance for the use of the ecolabel.
The general rules and the product criteria shall be used as the basis for awarding and withdrawing the
licence to use the ecolabel (see 8.5.1).

ISO 14024:2026(en)
To be eligible to use the ecolabel, the product shall conform to all applicable criteria (see 8.5.1).
NOTE It is important that all pre-requisites for awarding the ecolabel are included in these documents.
6.2 Programme operator
6.2.1 General
The requirements of ISO 14020:2022, 6.2, shall apply.
6.2.2 Costs and fees
Costs and fees may include testing costs, application and licence fees or administration fees. In principle, the
costs and fees for the granting and maintaining of an ecolabel should be based on all programme costs and
should be kept as low as possible to maximize accessibility.
Any fees should be publicly available and applied equitably to all applicants and licence holders.
EXAMPLE Licence fees can be structured according to the turnover of the licensed products.
6.3 Involvement of interested parties
6.3.1 General
The requirements of ISO 14020:2022, 6.3, shall apply.
6.3.2 Consultation process
6.3.2.1 The programme operator shall implement an open formal consultation mechanism that encourages
participation of interested parties with different opinions and expertise.
NOTE Such a mechanism can include the use of selected groups of interested parties’ representatives on a
consultation board, or on an advisory committee. Public hearings can also be used.
6.3.2.2 The consultation mechanism shall undertake an ongoing consultation process that:
a) occurs in the selection of the product category;
b) establishes the product criteria and related determination and reporting methods;
c) allows interested parties to:
1) have adequate access to details and sources of information used;
2) have adequate time to study this information;
3) comment on the programme and receive proper consideration of, and response to, their comments;
d) takes reasonable steps to achieve consensus.
6.4 Selection of product categories
6.4.1 General
The requirements of ISO 14020:2022, 6.4, shall apply.
6.4.2 Conducting a feasibility study of product categories
A feasibility study on potential product categories and the nature of the market may be undertaken.

ISO 14024:2026(en)
The feasibility study should consider the following:
a) detailed description of the product category;
b) environmental impacts of the products;
c) consultation with interested parties;
d) a market survey (e.g. nature, size, demand);
e) suppliers in the marketplace (e.g. small and medium-sized enterprises, foreign and domestic producers);
f) the need for environmental improvement in the product category, and the potential to deliver
improvement;
g) the definition of the scope of product categories, taking into account equivalence of use and fitness for
purpose, including product function criteria;
h) availability of data;
i) availability of existing standards, specifications, determination methods (e.g. test methods);
j) current national and international legislation and agreements.
6.4.3 Proposal for product category
The programme operator shall create a product category proposal for consideration by the consultation
mechanism (see 6.3.2) that sets out the proposed product category or categories to be included in the
ecolabelling programme. If a feasibility study has been conducted, the proposal should summarize the
components of the feasibility study and its findings.
6.4.4 Mutual recognition
Mutual recognition between programme operators, based on confidence, should be encouraged. There may
be mutual recognition of tests, inspections, conformity assessment, administrative procedures and, where
appropriate, product criteria.
To ensure full transparency, information on existing mutual recognition agreements with other ecolabelling
programmes shall be made available.
NOTE For further guidance, see ISO/IEC Guide 68 and ISO/IEC 17040.
6.5 Specific requirements and product criteria for product categories
6.5.1 Overall considerations
6.5.1.1 General
The requirements of ISO 14020:2022, 6.5, shall apply.
In addition, the framework and procedures set out in this document are intended to provide uniformity,
while allowing decisions on the final criteria to be the result of the consultation process between the
programme operator and interested parties.
Product criteria consist of product environmental criteria and product function criteria.
Testing, verification and any other determination methods should be considered in parallel with the
preparation of requirements for a given product category.

ISO 14024:2026(en)
6.5.1.2 Environmental preferability
The product criteria as a whole shall be set at a higher level than legal requirements for the purpose of
driving product development over time towards more environmentally sound products. Legal requirements
should only be used as a baseline. In all product categories, the programme operator shall stimulate this
environmental improvement by adjusting the levels of requirements over time. The ecolabel should be in
reach only for the environmentally best products in the market at any time.
6.5.1.3 Scope of issues
The product criteria shall take into account relevant local, national, regional and global environmental
issues, and available technology. They may also consider related social and economic aspects. This includes
relevant issues where the product is manufactured and where it is likely to be sold.
6.5.1.4 Selectivity of product criteria
Product criteria as a whole shall be established to differentiate environmentally preferable products from
others in the product category, based on a measurable difference in environmental impact. Product criteria
shall differentiate between products only when these differences are significant. Testing, verification and
any other determination methods used to assess products have different levels of precision and accuracy.
This shall be considered when determining the significance of this difference.
6.5.1.5 Attainable levels for product criteria
The product criteria should be set at attainable levels and should reflect consideration of environmental
impacts, measurement capability and accuracy.
6.5.1.6 Reasonable restrictions
Product criteria that directly or i
...