Eco-Label, New Generation Instrument of Environmental Protection

• Author: Ilinca Elena Alexandra, Adriana Elena Belu
• Position: University 'Spiru Haret', Faculty of Law and Public Administration - Craiova
• Pages: 270-274

European Integration - Realities and Perspectives

2010

270

Eco-Label, New Generation Instrument of Environmental Protection

Ilinca Elena Alexandra

1

, Belu Adriana Elena

2

1

University „Spiru Haret”, Faculty of Law and Public Administration – Craiova,

alailinca@yahoo.com

2

University „Spiru Haret”, Faculty of Law and Public Administration – Craiova,

adyelenabelu@yahoo.com

Abstract: The overall objective of Community polic y on the environment and business is to contribute to

sustainable development. The EU eco-label scheme (as laid down in the new Regulation (EC) No

1980/2000) is now part of a wider approach on Integrated Product Pol icy (IPP) within the new Action

Programme. The Com mission has published a Green Paper on IPP that will be a key innovative element of

future environmental policy and sustainable consumption and production. Strategically, the European eco-

label Scheme is, and will be, in line with the pr inciples, goals a nd priorities of the 6th action Programme

"Our Future, Our Choice". Following the Rio Summit in 1992, preparations by the EU on the overall

objectives of sustainable development are underway as the year 2002 will be the year of RIO+10. 2002 will

also see the 10th anniversary of the Flower label. The European eco-label is based on the vision of greening

non-food product s all over Europe in a joint and common approach of all European stakeholders brought

together in the European Union Eco-labelling Board (EUEB).

Keywords: environmental impact; competent bodies; certificated products

The positive law has two instruments that allow the enterprises adhere to voluntary instruments:

environmental management and audit scheme on one hand and the eco-label on the other hand, which

assimilate in regards to their logics with the ecological instruments.

The enterprisers that take this „voluntary commitment” actually bear both the expenses of the

intercession and the environmental measures that result from them, if there is the case and the

consumers, in exchange, should prefer them in the choice they make, being informed on these aspects.

(Thieffry, 2008, p. 124) These two European environmental instruments that govern the voluntary

commitments were deeply reformed, partly due to their relative lack of success.

A high attention from the consumers, the market and the entire community paid to the issue regarding

the environment and certain institutions understanding the fact t hat just „command and control” was

no longer enough to determine economic agents attain effective ecological performances, resulted in

the creation of new generation instrument of environmental management, that would answer market

requests and at the same time would be capable to accompany and support the existing ones in other

economic fields. We already mentioned the main voluntary instruments of environmental protection at

European Union level which are a part of the eco certifications of the product, or eco labels, as they

are called.

These consist of norms with different territorial values, which establish criteria and limits that a

product should abide within t he impact that it causes to environment. Within this evaluation method,

an approach regarding the whole life cycle is adopted, therefore having in view all the types of impact