The recent live broadcast organised by the European Commission on 10 October 2025 – moderated by Anna Norberg from Ecolabelling Sweden, in cooperation with EEB and ADEME – offered a timely reminder that choosing EU Ecolabel-certified goods and services is a smart choice that can simplify public buyers’ lives. 

Simplicity and trust in one symbol

“The EU Ecolabel uptake is constantly growing. We now count around 110,000 EU Ecolabel products”, said Pierre Henry, Deputy Head of Unit for Sustainable Products at the European Commission. “When purchasing EU Ecolabel products, procurers can be sure that they are buying the most sustainable goods or services on the market.”

Dominique Sandy from ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability described the EU Ecolabel as “a straightforward way of incorporating green aspects into purchasing decisions.  “The label – he added – saves time, reduces complexity, and ensures public funds support truly sustainable products and services.”

From credibility to choice: a growing marketplace

The EU Ecolabel offers public buyers a simple way to make procurement greener, without adding unwarranted complexity. By choosing products that already meet trusted environmental criteria, procurers can save time, close the gap in green public procurement between companies and the public sector, and deliver real environmental results.

“A Danish report demonstrates through concrete examples and calculations how procurement can make a big difference for the environment and climate when choosing better products,” explained Anna Linusson, CEO at Ecolabelling Sweden, the Nordic environmental labelling scheme. With over 220,000 officially certified products available under both the EU Ecolabel and national Type I ecolabels, the market offers more choice than ever. 

From a price perspective, the perception of higher costs remains widespread, explained Céline Scheuer of the French ADEME. In reality, studies by ADEME and BEUC show that EU Ecolabel products are often priced on par with, or even below, comparable items on the market.

Regulation push

As Marta Toporek from the Public Procurement Unit at the European Commission underlined during the broadcast, this discussion takes place at a pivotal moment. The Commission has just published the evaluation of the EU Public Procurement Directives, marking the first step towards revising the 2014 framework.

On top of the EU framework, there are countries that have chosen to make the inclusion of sustainability criteria mandatory for multiple purchasing categories. As Martina Ferrara, ESG and Certifications Project Manager at Punto 3 noted, “Public procurement in Italy allows Type 1 ecolabels to be used as the only means of conformity for sustainability criteria.” This has given a boost to the spread of Type 1 ecolabels, namely those complying with ISO 14024.

Innovation that pays off 

Beyond compliance, the EU Ecolabel drives innovation within companies. Park Bao, Senior Regulatory Specialist at Diversey, a global supplier of professional cleaning products, explained: “We are using the EU Ecolabel as a sustainability benchmark to develop new products.” Between 75% and 100% of cleaning products in their portfolio are now certified.

Thomas Gillesberger from Format Werk in Austria shared a similar perspective: “We see the EU Ecolabel as a competitive advantage on the EU market.” His remark reflects how EU manufacturers are leveraging certification not only to demonstrate environmental commitment but also to strengthen their market position and benefit from public procurement opportunities.

Public procurement as a catalyst

For Pierre Henry, integrating the EU Ecolabel into tendering is “a bridge between procurement practice and the EU’s broader sustainability agenda.” It supports major policy goals such as the Circular Economy Act and the Clean Industrial Deal, while aligning with initiatives like the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition.

Cities such as Copenhagen are already putting this vision into practice. Ida Ginsborg from the City of Copenhagen urged her peers to “talk to our public procurers to inform them about the gains of buying Ecolabel products.” Awareness remains the key to scaling up success, as also confirmed Anne Bentz, Director of 3AR – an organisation promoting the EU Ecolabel in French Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

During the broadcast, Paula Pérez-López from the EC Joint Research Centre encouraged the use of practical guides, designed to integrate EU Ecolabel criteria easily and effectively into procurement procedures.  Procurers can even use the guides on EU Ecolabel criteria “as a source of inspiration to draft tender documents,” she added. 

As the broadcast demonstrated, integrating EU Ecolabel-certified products into procurement helps turn sustainability goals into practical results. Explore the EU Ecolabel Product Catalogue.

Watch the live broadcast recording 

To go further

Presentations

• Marta Toporek – European Commission
• Anna Linusson – Ecolabelling Sweden
• Martina Ferrara – Punto 3
• Céline Scheuer – ADEME
• Ida Ginsborg – City of Copenhagen
• Anne Bentz – 3AR
• Thomas Gillesberger – Format Werk
• Park Bao – Diversey, a Solenis Company
• Paula Pérez-López – Joint Research Centre, European Commission

For more information, visit the EU Ecolabel website.