'Environmentally fiendly' label

Acceptable prices and proven quality are not a sufficient precondition for consumer goods to reach their way to buyers. Due to growing ecological awareness, manufacturers have been facing the demand for market supply of products that meet high ecological standards.
 
Credible information on the ecological features of products is provided to consumers by the environmental labels. Awarding of such labels is based on the pre-established criteria to be met by specific products in order to be granted the certificate of ecological acceptability. 

The Republic of Croatia joined the group of countries with its “Environmentally Friendly “ label. The system of awarding the Environmental Label of the Republic of Croatia was established in 1993. On 16 February 1993 the Minister of the Ministry of Building and Environmental Protection of that time passed the Rule Book on Environmental Label Award. The establishment of the Croatian system for awarding the environmental label was modelled on the German system existing from 1978 and serving as a forerunner of all environmental labels applied presently throughout the world. Pursuant to Article 43 of the Environmental Protection Act (Official Gazette Nos. 82/94 and 128/99) the Rule Book on Environmental Label (Official Gazette N. 86/96) was adopted and is still effective.

The Environmental Label of the Republic of Croatia is an indication of the positive attitude of a product towards the environment. Manufacturers voluntarily participate in the award, wishing to demonstrate what has been done for the purpose of environmental pollution abatement and the reduction of raw materials and energy consumption.

The Environmental Label is a signpost meant to help the consumer make the best choice in relation to environmental protection and to find his way among diverse promotional statements, many of which are arbitrary, unprofessional or incorrect. The Environmental Label affixed to a product guarantees the consumer that the product is really less harmful to the environment than related or similar products. The ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY label is awarded on the basis of pre-established specific criteria, under participation of experts and the public and following the precisely determined procedure.

Each product has a more or less adverse effect on the environment, which is evident at all stages of the so-called product life cycle: from the production (eg. the use of particular raw materials resulting in waste gas and waste water emissions), transportation to the seller and the consumer (eg. the use of fuel), use (eg. throwing away of the packaging material and residues of the products used) to elimination or rather disposal after use (eg. groundwater pollution by harmful components of waste).

The Environmental Label award was established to promote the development of new (eg. low waste generating) technologies, production and consumption of environmentally friendlier products, environmental pollution abatement and a more economical use of raw materials and energy.

The Label may only be awarded to products showing more acceptable features that those prescribed. One of the objectives of the Environmental Label award is to make the manufacturers interested in changing the limits permitted for the better.

The product quality evaluation from the aspect of environmental protection is based on the following:

• Rule Book on Environmental Label (Official Gazette No. 64/96);
• EEC Council Guidelines on Common System of Environmental Label Award and Criteria for Environmental Label Award in Other Countries;
• Statutory provisions and standards in force in the Republic of Croatia;
• EU Council Directives on Hazardous Substances Classification, Packing and Labelling;
• ISO 9000, international standards adopted by the International Standardization Organization and containing quality systems requirements and guidelines;
• ECO AUDIT modelled after the ISO 14010.

The decision on the award of the “Environmentally friendly” label is passed by the Commission for the award of the environmental label based on the assessment whether a specific product meets the pre-established criteria. The Commission is appointed by the Minister of Environmental Protection, Physical Planning and Construction and its members include representatives of state administration bodies, manufacturers and non-governmental organisations. The criteria to be met in order to be granted the environmental label of the Republic of Croatia are established in the Rule Book on Environmental Label and in Specific Criteria. Specific criteria are developed for certain product groups.

Special criteria for Environmental Label award apply only to a specific period of time. The commission reviews the existing special criteria for each product group prior to the expiry of the time limit fixed for the use of the Environmental Label and decides whether these criteria are obsolete or the time limit will be extended without modifying them. In this manner it is ensured that the principle of the “best possible technical solution” is respected or the development of technology and alternative products followed. The maximum time period for which the label may be granted to a specific product is three years.

The Environmental Label award was not created as a prize or recognition in terms of competition, but rather as an indication of a persistent development of a recognizable product quality from the aspect of environmental protection.

This Label bears less importance for products that by the nature of things have a minor or negligible impact on the environment. Therefore it is in the first line focused on product groups potentially harmful to the environment so as to promote the development of alternative products that are environmentally friendlier in their life cycle. In other words, the Label is especially important for those products that, by a proper selection of raw materials and technologies, may be made less burdening for the environment.