Final technical report on the revision of the EU Ecolabel criteria for indoor and outdoor paints and varnishes

This Science for Policy Report is intended to provide the background information for the revision of the existing EU Ecolabel criteria for indoor and outdoor paints and varnishes (Commission Decision 2014/312/EU). The study has been carried out by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) Unit B.5 – Circular Economy and Sustainable Industry with the technical support of Viegand Maagøe A/S. The work was developed for the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment. The EU Ecolabel criteria for indoor and outdoor paints and varnishes set out in Decision 2014/312/EU were established in 2014. Commission Decision (EU) 2022/1229 prolonged their validity until 31 December 2025. The main purpose of this Technical Report is to examine whether the criteria are still appropriate and up-to-date, or whether some of them should be revised, amended or removed; and finally, whether any new criteria should be added. The Technical Report provides elements supporting the proposal for revised EU Ecolabel criteria for decorative paints, varnishes, and related products, performance coatings and related products, and new products such as water-based aerosol spray paints. This Technical Report includes scope adjustments and revised criteria for three annexes: decorative paints, varnishes, and related products, performance coatings and related products, and water-based aerosol spray paints. This Technical Report addresses the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 (EC, 2010) regarding technical evidence to inform the criteria revision, and incorporate input from three stakeholder consultations. To support the revision process, a first version of this report was produced as a working document and was updated and complemented as the revision developed. That document provided the rationale for the revised criteria proposal and summarised the research and the outcome of the three stakeholder consultations, which were crucial to develop revised criteria that are able to pinpoint the best environmental products available on the market while taking into account the state of the art of the sector. After a revision process lasting 24 months, this is the final version of the report which supports the adopted criteria for decorative paints, varnishes, and related products, performance coatings and related products, and water-based aerosol spray paints.