Laatste update: 02/11/2026
The EU Ecolabel works with two types of criteria. You must meet all 22 mandatory criteria. The 45 optional criteria earn you points, and you need at least 32. Both must be correct: 40 points with one missing mandatory criterion will not get you the label.
The mandatory criteria are a gateway
No compensation is possible. That is why the number of mandatory criteria not yet in order is shown in red on your dashboard, rather than as a percentage: a percentage suggests you are almost there, which is misleading for a gateway.
Points for optional criteria
Each optional criterion has a ceiling. Some criteria have tiers: if 50 percent of your appliances are in the correct class, that’s half a point; if you reach 90 percent, it’s a full point. For a criterion with alternative paths, the highest one counts, not the sum. Points you can still earn are listed per theme card as remaining.
Three criteria have a gateway question that sets the entire criterion to zero if you answer no. For example, with 61.2: if you don’t update your social policy annually, the points you collected with 61.1 are also forfeited. The same applies to 38.1 and 59.1. This isn’t a penalty from us; it’s how it’s written in the formulas of the official verification form.
Finished is not the same as in order
This is the most important calculation to understand.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Finished | You have reviewed and answered all declarations for that criterion. It is ready to be submitted. |
| In order | Your answers also mean that you meet the criterion. |
| Point for improvement | Finished, but not met. For a mandatory criterion, this is a blocker; for an optional one, it’s a missed opportunity. |
A file can therefore be 100 percent finished and still not be ready to submit. That seems contradictory, but the alternative is worse: if “finished” meant the same as “in order,” you would only make progress by answering yes. That is exactly what you don’t want in a file that an auditor will come to check.
Points for improvement
On the dashboard, there is a card with all criteria that are finished but not met: red for mandatory, amber for optional, with a button leading to the criterion. This is your task list. For an optional criterion, it shows how many points you can still earn, so you can choose between three small ones and one large one.
