Under Regulation (EC) No 1980/2000 the Community eco-label may be awarded to a product possessing characteristics which enable it to contribute significantly to improvements in relation to key environmental aspects.

Regulation (EC) No 1980/2000 provides that specific eco-label criteria are to be established according to product groups.

It also provides that the review of the eco-label criteria, as well as of the assessment and verification requirements related to the criteria, is to take place in due time before the end of the period of validity of the criteria specified for each product group. That review is to result in a proposal for prolongation, withdrawal or revision.

A new Commission Decision should be adopted establishing the specific ecological criteria for this product group, which will be valid for a period of five years.

It is appropriate that, for a limited period of not more than 12 months, both the new criteria established by this Decision and the criteria established by Decision 1999/178/EC should be valid concurrently, in order to allow sufficient time for companies, that have been awarded or that have applied for the award of the eco-label for their products prior to the date of application of this Decision to adapt those products to comply with the new criteria.

The measures provided for in this Decision are based on the draft criteria developed by the European Union Eco-Labelling Board established under Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1980/2000.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the committee instituted by Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 1980/2000,