What Is the EU Ecolabel?
The EU Ecolabel is the European Union's official voluntary environmental label. For clothing and textiles, it sets rules for the fiber, the chemicals used in spinning, dyeing and finishing, how well the product holds up, and labor at the sewing stage. The current textile criteria date from 2014 and run until the end of 2028.
What EU Ecolabel checks
- Fiber rules, like a minimum share of organic or reduced-pesticide cotton
- A restricted substance list for chemicals used in spinning, dyeing, printing and finishing
- Air and wastewater emissions from production sites
- Fitness for use, including color fastness and shrinkage after washing
- Core ILO labor standards at cut, make and trim sites, plus a ban on sandblasting denim
What EU Ecolabel doesn’t cover
- Labor before the sewing stage. The social criteria apply to cut, make and trim sites.
- Every chemical. It restricts the substances on its list and in its specific criteria.
- Shoes, which have their own EU Ecolabel criteria
How to check a EU Ecolabel certificate
The European Commission lists every product with a valid EU Ecolabel license in a public catalog.
- Search the catalog. Look up the brand or product in the EU Ecolabel Product Catalogue (ECAT).
- Match the product. Check that the listing falls under textiles and names the item you're buying.
EU Ecolabel questions
Is the EU Ecolabel a government label?
Yes. It's the European Union's official voluntary label, managed by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Environment and awarded by national competent bodies.
Are the EU Ecolabel textile rules changing?
They're under revision. In December 2025 the Commission extended the 2014 textile criteria to December 31, 2028, so the new version can line up with upcoming EU ecodesign rules for textiles.
Does the EU Ecolabel cover shoes?
Footwear has its own criteria, set by Decision (EU) 2016/1349. They're also valid until December 31, 2028.