(1)

Under Regulation (EC) No 66/2010, the EU Ecolabel may be awarded to those products with a reduced environmental impact during their entire life cycle.

(2)

Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 provides that specific EU Ecolabel criteria are to be established according to product groups.

(3)

Commission Decision 1999/427/EC (2) has established the ecological criteria as well as the related assessment and verification requirements for detergents for dishwashers. Following the review of the criteria set out in that Decision, Commission Decision 2003/31/EC (3) has established revised criteria which are valid until 30 April 2011.

(4)

Those criteria have been further reviewed in the light of technological developments. It results from the review that it is necessary to modify the definition of the product group so as to include a new sub-product group and to establish new criteria. Those new criteria, as well as the related assessment and verification requirements, should be valid for 4 years from the date of adoption of this Decision.

(5)

Decision 2003/31/EC should therefore be replaced for reasons of clarity.

(6)

A transitional period should be allowed for producers whose products have been awarded the Ecolabel for detergents for dishwashers on the basis of the criteria set out in Decision 2003/31/EC, so that they have sufficient time to adapt their products to comply with the revised criteria and requirements. Producers should also be allowed to submit applications based on the criteria set out in Decision 2003/31/EC or on the criteria set out in this Decision until the lapse of validity of that Decision.

(7)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established by Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No 66/2010,