Dear ladies and gentlemen,

The Criteria Commission for the eco-INSTITUT label certification system has revised and updated the testing criteria, taking into account current developments as well as external requirements and comments. The criteria have been published and are applicable with immediate effect.

Since the last revision, new substance classifications and requirements have been published by the relevant authorities, which have made these adjustments to our criteria both necessary and possible. In addition, additions have been made in some places to clarify the requirements.

There are also structural changes to the certification system.

By updating the criteria and structures, certified products can continue to meet users’ ever-increasing demands for low-emission and low-pollutant products for indoor use, thereby ensuring that the high quality of the eco-INSTITUT-Label is maintained in the future.

An overview of the key changes:

• The eco-INSTITUT-Label certification scheme will be transferred to LCPO GmbH (Labeling and Certification Program Organisation) on 27 September 2026. The reason for this change is the organisational separation between the owner of the certification scheme (now LCPO GmbH) and the independent third-party body responsible for monitoring and verifying compliance with the certification requirements (which remains eco-INSTITUT Germany GmbH). The division of these functions between two separate companies supports the compliance of the eco-INSTITUT-Label certification scheme with the requirements of the so-called EU EmpCo Directive, as well as the UWG reform coming into force on 27 September 2026, which transposes the European requirements into German law.
• For greater clarity and to facilitate revision, the details of the applicable test methods have now been moved to two separate documents: ‘Test methods for the determination of constituents in construction products, furniture and other indoor products’ and ‘Determination of emissions into indoor air from construction products, furniture and other indoor products’.
• For the sake of simplicity, the following substance classes have now been removed from the basic requirements:
  • POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) as defined in the Regulation on Persistent Organic Pollutants 2019/1021
  • HFCs
  • Antimony trioxide

  These substances continue to be excluded in accordance with the H-phrases listed in the essential requirements.

• The product to be certified – as well as its raw materials – must not be classified with any of the listed H-phrases. This clarification was lacking in the past.
• Further H-phrases are now listed under the basic requirements, under which the product and its ingredients (above a certain concentration limit) must not be classified: H304, EUH380, EUH381, EUH430, EUH431, EUH440, EUH441, EUH450, EUH451.
• The reason for this is the inclusion of new critical EUH phrases and harmonisation with the natureplus label.
• Acrylates are now explicitly permitted in coating materials. It can be assumed that their critical properties change during the manufacture of the finished product (e.g. through reaction completion or chemical alteration) in such a way that the relevant hazard is eliminated or, if critical, can be demonstrated in the emissions analysis.
• It is now explicitly stated that the use of recycled materials must be declared.
• Emissions analysis:
  • Acetic acid is analysed in accordance with VDI 4301, Part 7.
  • Substances classified as R1B or Repr. 1B (Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 and TRGS 905) may emit up to 10 µg/m³ from the product after 3 days (or 2 days for mattresses, or 4 hours for cleaning products). The requirement at the second measurement point remains < 1 µg/m³.
  • The requirement regarding bicyclic terpenes has been removed. This had been introduced in line with the relevant indoor air quality guideline value RW I set by the Committee for Indoor Air Quality Guidelines at the Federal Environment Agency, but has now been withdrawn by the Committee.  (It is a general requirement of the eco-INSTITUT-Label’s testing criteria to incorporate the RW I indoor air quality guideline values into the product assessment).
  • An explicit limit value for styrene of 5 µg/m³ is introduced at the first measurement point.
• The list of flame retardants to be analysed has been updated. This is due to the switch to an accredited testing method and alignment with the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).
• The list of plasticisers to be analysed now refers explicitly to the DIN EN ISO 16181:2021 standard.
• The list of azo dyes and disperse dyes to be analysed now explicitly refers to the standards DIN EN 14362-1:2017-05 and DIN 54231:2022-9 respectively.
• The test method for organochlorine carriers now explicitly refers to the DIN EN 17137:2025-01 standard.
• Pyrethroids: Four substances that were already included in the measurement methodology but were not listed in the criteria have been added.
• The list of pesticides to be analysed has been brought into line with the scope of the GOTS list.
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): the description of the list of target substances has been clarified.
• Paints, coatings & wall coverings:
  • Additional specific requirements for interior paints: must be free from plasticisers; classification under H317 or EUH208 is not permitted
  • Wall coverings containing textile components can now be certified. Additional tests are required.
  • The eluate analysis has been expanded to include the element tin, and the requirements are now stated in mg/kg.
  • Isothiazolinones: MIT limit reduced to 1.5 mg/kg (instead of 10 mg/kg)
• For latex-coated fibres, the requirement for acetic acid is waived after 2 days and limited to 350 µg/m³ after 7 days.
• The scope of the testing criteria for furniture has been extended to include home furnishings.
• The following will apply to bedding, mattresses and furniture in future:
  • A separate test for DMF is not required for bedding. For mattresses, the limit is set at 5 µg/m³ after 7 days (after 2 days, the limit of 10 µg/m³ applicable to R1B substances applies).
  • The limit value for chromium VI (CrVI) does not apply (relevant only for leather).
  • The limit for chromium (Cr) has been reduced to 1 mg/kg to bring it into line with the GOTS standard.
  • In future, there will be no testing of optical brighteners in textile cover fabrics and fillings. In the past, no assessment (evaluation) was carried out.
  • Natural latex: a natural latex analysis is only required for specified components. In such cases, the natural latex content must be > 95 per cent.
• From this year onwards, we will be taking the following reclassifications of substances into account as part of our emissions analysis:
  • Methylisobutyl ketone has been reclassified as III3 in accordance with the MAK List 2025 (no change as a result of the evaluation)
  • Acrylonitrile reclassified from Group 2B to Group 1 by the IARC (no change as a result of the evaluation)
  • Reclassification of alpha-methylstyrene as Carc. 2 and amendment of the classification of 1,1-dichloroethylene to Carc. 1B, Muta. 2 in accordance with the CLP classification (no change as a result of the evaluation)
  • n-Hexane has been classified as an SVHC since February 2026.
• A number of formal changes were made.

The criteria apply with immediate effect. A transition period for all changes has been granted until September 2029.

We strongly encourage all experts and stakeholders to comment on and help shape the eco-INSTITUT-Label assessment criteria. Submitted comments will be taken into account by LCPO GmbH and the appointed Criteria Commission.

You can find the new criteria as PDF documents under ‘Downloads’.

If you have any further questions or require further information regarding the updates to the eco-INSTITUT-Label, please feel free to contact Vanessa Laumann (Head of the Certification Body at eco-INSTITUT) at vanessa.laumann@eco-INSTITUT.de or Dr Frank Kuebart (Managing Director of LCPO GmbH) at frank.kuebart@lcpo.eu.

Your LCPO (System owner)

Your eco-INSTITUT (Certification body)