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Understanding the New EU Ecolabel for Paints and Coatings (EU) 2025/2607
Performance-based sustainability requirements under the updated EU Ecolabel framework
Explore what has changed in the new EU Ecolabel framework, the key criteria affecting paint formulations, and why durability, material efficiency, and life-cycle performance now define compliance.
The sustainability landscape for paints and coatings is undergoing a structural shift. With the adoption of Commission Decision (EU) 2025/2607, the EU Ecolabel moves decisively away from simplified “low-VOC” logic toward a performance and life-cycle-based evaluation framework.
For formulators and coatings chemists, this change directly affects how coatings must be designed, not just how they are declared.
This article provides a technical overview of the new Ecolabel framework, focusing on the aspects that matter most at formulation level.
Table of Contents:
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What Has Changed in the New EU Ecolabel
The new Decision replaces the previous unified approach with three distinct product categories:
- Decorative paints and varnishes
- Performance coatings
- Water-based aerosol spray paints
This separation reflects a key regulatory acknowledgement: different coating functions require different sustainability metrics.
At the same time, the validity of the new criteria extends until 31 December 2032, setting a clear medium-term regulatory horizon for the industry.
Core Principles Behind the New Criteria
The updated Ecolabel framework evaluates coatings based on how they perform over their entire life cycle, not only on formulation restrictions.
Key principles include:
- Material efficiency
Lower material consumption per square meter through optimized formulation design.
- Durability and service life
Coatings must demonstrate resistance to wear, moisture, and degradation, reducing repainting frequency.
- Energy and resource efficiency during use
Performance during the use phase is explicitly considered, not just production-stage metrics.
- Health and environmental protection
Strict control of hazardous substances, including SVHCs, endocrine disruptors, PFAS, phthalates, organotin compounds, and non-film-forming microplastics.
This means sustainability is now assessed as a technical outcome, not a label-driven claim.
What This Means for Coatings Chemists
Under the new framework, compliance cannot be achieved through administrative adjustments alone.
It requires formulation-level decisions that influence:
- Dry-film density
- Thermal behavior
- Mechanical durability
- Resistance to moisture and degradation
- Long-term performance stability
In practical terms, coatings that fail prematurely, require frequent maintenance, or rely on high material loadings are increasingly misaligned with Ecolabel objectives.
Performance Over Declarations
A key shift in the new Ecolabel is the move away from “what is inside the can” toward what the coating delivers in real conditions.
This includes:
- How long the coating performs
- How efficiently materials are used
- Whether performance reduces downstream environmental impact over time
For formulators, this aligns sustainability directly with engineering choices, not marketing language.
Access the Full Official Documentation
This article provides a technical orientation only.
The complete legal text and detailed criteria are available in full through the official EU publication, in all official EU languages:
From Regulatory Framework to Formulation Strategy
Understanding the new Ecolabel is the first step.
The next challenge is translating these criteria into practical formulation solutions that deliver compliance through performance.
In upcoming articles, we will examine how specific formulation technologies and material choices can support Ecolabel-oriented coating design, helping chemists meet sustainability targets through measurable technical improvements.
This is where formulation strategy and material selection become critical.
Conclusion
The updated EU Ecolabel framework under Commission Decision (EU) 2025/2607 shifts sustainability from declaration-based compliance to performance-driven evaluation. For coatings chemists, this means that durability, material efficiency, and life-cycle performance are now determined by formulation design, not administrative adjustments.
Understanding the new criteria is the first step. Translating them into real, high-performing coating systems is the next challenge.
Optimize your paint formulations today!
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