Commercial Information Circulars

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e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 230/4/1

11 December 2009

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 616/2009

European Union (EU)* : Community Eco-Label Award Scheme

The European Commission (the Commission) has recently adopted a Decision to establish the ecological criteria and the related assessment and verification requirements for the award of Community Eco-label to wooden furniture. Details are set out in Commission Decision 2009/894/EC (the Decision), which can be accessed through the following link:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:320:0023:0032:EN:PDF

DETAILS

2. Under the Decision, the product group "wooden furniture" has been defined to be domestic furniture comprising free-standing or built-in units, which are used for storing, hanging, lying, sitting, working and eating, whether for indoor or outdoor use, or used indoors for business purposes. In addition, the following conditions should be fulfilled:

   • -the product shall be made at least 90% weight by weight solid wood or wood-based materials. Glass, if easily replaceable in case of damage or breakage, may be excluded from the weight calculation as may technical equipment and fittings; and
   • -the weight of any individual material, other than solid wood and wood-based materials, shall not exceed 3% of the total weight of the product. The total combined weight of such materials shall not exceed 10% of the total weight of the product.

3. To qualify for the Community eco-label, the wooden furniture must meet specific ecological criteria set out in the Annex of the Decision. This includes criteria on product description, hazardous substances, material requirements, surface treatments, assembly, and final product.

4. The ecological criteria and the related assessment and verification requirements shall be valid for four years from the date of notification of the Decision.

ENQUIRIES

5. For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5556.

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Peggy LEUNG)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.