Commercial Information Circulars

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

Ref : EIC 230/4/1/2

22 December 2009

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 642/2009

European Union (EU)* : Community Eco-label Award Scheme (Criteria for Textile Floor Coverings)

The European Commission (the Commission) has recently adopted a Decision to establish the ecological criteria for the award of Community Eco-label to textile floor coverings. Details are set out in Commission Decision 2009/967/EC (the Decision) of 30 November 2009, which can be accessed through the following link:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:332:0001:0016:EN:PDF

DETAILS

2. Under the Decision, the product group "textile floor coverings" shall be defined as floor coverings, usually of woven, knitted, or needle-tufted fabric; commonly installed with tacks or staples, or by adhesives. Loose mats and rugs are excluded. It does not apply to wall coverings or that for external use.

3. In order to be awarded the Community eco-label, the textile floor coverings must comply with the ecological criteria set out in Annex of the Decision. The ecological criteria as well as the related assessment and verification requirement will be valid for four years from the date of notification of the Decision (i.e. 17 December 2009).

ENQUIRIES

4. For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact Mrs. Tracy Kwan/Ms Ann Leung at 3403 6352 or the undersigned at 2398 5427.

Yours faithfully,

(Ms Carmen Shiu)
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.