Rosy future for EU's flower Ecolabel The profile of the European Union's flower ecolabel could grow dramatically under a three year promotional initiative to be published shortly by the European Commission. The plan - formally a commission decision - was adopted by commissioners at the end of December after being endorsed by the EU's 15 member states. The ecolabel programme aims to promote the design, production, marketing and use of products which have a reduced environmental impact during their entire life cycle. As the commission acknowledges, the label has to date performed disappointingly and has not achieved "satisfactory visibility on the market." One reason for this, the commission says, is a lack of "support from other policy measures." ENS reports that the EU's burgeoning integrated product policy (IPP) is set to remedy this, the commission believes. The IPP will "open new opportunities for the European ecolabel," raising the prospect of reduced taxation on ecolabeled products and more favorable treatment by procurement officers. The plan aims at achieving a "minimum level of visibility" for the label across the whole of the European Union. This is not quantified by the commission, but a longer term aim is to reach between one and 30 per cent of market share depending on product type.Such targets would be ambitious. For instance, currently less than one-tenth of one percent of paint and varnish products carry the flower ecolabel. The new awareness raising campaign will be aimed at retailers as well as public authority and private sector procurement officers, rather than at the general public. Other initiatives are a program of cooperation with national and regional ecolabel authorities to establish a joint register of products, and a virtual store online for ecolabeled goods and services. Products now sporting the ecolabel range from personal computers to toilet paper, from indoor decorative paint to kitchen rolls, from bed linen and T-shirts to dishwashing detergents. Ninty-four licenses for the use of the logo have been granted for more than 350 products. Within five years, the commission wants to increase the number of product groups for which the EU ecolabel flower is available from the 17 that now are covered to between 25 and 35 product groups. The commission lists as possible targets telephones, copiers, small household electrical equipment, packaging and cars. New service groups eligible for the ecolabel could be car washes, textile laundering, and financial services. The plan closes with a plea for specific new funds to support the flower label's future. In 2000, EU resources devoted to it were just four million euros plus the unquantified salaries of around 45 people. While this should continue to be enough to develop and revise product group criteria, more must be found for marketing, the commission plan says. Fees from companies using the scheme raised only EUR280,000 in 2000. This figure is expected to rise as the label becomes more popular