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  3. Paints and varnishes 096

Paints and varnishes 096

The product group includes indoor and outdoor paints and varnishes, wood stains and related products. In addition, industrial paints and varnishes, anti-corrosion paint for industry and infrastructure and wood oils are included.

With long shelf lives and strict quality requirements, paints and varnishes with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel help reduce resource use. They promote circular economy and reduces the climate impact of paints and varnishes.

The requirements include:

  • Test of quality, durability, and efficiency.
  • Environmental and health properties of chemicals. There are strict requirements on substances that are classified with respect to carcinogenicity, can damage genes or reproductive capacity. There is also a ban on phthalates as well as problematic substances such as identified or potential endocrine disruptors on up-to-date lists from the EU and national authorities.
  • Limits on emissions from harmful substances.
  • Limits on greenhouse gases from raw materials with high climate impact such as titanium dioxide and cement/hydraulic binders.
  • Use of recycled materials in packaging.
  • Use of renewable raw materials that originate from responsibly produced and controlled sources.
    1. Start your application process by reading the criteria document and find out if your product can obtain the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. 
    2. Read your Application Guide.
    3. Request login credentials.
    4. Now you are ready to enter the Nordic Ecolabelling Portal.

     

    Portal sign in                               Get login credentials

     

    Should you wish to transfer your licence, please use this form. 

  • Exceptions for the application fee for Indoor paint and varnishes and Outdoor paints and varnishes (from product group 097) which are counted as one commodity group may apply.

    Fees valid from 1 January 2025 

    Type of fee Amount
    Application fee including one on-site inspection within the Nordic region *) 3 348 EUR excl. VAT. Inspection of eight recipes is included in the application fee. For inspection of aditional recipes, 418 EUR excl. VAT per recipe will be charged.
    Renewal fee* 1 673 EUR excl. VAT. Inspection of eight recipes is included in the fee. For inspection of aditional recipes, 2060 EUR excl. VAT per recipe will be charged.
    More than one inspection visit within the Nordic region** 557 EUR + VAT per visit
    Inspection visits in Europe** 1 673 EUR + VAT per visit
    Inspection visits outside Europe** 2 790 EUR + VAT per visit
    Extension of existing licence***

    Extension of existing or changes in licence

    < 4 hours: 418 EUR + VAT
    < 8 hours: 836 EUR + VAT
    ≥ 8 hours: 1 673 EUR + VAT

    Should the extension regard inspection of recipes, which are not already included in the licence, 406 EUR excl. VAT will be charged per recipe.

    Annual licence fee: The annual licence fee for the Nordic Swan Ecolabelled products is based on their turnover in the Nordic countries.

    		 0.3% of turnover + VAT from 0 – 30.9 million EUR 
    0.05% of turnover + VAT > 30.9 million EUR
    Minimum fee for Nordic region 2 232 EUR + VAT per year
    Maximum fee for Nordic region No maximum fee

    Fee for sale outside the Nordic region          
    (Only if revenue > EUR 300,000 per year)

    		 2 232 EUR + VAT per year

    * When both the applicant and the manufacturer are micro-enterprises, the fee is reduced by 50%. A micro-enterprise is in this context defined as an enterprise with less than 10 employees and an annual turnover (of both ecolabelled and not ecolabelled products) below 2 million EUR.

    ** Where audits requires more than one day away from the office including travelling, Nordic Ecolabelling can invoice an additional fee of 1 083 EUR per extra day. Other extraordinary costs induced by the audit can also be invoiced the applicant.

    *** As for an extension of or amendments to a licence, time consumed in connection with the review process will be invoiced according to the extent of the required task. We make a distinction between entirely administrative tasks that last less than 1 hour, and all other tasks that last between 1 and 4 hours, between 4 and 8 hours and more than 8 hours.

    The recipient is liable for the VAT according to article 56 of the Council Directive 2006/112/EC.
    All information given on this site is subject to a disclaimer for errors and omissions

    Fees valid from 1 January 2024 

    Type of fee Amount
    Application fee including one on-site inspection within the Nordic region *) 3 251 EUR excl. VAT. Inspection of eight recipes is included in the application fee. For inspection of aditional recipes, 389 EUR excl. VAT per recipe will be charged.
    Renewal fee* 1 625 EUR excl. VAT. Inspection of eight recipes is included in the fee. For inspection of aditional recipes, 194,5 EUR excl. VAT per recipe will be charged.
    More than one inspection visit within the Nordic region** 541EUR + VAT per visit
    Inspection visits in Europe** 1 625 EUR + VAT per visit
    Inspection visits outside Europe** 2 709 EUR + VAT per visit
    Extension of existing licence***

    Extension of existing or changes in licence

    < 4 hours: 406 EUR + VAT
    < 8 hours: 812 EUR + VAT
    ≥ 8 hours: 1 625 EUR + VAT

    Should the extension regard inspection of recipes, which are not already included in the licence, 406 EUR excl. VAT will be charged per recipe.

    Annual licence fee: The annual licence fee for the Nordic Swan Ecolabelled products is based on their turnover in the Nordic countries.

    		 0.3% of turnover + VAT from 0 – 30 million EUR 
    0.05% of turnover + VAT > 30 million EUR
    Minimum fee for Nordic region 2 167 EUR + VAT per year
    Maximum fee for Nordic region No maximum fee

    Fee for sale outside the Nordic region          
    (Only if revenue > EUR 300,000 per year)

    		 2 167 EUR + VAT per year

    * When both the applicant and the manufacturer are micro-enterprises, the fee is reduced by 50%. A micro-enterprise is in this context defined as an enterprise with less than 10 employees and an annual turnover (of both ecolabelled and not ecolabelled products) below 2 million EUR.

    ** Where audits requires more than one day away from the office including travelling, Nordic Ecolabelling can invoice an additional fee of 1 083 EUR per extra day. Other extraordinary costs induced by the audit can also be invoiced the applicant.

    *** As for an extension of or amendments to a licence, time consumed in connection with the review process will be invoiced according to the extent of the required task. We make a distinction between entirely administrative tasks that last less than 1 hour, and all other tasks that last between 1 and 4 hours, between 4 and 8 hours and more than 8 hours.

    The recipient is liable for the VAT according to article 56 of the Council Directive 2006/112/EC.
    All information given on this site is subject to a disclaimer for errors and omissions

  • In the criteria document, you can read about how to document and verify compliance for each requirement. You can also find other application documents here.

  • Information on the latest version of the criteria for paints and varnishes

    4.2 ⇛ 4.3: Adjustment of criteria

    Nordic Ecolabelling decided 24 September 2024, to extend the time-limited exemption in O3 for TMP to 2027-05-31. The new version is called 4.3 and is valid until 15 September 2028.

    4.1 ⇛ 4.2: Adjustment of criteria

    Nordic Ecolabelling decided 9 April 2024 to add an exemption for the antioxidant BHT that can be present in raw material in requirement O12. Furthermore, O2 has included the new CLP classifications that were added in O3 for communicative reasons. Lastly, an exemption that was part of the public consultation for industrial packaging >18 L are exempted from there requirement of recycled material. The new version is called 4.2 and is valid until 15 September 2028.

    4.0 ⇛ 4.1: Adjustment of criteria

    Nordic Ecolabelling decided 7 December 2023 to remove the requirement of recycled material in metal packaging completely. Furthermore, the limit values for recycled material in plastic packaging has been lowered from 40% to 30%. In addition, lids and handles are no longer exempted from the requirement and must comply with the overall requirement.

    The new version is called 4.1 and is valid until 15 September 2028.

    4.0: New criteria generation

    The criteria for Nordic Swan Ecolabel paints and varnishes were published on 15 september 2023. Version 4.0 of the criteria is valid until 15 september 2028.

    3.12 ⇛ 3.13: Prolongation of the validity of the criteria

    On 1 October 2024, Nordic Ecolabelling decided to prolong the criteria with 6 months until 30 June 2025. The new version is called 3.13.

    3.11 ⇛ 3.12: Adjustment of requirement

    On 9 May 2023, Nordic Ecolabelling decided to extend the exemption for respirable crystalline silica with classification H350i (O3). The new version is called 3.12.

    3.10 ⇛ 3.11: Adjustment of requirement and prolongation of the validity of the criteria

    Adjustment of O2 where the EUH208 requirement has been removed. Furthermore, the validity of the criteria has been prolonged with 6 months. The new version is called 3.11 and is valid until December 31, 2024. 

    3.9 ⇛ 3.10: Adjustment of requirements

    Adjustment of wet room colors that have been included in Table 4a for requirement O5 with a separate limit value for total amount of preservative. The new version is called 3.10.

    3.8 ⇛ 3.9: Adjustment of requirements

    Adjustment of the time-based trimethylolpropane (TMP) exemption. The current exemption will apply during the period of validity of the criteria and TMP will be re-evaluated during the development of new criteria. The new version is called 3.9.

    3.7 ⇛ 3.8: Prolongation and adjustment of requirements

    The vaidity of the criteria have been prolonged by 12 months until 30 June 2024. Futhermore three have been adjustment of requirements O3, O4, O5 and O6. The new version is called 3.8.

    3.6 ⇛ 3.7: Adjustment of requirements

    Adjustment of the requirements for O3 Classification of chemical substances, O9 Titanium dioxide and O11 Nanoparticles. The new version is called 3.7.

    3.5 ⇛ 3.6: Adjustment of criteria

    Adjustment regarding the harmonization of the reclassification of MIT with the Nordic Ecolabel requirements for preservatives and the applicable exemption for the dispersant trimethylolpropane (TMP). The new version is called 3.6.

    3.4 ⇛ 3.5: Prolongation of validity of the criteria

    The criteria have been prolonged with 24 months and is valid until the 31 June 2023. The new version is called 3.5.

    3.3 ⇛ 3.4: Prolongation and adjustment of criteria

    The criteria have been prolonged with 18 months and is valid until the 31 June 2021. At the same time requirement O6 was adjusted regarding formaldehyde releasing substances and requirement O23 was removed. The new version is called 3.4.

    3.2 ⇛ 3.3: Adjustment of criteria

    Requirement O3, Classification of ingoing chemical substances, has been adjusted. The new version is called 3.3.

    3.1 ⇛ 3.2: Adjustment of criteria

    A change has been made to requirement O7, Residual monomers in polymers in the criteria for chemical building products. The new version is called 3.2.

    3.0 ⇛ 3.1: Adjustment of criteria

    Exemptions have been introduced in requirements O3 and O12. The new version, 3.1, is valid until December 31st 2019.

    3.0: New criteria generation

    The criteria for Nordic Ecolabelled paints and varnishes were published on November 15th, 2015. Version 3.0 of the criteria is valid until December 31st, 2019.

  • In the background document below you will find reasoning and facts behind the specific requirements in the criteria document.

    Here you can also read the comments, requirement for requirement, from the public hearing.

    If the documents are in a Nordic language, you can get help in understanding the sections you need by contacting the product specialist in your chosen country below.