FAQs for companies

All of the requirements and associated compliance verifications can be found in the relevant Basic Award Criteria.
You can find the Basic Award Criteria for the different product groups here.

Check whether you can find a suitable product category under the pending investigative orders. If not, you can submit a new proposal. You can find further information here.

Yes, foreign companies are also able to apply for the Blue Angel.

Yes. Please state the production locations when submitting the application.

Yes, the products can be produced in different locations and these locations must all be stated when submitting the application.

Yes, as long as it verifies compliance with the requirements stated in the Basic Award Criteria and the report is completed in German or English.

No, please only submit test reports that have been completed in either German or English.

If the Basic Award Criteria do not state anything to the contrary, the test reports should not be more than one year old. If a date of validity is stated, the test report must be valid at the time of application. Please speak to the employee responsible for handing your application at RAL gGmbH in the event of any deviations.

Please understand that we are unable to give recommendations for reasons of neutrality.
You can find a general list of accredited testing institutions in Germany at e.g. www.dakks.de/content/datenbank-akkreditierter-stellen. You can find an overview of the European accreditation members at: www.european-accreditation.org/ea-members.

In order to ensure the quick and easy processing of the applications, all of the documentation should generally be provided in full with the application. If this is not possible due to exceptional circumstances, please clearly indicate when making an application on the RAL WEB PORTAL which documents are missing that will be submitted at a later date.

The WEB PORTAL including a user manual in German and English can be found here.

The Web Portal is the digital customer portal for applicants and licence holders of the Blue Angel environmental label and the EU Ecolabel. As part of the certification process, the Web Portal is used both for sending the applications and required documentation to RAL gGmbH and also for the digital conclusion of the contracts. During the term of the contract, licence holders can manage existing contracts, submit changes and also download documents (e.g. certificates).

Yes, you will immediately receive a confirmation of receipt via email.

Our goal is to process the applications within two months. However, the processing time is highly dependent on the completeness, understandability and correctness of the submitted documentation.

You can find the employee responsible for handling your application on the page for the relevant Basic Award Criteria. You can find this page via the Overview of all Basic Award Criteria.

Yes, this is possible as long as this address is then valid for all invoices, i.e. for the application fee and annual fees for all applications and contracts.

Yes, this is not a problem as long as we receive a letter of authorization to this effect.

No, please upload all of the application document online via the WEB PORTAL.

The prepared documents from the download folder must be used for the application. Some declarations issued by suppliers will be accepted in exceptional cases as long as the contents are the same.

Yes, you need to comply with all of the requirements unless the Basic Award Criteria explicitly state otherwise.

The confirmation of receipt of the application that we send to you by email acts as this confirmation.

In principle, all of the documentation should be submitted by the applicant. If this is not possible for reasons of confidentiality (e.g. for recipes), please speak to the employee responsible for handling your application.

Please speak to the employee responsible for handling your application at RAL gGmbH.

No, we can only make the logo available to you after the application has been approved. Please note that only the licence holder will receive the logo (Logo Guidelines).

No, we are not able to provide any information about other companies.

No, that is not possible.

Yes, the contract can be published at the discretion of the licence holder.

Certificates can be requested in PDF or paper format during the application process on the WEB PORTAL. These certificates will then be automatically made available on the WEB PORTAL after the contract has been concluded.
You can also request certificates on the WEB PORTAL at a later date in the menu “Contract update”. The certificates are made available in German and/or English.
The processing fee is 25 Euro per copy plus VAT.

No, the use of the logo is voluntary. If you do decide to use the logo to demonstrate how environmentally friendly your product/service is, please observe the rules for the use of the logo. You will find further details in the Logo Guidelines.

Normally, products/services awarded with the environmental label are automatically published on the website when the contract is concluded. If this is not desired, please indicate this in advance on the WEB PORTAL when you submit your application. If you then want the award of the environmental label to be published at a later date, please inform us at the appropriate time on the WEB PORTAL in the menu “Contract update”.

Please inform us at the appropriate time on the WEB PORTAL in the menu “Contract update”.

You can add this information for publication on the website www.blauer-engel.de easily and quickly in the internal product information section: You can find the product information section here. Register on “Your product world” using your company name, email and a contract number. You will then receive login data to log in and edit the product page view for your product/service. Upload your company logo, add product images and texts and include a link to your online shop or a dealer search function. Also enter your product code (GTIN, EAN, UPC) for your products. This will make your product more visible online.

In general, it will be treated as a new application and you will need to submit the full set of documentation. Please speak to the employee responsible for handling your application in each individual case to see whether previous documentation can be reused.

In this case, you can submit an application for a contract extension. The processing fee for this is 300 Euro. Depending on the Basic Award Criteria, we may require a manufacturer’s declaration stating that it is an identical product.

In this case, you can submit an application for a contract extension. The processing fee for this is 300 Euro. Depending on the Basic Award Criteria, we may require a manufacturer’s declaration stating that it is an identical product.

This is dependent on the respective Basic Award Criteria and should be discussed with the employee responsible for handling the applications at RAL gGmbH. However, it will be handled as a new application and not as an extension to the right to use the environmental label. In this case, we will require a manufacturer’s declaration from the licence holder for the original product stating that it is an identical product.

You will need to submit an application for a contract extension to add the subsidiary as a label user.

The licence holder (applicant) is obligated to inform RAL gGmbH of the expected annual turnover for the products and services certified with the Blue Angel ecolabel in the following year by 30 November of each calendar year and to pay the resulting fee on request. Link to the schedule of fees.

Please inform us on the WEB PORTAL in the menu “Contract update”.

Please inform us on the WEB PORTAL in the menu “Contract update”.

Please inform us on the WEB PORTAL in the menu “Contract update”. It is not necessary to issue new contracts. If you require a new contract or certificate, we would be pleased to provide them for a processing fee of 300 Euro (contracts) or 25 Euro (certificates) respectively.

If the changes affect compliance with the requirements in the Basic Award Criteria, inform us about this fact on the WEB PORTAL in the menu “Contract update” and submit the new documentation that is required. Depending on the scope of the change, a processing fee of 300 Euro will be charged. If you have any further questions, please contact the employee responsible for handling your application.

No, that is not possible. The Blue Angel may only be used for the end product that has been awarded the label, unless the products in question have their own Basic Award Criteria (e.g. for "leather").

No, that is not possible. The manufacturer must submit an application for the use of the environmental label on the relevant end product.

All questions about the use of the logo are clarified in the Blue Angel Logo Guidelines. You can find them here.

The explanatory box is displayed in combination with the Blue Angel logo and describes the most important benefits of the environmental label for the respective product group. The stated benefits are defined by the Environmental Label Jury and are also described in the Basic Award Criteria. The explanatory box can be used both on the product and also online.

The German logo files in blue (4c) are made available as a download on the WEB PORTAL after the Contract on the Use of the Environmental Label has been awarded.

Alternatively, you can apply to RAL gGmbH to receive the logo files via email on umweltzeichen@ral.de:

“We hereby apply for the Blue Angel logo for our product(s) certified according to RAL-UZ XY with the contract number xxxxx.”

The rules for the depiction of the Blue Angel logo apply equally to both printed and online use.

The files are made available as EPS, PNG and PDF files.

No, the logo may only be used after you are awarded the contract.

Please observe the information in the Blue Angel Logo Guidelines under Chapter 5.1 (Page 11).

The black version of the logo can only be used in exceptional cases if it is not pos-sible to use the blue version. This must be agreed in advance with RAL gGmbH (see Chapter 5.2 of the Blue Angel Logo Guidelines)

No, that is not possible.

Yes, you can request an English language version of the logo for use abroad. Please note that the German logo must be used in German-speaking countries.

Yes, the logo can also be used abroad.

No, the German logo must be used in German-speaking countries.

There is one exception: If it is used in combination with the German logo, it is also permitted to use the English version in German-speaking countries.

Yes, as long as you have complied with the relevant requirements for the environ-mental labels. If the Blue Angel logo is one of several logos used, it is important to ensure that its size and position is of equal rank to the others. You can find fur-ther information in the Blue Angel Logo Guidelines under Chapter 5.4 (Page 16).

When using the environmental label for advertising purposes or for other measures taken by the licence holder, you must ensure that the environmental label is only used in combination with the product/service named in the contract. The licence holder is solely responsible for the way in which the label is used, especially in advertising.

Please contact us via email on umweltzeichen@ral.de and include the planned text on the Blue Angel environmental label.

You may print a reference to the Blue Angel (“Printed on paper that has been awarded the Blue Angel ecolabel”) on the brochure. However, if you want to print the Blue Angel logo itself, the printed matter must comply with Basic Award Criteria DE-UZ 195 “Printed matter” for the BLUE ANGEL and have received a valid Contract on the Use of the Environmental Label.

You are permitted to use the logo until your contract expires. Afterwards, you are not permitted to use the environmental label either on the product/service or for advertising purposes.

No. Products that are present in the retail trade after the contract has expired can still be sold but they can no longer be actively advertised.

The contracts are only deleted from the Internet after the termination date (usually 31/12/20xx) has passed.

If you have not received a letter from us, you do not need to take any further action as the licence holder. The current terms of your contracts will be shown in the contract overview section of the Web Portal.

In this case, you need to submit a new application based on the amended criteria because the original contracts based on the "old" criteria will have been terminated by RAL gGmbH. If the “old” Basic Award Criteria” are valid until the 31 December of a particular year, the licence holder will receive a notification about the termination of the Contract on the Use of the Environmental Label by 31 March of the same year at the latest. This notification will include information on the new criteria.

All of the Basic Award Criteria have a limited term of validity. Your contract was terminated because the relevant Basic Award Criteria have now expired. New and revised Basic Award Criteria will usually be issued and you can submit a new application based on these Basic Award Criteria.

All products/services that have been awarded the environmental label can be found on our website under the relevant product group. This information is updated daily. You can search for products or services based on the product type (key words), brand name, supplier or Basic Award Criteria.

Search on our website for products and services in order to find the relevant suppliers. If you cannot find a link to the online shop or a list of dealers for a supplier, you can contact the supplier directly. Please understand that we cannot provide you with any further information on the supply of these products/services.

All products/services that have been awarded the environmental label can be found on our website under the relevant product group. This information is updated daily.

The Blue Angel is a voluntary label. In the case of new Basic Award Criteria, it can sometimes take a relatively long time until the applicants find and submit all of the compliance verifications. It is also possible that expired contracts have not been extended because the product/service has been changed and no longer fulfils the award criteria.

No, each environmental label has its own individual set of criteria that need to be fulfilled. According to Article 11 of the EU Ecolabel Regulation, the aim is to harmonize the different labels in the future. The requirements for national ecolabels must be at least as strict as the requirements for the corresponding EU Ecolabel but can go above and beyond these requirements.