Terms of Use
Preamble
The Blauer Engel is the environmental label of the German government for the protection of people and the environment and has acted as a guide for environmentally friendly products for more than 40 years.
The environmental label is awarded by the “Environmental Label Jury” – a voluntary body that acts independently and autonomously.
RAL gGmbH (hereinafter referred to as “RAL”) is the state-authorised awarding body for the environmental label.
Licence holders of RAL (hereinafter referred to as “Manufacturer”) who want to label their products with the environmental label must comply with the defined requirements.
In addition, the following general conditions apply, in particular, to retailers and platform operators (hereinafter referred to as “Retailer”) with respect to the presentation, advertisement and marketing of these products in all media, especially on websites and Internet platforms:
1. Exclusion of liability
All of the data made available by RAL is maintained by the Manufacturer and is not checked by RAL to ensure its correctness, completeness and actuality but merely collected and passed on to the Retailer. RAL does not accept any liability for, in particular, the correctness, completeness and actuality of the data or for objections to the use of the label or any accompanying advertising by third parties. This does not apply to damages arising from injury to life, limb or health due to gross negligence or deliberate infringement of obligations by RAL or a legal representative or vicarious agent of RAL, nor does it apply to other damages due to gross negligence or deliberate infringement of obligations by RAL or a legal representative or vicarious agent of RAL. Furthermore, the provision of information by RAL in no way acts as a guarantee or assurance of certain properties of the products in question.
2. Indemnity against claims made by third parties
The Retailer shall indemnify RAL against all claims made by third parties due to the alleged undue or otherwise illegal use of the environmental label. Both the Manufacturer and the Retailer are solely responsible for the legality of the presentation and advertisement of their products.
3. Compliance with data protection regulations
The data provided by RAL may only be used by the Retailer for the presentation, advertisement and marketing of the product in question. The Retailer undertakes to comply with the applicable data protection regulations.
4. Use of the environmental label
4.1. The environmental label may only be used for the products (products, product groups and services) named in the list made available by RAL (hereinafter referred to as “Product List”).
4.2. The environmental label may only be used in compliance with the requirements in the Logo Guidelines of the environmental label. The current version of the Logo Guidelines is available on the website of the environmental label (www.blauer-engel.de).
The Retailer shall ensure that the environmental label is only used in connection with the relevant product for which the use of the environmental label has been granted to the Manufacturer. The applicant is solely responsible for the way in which the label is used, especially in advertising.
4.3. The environmental label may not be used as part of a brand.
4.4. The Retailer may not permit third parties to use the environmental label.
4.5. The Manufacturer – and not RAL – is responsible for the legality of any product images made available by the Manufacturer and for ensuring that they have the required rights to these product images. This is also true if the environmental label is e.g. added to the product image or shown next to the product image.
5. Regular checking of authorization to carry the environmental label
The criteria for the use of the environmental label may change and contracts may also expire at the end of the year. Therefore, the Retailer is obligated to regularly check, at least at the beginning of each year, whether the presented, marketed or advertised product is still authorized to carry the environmental label. RAL will regularly update the Product List. If a product is no longer named on the Product List, the Retailer must immediately cease using the environmental label in advertising for the product in question. This also applies to product images made available by the Manufacturer who holds the environmental label. These images must be immediately replaced by new product images without the environmental label. Products that have already been delivered to the Retailer may still be sold.
6. No right to the continued provision of information
The provision of information by RAL is carried out on a voluntary basis and free of charge and this service can be discontinued at any time by RAL without giving any reason. There is no legal right to the continued provision of the information. The rules stated in these Terms of Use still apply without prejudice even if RAL stops providing this information.