Position paper (17th January 2014), by Technische Universität Berlin - Department of Environmental Technology - Chair of Sustainable Engineering, on behalf of The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety and The German Federal Environment Agency, on EU Product and Organisation Environmental Footprint proposal as part of the Communication Building the Single Market for Green Products (COM/2013/0196 final)

Abstract

The Product Environmental Footprint（PEF）methodology, published in 2013 by the European Commission, is a life cycle based multi-criteria measure of the environmental performance of products and services and aims at harmonizing existing methods, while decreasing the flexibility provided by ISO standards regarding methodological choices. Within the pilot phase the method is applied and tested for 25 product categories. The idea of a harmonized, life cycle based method enabling comparisons of products/organizations within the same product category/sector is principally good. However, it is accompanied by various risks and challenges and is controversially discussed by organizations, associations, science etc. The Chair of Sustainable Engineering at Technische Universität Berlin（TUB）was commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Environment and the German Federal Environmental Agency to follow and assess the PEF process in order to establish the German position to it. This included for example a thorough analysis comparing ISO 14044 and PEF/OEF methodology. Some results of this analysis were published in the International Journal of LCA^2）. Another result of this project is a first position paper on the general PEF methodology which was prepared by TUB and submitted to the European Commission and all member states. This position paper is attached here.