EUROPEANCOMMISSIONBrussels,16.12.2021C(2021)9332 finalCOMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONof16.12.2021on the use of the Environmental Footprint methods to measure and communicate the lifecycle environmental performance of products and organisationsENENCOMMISSION RECOMMENDATION0f16.12.2021on the use of the Environmental Footprint methods to measure and communicate the lifecycle environmental performance of products and organisationsTHE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,and in particularArticles 191 and 292 thereof,Whereas:(1)Reliable and correct measurement and information on the environmental performanceof products and organisations is an essential element in the environmental decision-making of a wide range of actors.(2)The Product Environmental Footprint and Organisation Environmental Footprintmethods (hereafter 'Environmental Footprint methods')enable companies to measureand communicate their environmental performance and thereby compete on the marketbased on reliable environmental information.They contain detailed instructions onhow to model and calculate the environmental impacts of products and organisationsThe Environmental Footprint methods build on existing,internationally acceptedpractices,indicators and rules.(3)In 2013,the Commission adopted Commission Recommendation 2013/179/EU topromote the use of common methods to measure and communicate the life cycleenvironmental performance of products and organisations.It recommends their use toMember States,companies,private organisations and the financial community,andcontains two annexes establishing the proposed methods.(4)The Commission established a framework for developing further the EnvironmentalFootprint methods with the participation of a wide range of stakeholders,includingindustry,and particularly SMEs,through a pilot phase.(5)In the pilot phase running from 2013 to 2018,the development of product-specificrules (Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules,PEFCRs)and sector-specificrules (Organisation Environmental Footprint Sector Rules,OEFSRs)was tested withthe active participation of stakeholders,resulting in the finalisation of 19 PEFCRs and2 OEFSRs.(6)The Environmental Footprint methods were also updated on several technical aspects,such as:(1)application of the materiality principle ("act where it matters");(2)thedefinition of a benchmark corresponding to the Environmental Footprint profile of theaverage production the market,also called representative product/organisation;(3)agreements on the modelling of key aspects concerning climate change,electricity,transport,infrastructure equipment,packaging,end of life and agriculture;(4)inclusion of normalisation and weighting;(5)guidelines on how to includeCommission Recommendation 2013/179/EU of 9 April 2013 on the use of common methods tomeasure and communicate the life cycle environmental performance of products and organisations(OJL124,4.5.2013,p.1)ENEN