The EU Ecolabel is an official sign of the environmental quality of services and goods in the European Union (EU) that is both certified by an independent organisation and valid throughout the many member States of the European Union.
Any tourism accommodation operator in the EU - from a large hotel chain to a small farmhouse has been able to apply for the European Eco-label since 2003. The operators must meet strict minimum standards with regard to environmental performance and health standards. These should include the use of renewable energy sources, an overall reduction in energy and water consumption, measures to reduce waste, environmental policy setting and the provision of non-smoking areas.
The first eco-labelled hotel in the European Union was the Sunwing Resort Kallithea, located in Rhodes, Greece in 2003 and the first eco-labelled hotel on the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) was the Hotel Jardim Atlântico on the Portuguese island of Madeira.