The fee, approved through a Government decision, will enter force within 30 days. It will be payable in lei, according to the central bank’s leu-euro exchange rate, and will be transferred entirely to the state budget.
Current rules, in effect since 2007, say the Ecolabel application processing fee can be between EUR300 and EUR1300, of which only 75% goes to the state budget; the rest is transferred to an incentive fund for the Environment Ministry’s employees.
A company that has obtained the Ecolabel must also pay a yearly fee for its use, according to current rules, equal to 0.15% of the yearly sales of the product bearing the label, but no less than EUR500 and no more than EUR25,000.
The sale of products fraudulently bearing the Ecolabel will be punished by a 5,000-10,000 lei (EUR1200-2400) fine from the National Consumer Protection Authority or the National Environment Guard.
The European Union’s Ecolabel is a product label seal that enables consumers to recognize environment-friendly goods and services.
(EUR1=RON4.2087)