14.7.2009 Official Journal of the European Union L 181/39 COMMISSION DECISION of 13 August 2008 establishing the ecological criteria for the award of the Community eco-label to indoor paints and varnishes (notified under document number C(2008) 4453) (Text with EEA relevance) (2009/544/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1980/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 July 2000 on a revised Community eco-label award scheme (), and in particular the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) thereof, Whereas: (1) Under Regulation (EC) No 1980/2000 the Community eco-label may be awarded to a product possessing char- acteristics which enable it to contribute significantly to improvements in relation to key environmental aspects. (2)  Regulation (EC) No 1980/2000 provides that specific eco-label criteria, drawn up on the basis of the criteria drafted by the European Union Eco-Labelling Board, are to be established according to product groups. (3) It also provides that the review of the eco-label criteria, as well as of the assessment and verification requirements related to those criteria, is to take place in due time before the end of the period of validity of the criteria specified for the product group concerned. (4)  Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1980/2000, a timely review has been carried out of the ecological criteria, as well as of the related assessment and verification requirements established by Commission Decision 2002/739[EC of 3 September 2002 establishing revised ecological criteria for the award of the Community eco- label to indoor paints and varnishes and amending Decision 1999/10/EC (3). Those ecological criteria and the related assessment and verification requirements are valid until 28 February 2009. (5)  In the light of this review, it is appropriate, in order to take account of scientific and market developments, to modify the definition of the product group and to establish new ecological criteria. () O] L 237, 21.9.2000, p. 1. () L 236, 4.9.2002, p. 4. (6)  Decision 2002/739/EC should therefore be replaced. (7)  The ecological criteria, as well as the related assessment and verification requirements, should be valid until four years from the date of notification of this Decision. (8) A transitional period should be allowed for producers whose products have been awarded the eco-label for indoor paints and varnishes before 18 August 2008 or who have applied for such an award before 18 August 2008 so that they have sufficient time to adapt their products to comply with the revised criteria and require- ments. For the sake of legal certainty, until 28 February 2009 producers should be allowed to submit appli- cations set out under the criteria set in Decision 2002/739[EC or set out under the criteria set in this Decision. After this date only the criteria set out in this Decision should apply. (9)  Measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee instituted by Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 1980/2000, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 1. The product group ‘indoor paints and varnishes' shall comprise indoor decorative paints and varnishes, woodstains and related products, as defined in paragraph 2, intended for use by do-it-yourself and professional users and primarily developed for indoor use and marketed as such. This includes, inter alia, floor coatings and floor paints; products which are tinted by distributors at the request of amateur or professional decorators; tinting systems; decorative paints in liquid or paste formulas which may have been pre- conditioned, tinted or prepared by the manufacturer to meet consumers needs, including primers and undercoats of such product systems. 2. ‘Paint’ means a pigmented coating material, in liquid or in paste or powder form, which when applied to a substrate, forms an opaque film having protective, decorative or specific technical properties. Varnish’ means a clear coating material which when applied to a substrate forms a solid transparent film having protective, decorative or specific technical properties.