30.7.2009 Official Journal of the European Union L 19857 COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 9 July 2009 establishing the ecological criteria for the award of the Community eco-label for tourist accommodation service (notified under document number C(2009) 5619) (Text with EEA relevance) (2009/578/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, After consulting the European Union Eco-labelling Board, Whereas: 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. 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. 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. () O] L 237, 21.9.2000, p. 1. S (2 (3 (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 2003/287/EC of 14 April 2003 establishing the ecological criteria for the award of the Community eco-label to tourist accommodation service (). Those ecological criteria and the related assessment and verifi- cation requirements are valid until 31 October 2009. In the light of that 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. The ecological criteria, as well as the related assessment and verification requirements, should be valid for four years from the date of adoption of this Decision. For tourist accommodation service, the ecological criteria should be divided into mandatory and optional criteria. As regards the fees relating to applications for and use of the eco-label by micro enterprises, as defined by Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC of 6 May 2003 concerning the definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (*), it is appropriate, in order to take account of the limited resources of micro-enter- prises and their particular importance within this product group, to provide for reductions additional to those provided for by Regulation (EC) No 1980/2000 and Articles 1 and 2 of Commission Decision 2000/728/EC of 10 November 2000 establishing the application and annual fees of the Community Eco-label (¥, pursuant to Article 5 of Decision 2000/728/EC. 102, 24.4.2003, p. 82. oJ L 0] L 124, 20.5.2003, p. 36. oJ L 293, 22.11.2000, p. 18.