The ETV pilot programme

The ETV pilot programme provides for third-party verification, on a voluntary basis, of the performance claims made by technology manufacturers in business-to-business relations. By issuing a Statement of Verification, which is the product of a successful ETV process, ETV provides credible information on the new technology. Market access for innovative environmental technologies is significantly enhanced and the technological risk for technology purchasers (whether private or public) reduced. The information contained in the Statement of Verification summarises the actual performance of the verified technology as well as the results of the tests performed. With proof of performance credibly assured, along with information about the design of the tests, innovations can expect an easier market access and/or a larger market share.

The objectives and operational principles of the ETV pilot programme are described in the Commission Staff Working Paper on 'The Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) initiative – Helping Eco-Innovations to reach the Market'.

Additional information and the e-mail addresses of contacts in the Member States participating in the ETV Steering Group are available in the Information Note. Also available are Frequently Asked Questions.

ETV services will be provided by 'Verification Bodies', specifically accredited to perform verification under ETV for a given area of technology. Organisations interested in becoming Verification Bodies should contact their national accreditation body, whose contact details can be found on the webpage of the European Co-operation for Accreditation.

The ETV General Verification Protocol is the technical reference document describing the procedures guiding the verification process and the requirements on the organisations taking part in it.

A call for proposals, addressed to the organisations accredited to act as ETV Verification Bodies or in the process of being accreditated, should be published in the coming months and will be announced here.

The ETV pilot programme is open to all technologies ready for the market and showing a potential for innovation and environmental benefits. The ETV pilot programme will initially be active in three technology areas:

Water treatment and monitoring (monitoring of water quality, treatment of drinking water and of waste water)
Materials, waste and resources (separation and sorting of solid waste, recycling of materials, end-of-life products and chemicals, products made of biomass)
Energy technologies (renewable sources of energy, energy from waste, energy efficiency technologies)