Certification scheme requirements: Article 2(r) and third-party verification

Last review: 26 September 2026.

This guide summarises the conditions a private sustainability label must meet to rely on a certification scheme under Article 2, point (r), of Directive (EU) 2024/825. It is not legal advice. Only the Official Journal text and Court of Justice case law are authoritative.

Sources:

Definition in Article 2, point (r)

A certification scheme is a third-party verification scheme that certifies that a product, process or business complies with certain requirements, allows use of a corresponding sustainability label, and whose terms, including requirements, are publicly available.

The scheme must meet all of the following:

Open access. The scheme is open under transparent, fair and non-discriminatory terms to all traders willing and able to comply with its requirements.
Stakeholders. Requirements are developed by the scheme owner in consultation with relevant experts and stakeholders.
Non-compliance. The scheme sets out procedures for non-compliance and provides for withdrawal or suspension of the sustainability label when requirements are not met.
Third-party monitoring. Monitoring of a trader's compliance is subject to an objective procedure and is carried out by a third party whose competence and independence from both the scheme owner and the trader are based on international, Union or national standards and procedures.

What Label Registry does

Glint publishes Label Registry so scheme owners can document requirements, publish a frozen scheme version, run applications with separate verifier organisations, issue certificates and show them on the public registry with QR verification. JSON export for integrators is available on the Pro plan.

Glint is not a certification body, does not perform third-party monitoring, and does not give legal advice.

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Operational aid. This page is not legal advice, and Glint does not certify.