Brussels, 15/05/2003 (Agence Europe) - During recent years, the tendency of consumers to demand more environmentally friendly tourism services has steadily increased. The European Commission has therefore decided that all tourist operators, whether they be hotel chains or small family farms, may (since 1 May) request the EU ecolabel (a flower whose petals are represented by stars). To be eligible for the label, operators must meet a certain number of criteria, such as the use of renewable energy sources, overall reduction of energy and water consumption, reduced waste production, and the adoption of an environmental policy with a non-smoking area available for those who do not smoke. The Commission considers the effort made by operators to achieve this will be offset by the added value gained from a commercial point of view. This is the first time it adopts environmentally friendly criteria for the services sector.