44.—(1) Where a contracting authority intends to purchase works, supplies or services with specific environmental, social or other characteristics the authority may, in the technical specifications, the award criteria or the contract performance conditions, require a specific label as means of proof that the works, services or supplies correspond to the required characteristics, provided that all of the following conditions are fulfilled—
(a)the label requirements only concern criteria which are linked to the subject-matter of the contract and are appropriate to define characteristics of the works, supplies or services;
(b)the label requirements are based on objectively verifiable and non-discriminatory criteria;
(c)the label is established in an open and transparent procedure in which all relevant stakeholders, including government bodies, consumers, social partners, manufacturers, distributors and non-governmental organisations, may participate;
(d)the label is accessible to all interested parties; and
(e)the label requirements are set by a third party over which the economic operator applying for the label cannot exercise a decisive influence.
(2) Where a contracting authority does not require the works, supplies or services to meet all of the label requirements, the authority must indicate which label requirements are required.
(3) A contracting authority requiring a specific label must accept all labels that confirm that the works, supplies or services meet equivalent label requirements.
(4) Where an economic operator had demonstrably no possibility of obtaining the specific label indicated by the contracting authority, or an equivalent label, within the relevant time limits for reasons that are not attributable to that economic operator, the contracting authority must accept other appropriate means of proof, which may include a technical dossier from the manufacturer, provided that the economic operator concerned proves that the works, supplies or services to be provided by it fulfil the requirements of the specific label or the specific requirements indicated by the contracting authority.
(5) Where a label fulfils the conditions mentioned in paragraph (1)(b), (c), (d) and (e) but also sets out requirements not linked to the subject-matter of the contract, a contracting authority must not require the label but may define the technical specification by reference to those of the detailed specifications of that label, or, where necessary, parts of it, that are linked to the subject-matter of the contract and are appropriate to define characteristics of that subject-matter.