Labelling as guidance: RAL has ensured that labels such as RAL Gütezeichen (Quality Marks) or RAL Colours have been objective, reliable and always completely up-to-date for more than 90 years.

Labels provide guidance in an increasingly confusing world of products and services. In order to properly fulfil this role, a label needs to be objective, reliable and always completely up-to-date. RAL has been setting the standards in this area since 1925. Almost all of RAL’s business areas focus to varying degrees on the theme of labelling: RAL QUALITY MARKS (GÜTEZEICHEN), RAL COLOURS, RAL ENVIRONMENT and RAL LOGO LICENCE.

As one of the longest standing experts in the field of labelling worldwide, RAL has been ensuring that services are reliably performed, quality standards are maintained and labels provide reliable guidance for consumers and industry for more than 90 years. RAL is neutral and operates on a non-profit basis. Its best known labels include:

RAL GÜTEZEICHEN (QUALITY MARKS)

RAL Gütezeichen (Quality Marks) have been awarded to particularly high-quality products and services for more than 90 years – in accordance with objective criteria and from a neutral perspective. As the sole awarding body for RAL Gütezeichen (Quality Marks) in Germany, RAL defines the requirements for the relevant RAL Gütezeichen (Quality Mark) for every group of products and services. RAL includes manufacturers and suppliers, the trade and consumers, testing institutions and associations in this process. Finally, RAL publishes product and performance-specific quality criteria and thus makes them available to the public.

RAL COLOURS

RAL Colours has been labelling colours and colour tones since 1927. They are the leading colour standard for all professional users in industry, trade, architecture and design. Professional users and consumers around the world rely on the fact that they can precisely define a colour based on its RAL number – even without using a colour sample.

RAL ENVIRONMENT

The BLUE ANGEL and EU ECOLABEL have been recognised labels for environmentally friendly products for almost 40 years. RAL has been the sole awarding body for the Blue Angel since 1978. It organises, moderates and documents the expert hearings that prepare new basic award criteria or revise existing ones. In addition, RAL also defends the Blue Angel in the event of the misuse of the label. RAL has also been the sole awarding body in Germany for the EU Ecolabel since it was introduced by the European Commission in 1992. RAL ensures that consumers in Germany can rely on these two labels for environmental friendliness.

RAL LOGO LICENCE

Consumers trust the judgements made by Stiftung Warentest and base their purchasing decisions on them. Since 2013, RAL has issued licences for the use of the Stiftung Warentest logo in advertising, monitors its use and punishes any infringements so that the logo can provide reliable guidance.