EcoDesign Directive & *Energy Labeling Directive

There is world-wide demand for more efficient and sustainable products to reduce energy and resource consumption. The EU sustainable product policy as well as the legislation on Ecodesign and energy labelling are effective tools for improving the energy efficiency  and sustainability of products. They help eliminate the least performing products from the market and support industrial competitiveness and innovation by promoting the better environmental performance of products throughout the internal market.

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EcoDesign Directive

• The Ecodesign Directive sets a framework for performance criteria which manufacturers must meet in order to legally bring their product to the market. It does not yet, however, prescribe specific measures or standards and sets no overall energy saving targets. A revised Directive extends the scope of the existing Directive by covering in principle all energy-related products.

• All energy using products sold in the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors are covered by the Directive with the exception of all means of transport which are covered by other legislation. The revised Directive, which entered into force in November 2009, extends the scope of the existing Directive by covering in principle all energy-related products. In the future, windows, insulation materials, and certain water using products like shower heads or taps are expected to be covered as well.

• While EcoDesign aims at improving the energy and environmental performance of products and set minimum requirements, energy labelling requirements aim at providing the information about the same performance. The recast Energy Labelling Directive Directive 2010/30/EU was adopted in May 2010. It extends the energy labelling system from consumer-related products to energy-related products in the commercial and industrial sectors, for example cold storage rooms and vending machines.

• Products and Measures

  • Detailed actions are introduced by the European Commission following a process of discussion with key stakeholders and through what the Commission calls implementing measures. Manufacturers who begin marketing an energy using product covered by an implementing measure in the EU area have to ensure that it conforms to the energy and environmental standards set out by the measure.

  • The Ecodesign Working plan sets out an indicative list of prioritised product groups. Ecodesign Working Plan 2016 - 2019 was released in November 2016, as a part of the Commission’s programme Clean energy for all Europeans. 

  • Requirements for product energy labelling are adopted alongside ecodesign implementing measures. Energy labels are intended to provide consumers with energy and environmental information on which they can base a choice between products on the market.

  • Each product group is called a "Lot". For each lot, there is an extensive product study, which examines market data, technological status and provides recommendations to the Commission. During the study phase, interested stakeholders will meet to discuss the study.

  • Alternatives to implementing measures are so called Self-regulation by industry or Voluntary Agreements. Such agreements have to achieve the same objectives as legislation and fulfil certain criteria. 

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Energy Labeling Directive

• The former Energy Labelling Directive Directive 2010/30/EU was adopted by the European Parliament and Council in May 2010. It extended the energy labelling to energy-related products in the commercial and industrial sectors, for example cold storage rooms and vending machines.

• Energy labelling requirements are already in force for a number of products and the Commission will continuously adopt delegated regulations for energy labelling in parallel with the adoption of the Ecodesign regulations.

• Regulations with energy labelling requirements are presented at the Eco-design Products & status website. The regulation for online labelling entered into force in June 2014.

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Reference: 

ec.europa