Products Covered:

• Domestic Non-directional Lamps: Study completed. Discussed at Consultation Forum in March 2008. Market Regulation approved by EU countries December 2008. Regulation entered into force April 2009 and the first general lamps (frosted lamps and clear lamps above 75 Watt) had to fulfill efficiency requirements as well as quality requirements from September 2009. The requirements will be increased in 6 steps, one step every year until 2016. The phasing out incandescent light bulbs was adopted in 2009 and the last stage of the ban will enter into force in September 2012.
• Domestic Directional Lamps: An ecodesign working document for halogens and LEDs and a revised Energy label for lamps were discussed in July 2011. Advanced drafts have been submitted to the EC Interservice Consultation in February 2012.
• Standby and Off-mode Losses of EuPs: Study completed and proposals discussed at Consultation Forum in October 2007. Market regulation approved by countries July 2008, regulation entered into force January 2009 and all products put on market after January 2010 must comply. An amendment to cover network standby modes was discussed in September 2011.
• Simple Set Top Boxes for TV: Study completed, proposals discussed at Consultation Forum in February 2008. Market Regulation agreed by EU countries October 2008 and entered into force February 2009. Boxes put on market after February 2010 shall comply with energy efficiency requirements. The latest tier entered into force in Feb. 2012. Voluntary agreement proposed by industry on complex set top boxes, possibly endorsed by the European Commission in 2012.
• Battery Chargers and External Power Supplies: Study completed, proposals discussed at Consultation Forum in February 2008. Market regulation for external power supplies approved October 2008 by countries and regulation entered into force April 2009. All products put on market after April 2010 must comply with minimum efficiency requirements. The latest tier entered into force in April 2011. Voluntary commitment by the mobile phone industry in 2009 to promote a universal charger. Preparatory study on uninterruptible power supplies to be launched.
• Office Lighting (tertiary lighting): Study completed. Proposals discussed at Consultation Forum in December 2007. Included in market regulation on tertiary lighting that was adopted by countries September 2008. It covers fluorescent lamps without in-built ballasts, high-intensity discharge lamps and ballasts and luminaries for such lamps. The regulation entered into force April 2009 and all products put on market after April 2010 must comply; BUT following protest from lamp manufacturers a new Consultation forum was organised September 2009 and amendments were done in 2010 resulting in lower requirements for specific lamps. Consultation on additional measures for luminaries organised in Sept. 2010.
• (Public) Street Lighting (tertiary lighting): Study completed and proposals discussed at Consultation Forum in July 2007. Included in market regulation on tertiary lighting that entered into force April 2009. All products put on market after April 2010 must comply, but some lamps have had lower requirements with an amendment in 2010 as for office light. Amended in 2010. Consultation on additional measures for luminaries organised in Sept. 2010.
• Domestic Refrigerators and Freezers: Study completed. Discussed at Consultation Forum December 2008. Regulation agreed by countries March 2009 and the regulation entered into force August 2009 and all products put on market from July 2010 shall comply with minimum efficiency requirements and some consumer information; also Energy label regulations were revised in 2010. BUT the energy efficiency labelling is not updated due to disputes regarding the format of the label. The next tier of the Ecodesign regulation entered into force in July 2012
• Televisions: Study completed. Consultation Forum October 2008, proposal agreed by regulatory committee March 2009, and the minimum requirement entered into force August 2009 and all products put on market after August 2010 must comply with minimum efficiency requirements; the Energy Label regulation was adopted in 2010. Next tier entered into force in April 2012. Revision of the Ecodesign regulation planned in 2012.
• Electric Motors 1-150 kW: Study completed. Proposals discussed at Consultation Forum in May 2008. Regulation agreed by countries March 2009 and entered into force August 2009. Motors put on market after June 2011 shall comply with minimum efficiency requirements. Amendments envisaged in 2012. Preparatory study to cover special motors will be launched in 2012.
• Circulator Pumps: Study completed. Discussed at Consultation Forum May 2008. Regulation agreed by countries March 2009 and entered into force August 2009. Most standalone circulators put on market from January 2013 must comply with minimum efficiency requirements; all circulators from 2015. An amendment (to close a loophole and relax requirements for circulators integrated in boilers) has been submitted to consultation in May 2011. The written procedure to vote this amendment has been launched in February 2012.
• Boilers and Combi-boilers (gas/oil/electric): Study completed. Proposed new standards and labelling scheme. Proposals discussed at Consultation Forum (February 2008), proposal delayed until a new Consultation Forum July 2009 because of disagreements. Because of sustained disagreements among countries and stakeholders, the EU Commission made a simplified proposal in spring 201, followed by a consultation period.
  Final drafts on boilers and water heaters have been submitted by the EU Commission's DG Energy for internal Commission consultation ( Interservice Consultation) in February 2012 with expected finalisation in May and voting by countries probably in September.
• Water Heaters (gas/oil/electric): Study completed. Proposed new standards and a new labelling scheme. Discussed together with boilers in February 2008 and later in a seperate Consultation Forum. July 2008. Since 2011 the process of water heaters have followed the process of boilers (see above).
• Personal Computers (desktops & laptops) and Computer Monitors: Study completed. Consultation Forum October 2009. The vote by the Regulatory Committee is expected in the end of 2012.
• Imaging Equipment: Study completed. Consultation Forum October 2010. Voluntary agreement proposed by the industry in 2009 but not yet endorsed by the European Commission (expected for this year).
• Residential Room Conditioning Appliances (air conditioning and ventilation): Study completed. Consultation Forum June 2009. Regulation agreed by the countries in 2011 and published in March 2012. The next tier of requirements enters into force in 2013. Ecodesign & Energy labels proposed for ventilation units and kitchen hoods, but now kitchen hoods are part of a "kitchen product group" with ovens and hobs.
• Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers, including Chillers, Display Cabinets and Vending Machines: Study completed. Another study is ongoing regarding other cooling facilities: cold rooms, icemakers and others. Ecodesign regulation for supermarket fridges discussed once but on hold. Working document for vending machines expected in 2012.
  First consultation on service cabinets, chillers, cold rooms, and remote condensing units held in January 2012.
• Domestic Dishwashers and Washing Machines: Study completed. Discussed at Consultation Forum December 2008. Regulation adopted by countries in November 2010. The first tier of the Ecodesign regulation entered into force in December 2011.
• Complex Set Top Boxes (with conditional access and/or functions that are always on): Study completed. Consultation Forum October 2009 with proposal of a voluntary agreement. The European Commission will possibly endorse the voluntary agreement in 2012.
• Non-residential Fans: Study completed. Discussed at Consultation Forum May 2008. Regulation adopted in March and published in April 2011.
• Water Pumps (electric, for commercial buildings, drinking water, food, agriculture): Study completed. Discussed at Consultation Forum May 2008. Ecodesign regulation in discussion for standard pumps. Finalised draft issued and voted in end of 2011. Preparatory studies launched on pumps for waste water, swimming pools, fountains and aquariums in March 2012.
• Cylinders for Hot Water (tanks for hot water preparation from central heating system): Included in study on water heaters. Discussed at Consultation Forum on boilers, July 2009. Since the, its process follows the process of boilers and water heaters.
• Machine Tools. The preparatory study is on going. Consultation Forum October 2009 on possible voluntary agreement.
• Medical Imaging Equipment (scanning equipment, X-ray, etc.). No preparatory study. Consultation Forum October 2009 on possible voluntary agreement.
• Household Tumble driers: Study completed and in a final stage. After the Consultation Forum, the draft of the regulation about Energy labelling has been adopted by the Commission, and the draft on Ecodesign is waiting for its approval by the Regulatory Committee.
• Vacuum Cleaners: New regulation and mandatory energy label from September 1, 2014 and September 1 2017. Until 2014: Requirements for vacuum cleaners entered into force in July 2013. Draft guidelines and standardisation mandate were issued 18 June 2014. Finalised drafts published and discussed in September 2011 (2nd consultation forum). The vote by the Regulatory Committee..
• Solid Fuel Small Combustion Installations: Preparatory study completed. Consultation Forum expected in the summer of 2012.
• Local Room Heating Products: Study finalised. Third stakeholder meeting organised in April 2012. Consultation Forum expected for the summer of 2012.
• Central Heating Products with air (supplement to the regulation of boilers etc): Study finalised. Third stakeholder meeting organised in April 2012. Consultation Forum expected by the end of 2012.
• Domestic and Commercial Ovens: Preparatory study has been completed. Working document with proposals for regulation in March 2012. Consultation Forum in April 2012
• Domestic and Commercial Hobs and Grills: Preparatory study completed. Process combined with ovens. Consultation Forum in April 2012.
• Professional Wet Appliances and Dryers: Study completed. Consultation Forum expected by the end other year.
• Coffee Machines (Non-tertiary, i.e. domestic): First working document issued and discussed in December 2011. See it here. Process expected to be aligned with ovens, hobs, and kitchen hoods (kitchen equipment group).
• Networked Standby Losses: Study completed. Amendment to cover network standby modes in the regulation of Simple Standby discussed at Consultation Forum in September 2011. The vote by the Regulatory Committee is expected by the end of the year.
• Commercial and professional refrigerating and Freezing Equipment: Study completed in December 2007. Ecodesign regulation for supermarket fridges discussed once but on hold. Working document for vending machines expected in 2012. First consultation on service cabinets, chillers, cold rooms, remote condensing units held in January 2012.

  Distribution and Power Transformers: Preparatory study completed. Consultation Forum in April 2012.
• Sound and Imaging Equipment: It covers Digital Picture Frames, electronic devices with a LCD displays that presents images or videos including sound. Topically includes a memory USB card and a battery. Video players and recorders, projectors and game consoles are included in this group. Preparatory study completed in Dec. 2010.. The first working documents are expected in 2012.
• Industrial and laboratory equipment (furnaces and ovens): Ongoing preparatory study.

  
  

Historical Review of the Development of the Ecodesign Directive:

Directive Recast - Evaluation 2014
The Ecodesign Directive was evaluated in 2014. The conclusion was that the Ecodesign Directive does not need amendments at this point. It was considered to expand it to non-energy products, such as cold water installations or products with large environmental impacts in production, but the case was not sufficiently strong for such an expansion of the scope of the directive.

Development Continues 2012:
July 2012: The development of Ecodesign measures continues, and more product groups are being covered:
- Energy-efficiency requirements for domestic air-conditioners, non-residential fans, dishwashers, washing machines and water pumps have been implemented in the last years.
- Energy efficiency requirements and labelling for domestic tumble driers.
- Energy efficiency requirements for directional lamps were agreed in July 2012
- Energy efficiency requirements and labels for boilers and water heaters are on their way with decisions expected before the end of 2012. Boilers and water heaters have the highest energy reduction potentials of all product groups.
- The first standards to be developed through the alternative voluntary agreement route, covering complex set-top boxes and imaging equipment, should also be finalised next year.
- In discussions are requirements for computers, networked standby modes, domestic ventilation, vacuum cleaners and
- There have also been consultations on commercial and professional refrigeration, coffee machines, ovens and hobs and electrical transformers, and a Consultation Forum on solid fuel combustion has just taken place the 12th of July (for boilers) with another (for stoves) planned for September 2012.

Recast (2008-10):

May 2010: The updated labelling Directive has been adopted. See more here.

October 2009: The recast of the Ecodesign Directive was adopted as directive 2009/125/EC, published in the official journal.

September 2009: Following that the EU countries have now agreed, at a ministerial meeting September 24, to a compromise for the recast of the Ecodesign directive. The labelling directive that was discussed in parallel with the Ecodesign Directive is postponed due to disagreements over the content of the label, see here.

May 2009: The recast of the Ecodesign directives to cover "energy-related products" was welcomed by the EU Parliament in with some proposals for amendments.

November 2008: The EU Commission proposed an amendment of the related energy labelling /SAVE directive, read here.

July 2008: A recast of the Ecodesign directive was proposed by the EU Commission as document COM(2008)399 to cover not just energy using products, but also energy related products such as windows that are important for energy use of a house, but does not directly consume fuels or other delivered energy.

Procedure - Implementation (2006-2011):

2010 - 2011: The EU commission has implemented regulations about ecodesign and energy label requirements for more than ten products.

2008 - 2009: The EU commission has organised Consultation Forums and opened discussion on more than 20 product groups, see here.

June 2007: The EU Commission organised the first Consultation Forum, on stand-by and off-mode consumption.

November 2006: INFORSE-Europe was given a seat in the Forum for European Eco-design Consultation.

October 2006: More detailed plans for implementation were included the EU Commission's Energy Efficiency Action Plan.

June 2006: The Commission has commissioned studies on implementation of the Eco-design Directive in 14 product categories, including a category for stand-by losses.

Development and Adoption of Ecodesign Directive (2003-05):

The Directive was signed July 6, 2005 as Directive 2005/32/EC. The countries have until August 2007 to implement the Directive.

May 23, 2005: The countries approved the text of the Directive 2005: The EU presidency (Luxembourg) aims at a final agreement the proposal during Spring 2005.

April 13, 2005: The Parliament discussed the proposal for the second time (second reading) and agreed its opinion.

December 10, 2004: The Commission comments the decision of the energy ministers (2004/0800). Next phase is the second reading of the Parliament, which will be followed by final adoption of the council of ministers.

November 29, 2004: The energy minister agreed a common position. The agreement includes:

June 10, 2004: The proposal was discussed by the EU ministers on June 10, and they reached a political agreement, but some were outstanding.

April 20, 2004: The EU Parliament has adopted a resolution on the proposal for an EU Eco-design framework directive for energy efficiency and other environmental characteristics of products. The resolution calls for the following measures:
- One year after the adoption of the framework Directive, the Commission
should implement measures for those products that offer a high
potential for cost-effective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. These include heating and water heating equipment, electric motor systems, lighting, domestic appliances, office equipment, consumer electronics, as well as ventilating & air conditioning systems. Stand-by losses of all products should also be regulated as soon as possible.
- Consumer information requirements for manufacturers and distributors, with information on life-cycle impacts and resource-efficient use of the products.
- Establishment of an Eco-Design Board with balanced participation of all relevant interested parties, including environmental NGOs.

An "Eco-design” framework Directive was proposed on August 1, 2003 by the EU Commission for energy-consuming equipment. The aim is to improve the overall environmental performance of these products during production and use as well as after use. It will be a framework for "eco-efficiency" standards of different equipment, aiming to minimize environmental impacts by reducing energy consumption as well as other factors that harm the environment. The standards will be elaborated for products that have a significant sales volume in EU and an important environmental impact.

The Directive proposal "On establishing a framework for the setting of Eco-design requirements for Energy-Using Products and amending Council Directive 92/42/EEC" is referred to as COM(2003)0453. It is co-decision procedure, involving the Parliament.

Follow the negotiations in Parliament: www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/index.jsp
Follow the proposal's progress in the EU system:
http://www.europa.eu/prelex/detail_dossier_real.cfm?CL=en&DosId=184690