Changes on the horizon

The EuP Directive entered into EU law in 2005.  The Directive is interesting because it does not set any product-specific requirements equivalent to, say, the WEEE and RoHS Directives.  Instead, the Directive establishes a framework under which ecodesign requirements for energy-using products can be introduced in subsequent legislation.

Much of this framework is related to procedure and definition.  For example, the Directive defines ‘ecodesign' to be the "integration of environmental aspects into product design with the aim of improving environmental performance of (an energy-using product) throughout its whole life cycle". On a first read, you might think this to be fairly straightforward, possibly innocuous. Encapsulated within this sentence though are the seeds of revolution: the intention is to effect changes in design to lessen a product's impact on the environment throughout its lifecycle.  Potentially, this could imply any number of changes (eg changes in material use, processing, distribution, etc), but this potential needs to be tempered with what is most environmentally beneficial as well as technically and economically feasible. 

Thankfully, the EuP Directive recognises the importance of balancing such factors as product functionality and industrial competitiveness with making environmental performance improvements. This is written into the Directive as criteria against which product-specific ecodesign legislation is to be developed.  Moreover, the text of the Directive provides a steer as to what should constitute the focus of ecodesign requirements, at least initially. This means improving the energy efficiency of products when in use. And so we find that the Ecodesign Regulations published this July for motors, circulators, fridges and freezers and televisions have each stipulated minimum energy efficiency requirements.

The implications for retail

Of the four regulations published in July ‘09, electrical retailers may be most interested in the requirements introduced for fridges and freezers and televisions.  This is not only because such appliances are common on retailers' shelves, but because retailers have a long-standing knowledge of the energy efficiency of fridges and freezers through energy labelling. Indeed, the minimum energy efficiency requirements set for fridges and freezers have been expressed in terms of mandating, over time, the sale of appliances only graded as ‘A' and ‘A+' against the current energy labelling scale for fridges and freezers.

Ecodesign and energy labelling are legislative bedfellows, and this is another reason why retailers should be aware of the publication of Ecodesign Regulations.  Once a decision is taken on the layout of the EU Energy Label and a revised Energy Labelling Framework Directive is adopted, we can expect to see ecodesign and energy labelling legislation developed and published at the same time.  In future, it may be that energy labels will communicate more information - including information on the ecodesign requirements that products meet. This is significant for retailers who have the responsibility to display energy labels on ‘showroom appliances' since shop-floor staff may find themselves fielding many more questions from customers about what an energy label shows...

A revolution is therefore underway in the shape of ecodesign. As a swathe of legislation, it is currently working to ‘cut off' the bottom of appliance markets meaning that the least energy-efficient products will no longer be available for sale in the EU. The potential for energy-saving from this is great. For instance, the estimated savings from the four regulations published in July will be by 2020 equal to the combined annual electricity consumption of Sweden and Austria.  This is impressive, but the industry must remain wary of imposed design changes that could bar, not spur, future innovation.

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