AMDEA is the UK trade association for domestic appliance manufacturers.  Many people assume that this means large appliances such as cookers and washing machines but AMDEA members also make a range of small appliances. This month AMDEA’S Sian Lewis looks at the range of household gadgets available on the market that are subject to energy and safety regulations.

The European Directive promoting the collection and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) was first published in 2003 and became law in theUKin 2006.  The EU legislation is currently being revised and Douglas Herbison,  AMDEA’s chief executive, considers the potential changes.

In October 2011, John Morrissey of Indesit became the new chairman of AMDEA.  He takes over from Uwe Hanneck of BSH who had held the position for the past six years.   Both men have substantial experience in the domestic appliance industry and their own approach to the role of the trade association.  Douglas Herbison, AMDEA’s chief executive looks back on recent achievements and speculates on what the future might hold.

European legislation to reduce the environmental impact of electrical and other ‘energy-related’ products is about to be reviewed. It is likely to result in new requirements to help conserve resources and provide more ‘environmental information’ for a wider range of products. Sian Lewis of AMDEA considers the implications.

A new Consumer Rights Directive is due to be published later this year and, separately, the UK government is consulting on consumer-related proposals. Both will have far-reaching implications for consumers and retailers, advises Douglas Herbison, chief executive of Amdea.

With the EU proposing that Member States should achieve energy saving measures by imposing obligations on suppliers or by other means, Douglas Herbison, chief executive of AMDEA, reiterates the arguments for offering consumers a financial incentive to buy more efficient domestic appliances.

Maintaining access to raw materials like minerals and ores is now seen as a strategic policy priority in London and Brussels.  AMDEA Technical Officer Alex Martin examines this issue and its implications for manufacturers and retailers of electrical products.

The European Union (EU) comprises 27 countries where goods, services, capital and persons can circulate freely. This month Douglas Herbison, Chief Executive of AMDEA, reflects on the development of the Single Market and how much we take it for granted.

In 1957, six countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) signed a Treaty to establish the European Economic Community (EEC). Their objective was to remove customs barriers and establish a common customs tariff to be applied to goods from outside the EEC.

2010 saw the adoption of new EU Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Regulations for several types of product. Energy labelling legislation is particularly relevant to retailers as it places obligations on them. AMDEA Technical Officer Alex Martin discusses the significance of both pieces of legislation.

During the past two years, the EU executive, the European Commission, has simultaneously proposed, consulted upon and overseen the publication of legislation setting minimum energy performance (ecodesign) and energy information disclosure (labelling) requirements for several types of products, such as household refrigerating appliances, dishwashers and washing machines. More legislation is set to follow this year.

The customer may be always right but sometimes it doesn’t feel that way to them. This month Douglas Herbison, Chief Executive of AMDEA, looks at how manufacturers can impress their customers with their ‘customer care’ even when something goes wrong.

The modern home includes a host of gadgets that rely on a controlled and constant fuel supply. Sian Lewis of AMDEA looks at how we came to depend on electricity and what this might mean for the future of domestic appliances.

The magnetic properties of iron oxides were understood over 2000 years ago but the first use of the English word electricity (from the Greek word for amber) dates from around 1600 when William Gilbert developed a theory to explain magnetic attraction in terms of an invisible fluid.

Twelve months ago I described 2009 as a challenging year with new and revised legislation and ongoing debate about how to deal with climate change and energy use.

Well, 2010 started with an unusually bitter winter and went on to include a volcanic eruption and a general election, all of which had some impact on our industry. But in-between it was really business as usual with ongoing work on revising European Directives and more UK government consultations.

This month Sian Lewis of AMDEA takes a light-hearted look at the acronym and how abbreviated names are commonly used for organisations, legislation and even topics and whether it matters what you call yourself as long as people know who you are.

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, according to Mr Shakespeare, but can you tell a book by its cover or a company by its name?

The familiar energy labels on domestic appliances are about to change. Sian Lewis of AMDEA explains what you might, or might not, notice next year.

We have become accustomed to seeing coloured stickers on large domestic appliances with an arrow showing their energy rating. This A-G energy label is currently a legal requirement for washing machines, electric tumble dryers, refrigerators and freezers, dishwashers, combined washer dryers, electric ovens and air conditioners (and light bulbs).

Much of AMDEA’s work is with various national and international standards committees that set the parameters for product performance and safety, and design ways to measure them consistently, explains Douglas Herbision, Chief Executive of Amdea.

European consumers have become accustomed to assuming that all the products that they buy are safe. However, there are always those that argue that things could be improved still further. The key EU legislation dealing with the safety of consumer products is under review, explains Douglas Herbison, Chief Executive of AMDEA.

A new EU campaign has been launched to raise the profile of CE marking – something that businesses placing electrical goods on the EU market have been required to add to their products for many years. Alex Martin, Technical Officer at AMDEA, considers the aims of the campaign.

Despite the change of government and new priorities at the top, many issues with which AMDEA will be dealing in the second half of 2010 are a continuation of the current work of the Association. Douglas Herbison, AMDEA’s chief executive, explains.

Flames have been a hazard since man first discovered fire and while careless cooking cannot be blamed for the extinction of the dinosaurs, it was certainly responsible for the key event of 1666 - the Great Fire of London.

Thomas Farynor, baker to King Charles II, had his bakery in Pudding Lane in London.  On the night of 2 September 1666, around 1am, a servant awoke to find the house in flames.  The baker’s family escaped but a terrified maid was trapped in the blaze and the fire eventually destroyed around 80% of the city.  The death toll was remarkably low – around 16 people are thought to have perished and the city was rebuilt to a safer standard.  The cause of the blaze was traced to an unattended stove that had set alight the timber frame of the building.

There is a common but unfortunate habit in many organisations to separate the work on technical issues from commercial or even ‘political’ matters.

This has become ever more obvious since the government and the regulatory authorities are imposing technical – particularly environmental – specifications on how we manufacture and market our products. So our response to these activities has to be broad and comprehensive.

At the start of a New Year, it is always useful to review progress made in the previous 12 months. There may have been an economic downturn in 2009, but there was certainly no reduction in AMDEA’s activities on behalf of its members.