Introduction

Summary

According article 16(1) of Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC the Commission is required to establish a Working Plan. This Working Plan sets out an indicative list of product groups which are considered as priorities for the adoption of implementing measures for the following three years.

This study aims to provide the Commission and the members of the Consultation Forum with background information and analysis to allow the Commission to establish this (amended) Working Plan.

Background

Energy-related products account for a large proportion of the consumption of natural resources and energy in the Community. They also have a number of other important environmental impacts on air, water and soil.

In order to improve the efficient use of resources and reduce the environmental impacts of energy-related products the European Parliament and the Council have adopted Directive 2009/125/EC (recast of Directive 2005/32/EC) establishing a framework for the setting Ecodesign requirements (e.g. energy efficiency) for energy-related products in the residential, tertiary, and industrial sectors.

The four main objectives of the Ecodesign Directive are to:

• ensure the free movement of energy-related products within the EU;
• improve the overall environmental performance of these products and thereby protect the environment,
• contribute to the security of energy supply and enhance the competitiveness of the EU economy,
• preserve the interests of industry, consumers, and other stakeholders

Before measures for energy-related products are identified, a series of steps (studies) are undertaken that prove the viability, feasibility and effectiveness of such measures. Throughout this process stakeholder consultation is ensured.

The selection of the first product groups eligible for possible Ecodesign measures was based on several inputs: First, there were products that already carried Energy Labels and/or were subject to minimum efficiency requirements. Second, there were product groups identified as priority groups by previous like-minded studies (like the ECCP programme). Third, the Ecodesign Directive itself (in Article 16) calls for the establishment of a Working Plan which sets out a list of indicative products which are considered as priorities for the adoption of implementing measures. The first Working Plan was published in October 2008 and provided an indicative list of product groups for the period 2009-2011 (COM(2008)660). The background of this Working Plan was provided by the "study for preparing the first Working Plan".

Today, with some 30 (preparatory) studies concluded or being finalised and some 11 Regulations adopted (with many more in the pipeline), and especially following the enlargement of the scope of the Ecodesign Directive to include energy-related products, this new study will provide the background information and anaylsis for the establishment of an Amended Working Plan for the following three years (2012-2014) .

For more information on the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC and related activities, please visit the links page.