What is Eco Design?
27 February 2019
he Eco Design Directive provides consistent EU-wide rules for improving the environmental performance of products, such as household appliances, information and communication technologies or engineering. The Directive sets out minimum mandatory requirements for the energy efficiency of these products. This helps prevent creation of barriers to trade, improve product quality and environmental protection. (Ref EC website).
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32009L0125
The Eco Design Directive in recent years, and as seen in the 2016-2019 workplan, refelects more and more the objectives of the EU Circular Economy Package, and the European Commission are increasingly looking at using the Eco Design Directive to regulate products and set minimum requirements for the recyclability, re-usability and durability of products. This includes a recent manadate to standards organisations to develop a set of Material Efficiency standards to be applied under Eco Design.
BEAMA are also seeing an evolution in how this Directive is applied to not just focus on vertical product groups, but also cover horizontal product groups or systems. This, as well as a progression to look at measures and minimum requirements for Demand Side Flexibility, in addition to energy efficiency, is creating a more complicated regulatory environment, and something BEAMA maintain and strong level of intput into.
This is therefore an important Directive and set of regualtions for BEAMA members and any product manufacturer looking to sell into the European market.
Working plan 2016-19
The 2016-2019 work plan outlines all reviews and new preparatory studies to be carried out up to 2019. these are as follows:
- Review clauses on existing eco design and energy labelling implementing measures adopted so far are due in coming years. This includes the following up to 2019:
TVs and displays; external power supplies; electronic motors; fans; lighting products; domestic refrigerators and freezers; dishwashers and washing machines; standby and off mode electric power consumption of electrical and electronic household and office equipment; water pumps; water heaters and hot water storage tanks; vacuum cleaners; computers and computer servers; circulators; sir conditioners and comfort fans; transformers; tumble driers; vacuum cleaners; solid fuel boilers; solid fuel local space heaters; space and water heaters; local space heaters; ventilation units.
- Preparatory studies to be launched for the following (largest energy saving potential):
Building Automation and Control system; Electric kettles; hand dryers; lifts; solar panels and inverters; refrigerated containers; high pressure cleaners.
- A separate stream of work is proposed for ICT products (not included in the prep study list above).
- Contribution to the circular economy - reference is made to the possibility for eco-design to consider contribution to the circular economy. Therefore under the new plan the commission will explore the possibility to establish more product specific/ or horizontal requirements in areas including: durability; reparability; upgradability; design or disassembly; recycling etc.
2020 workplan
BEAMA are now starting to engage with our EU trade bodies to inform the new workplan which will outline further developments for Eco Design beyond 2019.
