In the summer of 2011, the European Commission issued a draft report providing information on which products would fall under the purview of the Ecodesign Directive (Directive 2009/125/EC). However, recent reports indicate that the Commission will delay making a final decision on the relevant regulations. Nevertheless, the authorities have not slowed down the implementation of other provisions of the Ecodesign Directive.
Of particular note are several new product categories that are under review in order to improve their designs to better comply with environmental principles.
The first EcoDesign Directive (Directive 2005/32/EC) only regulated energy-consuming products. The current directive also covers energy-related products (such as bathroom accessories like faucets and showerheads, and insulation products like windows and building materials).
The current EcoDesign Directive only establishes a regulatory framework for authorities to formulate ecodesign regulations, while the European Commission is responsible for developing detailed implementation rules. The European Commission will develop a work plan that includes a list of exemplary products, which will be given priority for implementation over the next three years.
The draft report, published in August, pre-discusses the European Commission's work plan for 2012-2014. It includes a list of illustrative products, such as faucets, showerheads, detergents, mobile phones, electric kettles, and home audio equipment. The product rankings are based on factors such as energy consumption and market size, and are determined according to the products' potential for environmental improvement.
Many of these products are imported from mainland China. Therefore, the final product list is closely related to Hong Kong businesses.
Previously, the European Commission expected to finalize a concrete work plan for 2012-2014 by October 21, 2011, and publish it immediately, but the plan was ultimately delayed. In addition, a related consultation forum will be held on January 20, 2012, to gather opinions from relevant parties on implementing the work plan in the spring of 2012.
Once the work plan is adopted, a preliminary study will be conducted to analyze each product category included in the plan's list, thereby developing appropriate environmentally friendly design regulations. Following this, a detailed environmental impact study will be performed to determine the energy-saving potential of the relevant product categories and the costs to the industry. Based on this information, the European Commission will draft regulations, then seek input from relevant stakeholders, have them voted on by a special regulatory committee, and finally submit them to the European Parliament for consideration.
Implementation will take several years, and authorities will establish transition periods after certain environmental regulations are implemented. The legislative process is lengthy, but stakeholders have urged the European Commission to expedite the implementation of the regulations.
In fact, the authorities are studying the operational model and prospects of EU environmental design legislation to assess the effectiveness of the directives, the efficiency of enforcement measures, and the enforcement situation in member states. The results of the study will be published at the end of 2011.
To date, the EU has implemented 12 regulations covering 10 product categories, including simple set-top boxes, televisions, battery chargers and external power supply equipment, office lighting, streetlights, electric motors, circulation devices, fans, household refrigerators and freezers, household dishwashers, non-directional household lights, and standby and shutdown mode losses.
Regulations for air conditioners, comfort fans, and household tumble dryers are expected to be implemented by the end of 2011. Furthermore, regulations for the following product categories will be implemented in 2012:
- Directional lights; LED lights; halogen lamp converters and lighting fixtures
- Water heater and hot water tank
- boiler
Furthermore, a consultation forum on professional refrigeration equipment will be held on January 19, 2012. This equipment includes professional refrigerated display cases, blast freezers, walk-in cold storage units, chillers, and remote condensing units.
In addition, a steering committee will discuss two voluntary agreements. The meeting to discuss the first agreement, which concerns complex set-top boxes, was held on November 30, 2011. The other voluntary agreement, which concerns imaging equipment, was discussed on December 7, 2011.
On November 21, 2011, the European Commission published a working paper on the environmental design and energy labeling of home coffee machines, which was discussed at a consultation forum on December 16, 2011.
On December 16, 2011, the Regulatory Commission voted on the implementation regulations for the environmental design of electric pumps.
Source: Taiwan Trade Development Council (TCT) website (2011-12-16)
