Energy efficiency products: office and communication technology equipment, labelling programme Energy Star. Recast

2006/0187(COD)

PURPOSE: to recast Regulation 2422/2001/EC on laying down the rules for implementing the Energy Star programme for office equipment.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EC) N° 106/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on a Community energy-efficiency labelling programme for office equipment (recast version).

CONTENT: the objective of this Regulation is to recast, and thus clarify, existing Community provisions concerning an energy-efficiency labelling programme for office equipment. The new Regulation replaces and repeals Regulation (EC) 2422/2001 and will contribute to making Community legislation more accessible and transparent. The Regulation establishes the rules for the Community energy-efficiency labelling programme for office equipment (the Energy Star programme) as defined in the Agreement of 20 December 2006 between the United States of America and the European Community on the coordination of energy-efficiency labelling programmes for office equipment.

The Regulation points out that office equipment accounts for a significant share of total electricity consumption. The various models available on the Community market have very different levels of energy consumption for similar functionalities and there is significant potential for optimising their energy efficiency. Improving the energy efficiency of office equipment should contribute to improving the competitiveness of the Community and the security of its energy supply and to protecting the environment and consumers.

The Energy Star energy-efficiency label is used worldwide. In order to influence the requirements of the Energy Star labelling programme, the Community will participate in the programme and in drawing up the necessary technical specifications. When setting those technical specifications together with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the Commission must aim at ambitious levels of energy efficiency, in view of the Community's policy of energy efficiency and its energy-efficiency targets.

The General Principles set out in the Regulation are as follows:

  • the Energy Star programme shall be coordinated, as appropriate, with other Community labelling or quality certification arrangements as well as with schemes such as, in particular, the Community eco-label award scheme, established by Regulation (EEC) N° 880/92, the indication by labelling and standard product information of the consumption of energy and other resources by household appliances, established by Directive 92/75/EEC and measures implementing Directive 2005/32/EC;
  • the Common Logo may be used by programme participants on their individual office equipment products and on associated promotional material;
  • participation in the Energy Star programme shall be on a voluntary basis;
  • office equipment products for which use of the Common Logo has been granted by USEPA shall be deemed to comply with this Regulation, unless there is evidence to the contrary;
  • without prejudice to any Community rules on conformity assessment and conformity marking and/or to any international agreement concluded between the Community and third countries as regards access to the Community market, products covered by this Regulation which are placed on the Community market may be tested by the Commission or Member States in order to verify their compliance with the requirements of this Regulation.

Other existing and new voluntary energy-efficiency labelling schemes for office equipment products in Member States may co-exist with the Energy Star programme. The Commission and the Member States shall act in order to ensure the necessary coordination between the Energy Star programme and national labelling schemes and other labelling schemes in the Community or in the Member States.

Review: one year before the expiry of the Agreement, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council a report monitoring the energy efficiency of the office equipment market in the Community and evaluating the effectiveness of the Energy Star programme. The report shall include qualitative as well as quantitative data and also data on the benefits derived from the Energy Star programme, namely energy savings and environmental benefits in terms of carbon dioxide emission reductions.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 04/02/2008.