The European Parliament adopted by 618 votes to 20, with 18 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a European Union energy-efficiency labelling programme for office equipment amending Regulation (EC) No 106/2008 on a Community energy efficiency labelling programme for office equipment.
Parliament adopted its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure. The amendments adopted in plenary are the result of a compromise negotiated between the European Parliament and the Council. They amend the proposal as follows:
Title: the original title is replaced by the following: Regulation (EC) No 106/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2008 on a Union energy-efficiency labelling programme for office equipment
Objective: the Regulation’s objective is to lay down the rules for the Union energy-efficiency labelling programme for office equipment (hereinafter referred to as the Energy Star programme) as defined in the Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the European Union on the coordination of energy-efficiency labelling programmes for office equipment.
Energy Star and ecodesign: it is stipulated that the Energy Star programme shall contribute to fulfilling the Member States' and the Union's energy-efficiency targets as referred to in Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on energy efficiency. It shall be coordinated, with other Union labelling or quality certification arrangements as well as with schemes such as, in particular, the Union Ecolabel award scheme, established by Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the EU Ecolabel and measures implementing Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-related products. That coordination shall include the exchange of evidence and, if appropriate, the setting of common levels of specifications and requirements across the different schemes.
Conformity assessment and marking: simplified provisions have been proposed so that the Commission or the Member States may submit for testing products covered by this Regulation in order to verify their compliance with the Regulation’s requirements.
Work plan: it is stipulated that the work programme that the Commission shall draw up every three years includes a strategy to implement the Energy Star Programme that includes energy-efficiency improvement, bearing in mind the need to pursue a high standard of consumer and environmental protection and the market penetration which the Energy Star programme should seek to achieve at Union level.
Review and revision: lastly, before the Parties to the Agreement discuss its renewal, the Commission shall evaluate the effectiveness of the Energy Star programme in improving the energy efficiency of office equipment, in creating new jobs and in providing market opportunities for manufacturers.