PURPOSE: to amend Regulation (EC) No 106/2008 in order to adapt the implementation of the Energy Star programme to a new agreement between the United States of America and the European Union on the coordination of energy-efficiency labelling programmes for office equipment.
LEGISLATIVE ACT : Regulation (EU) No 174/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 106/2008 on a Community energy-efficiency labelling programme for office equipment
CONTENT: the Regulation amends (EC) No 106/2008 regarding the rules for the Union energy-efficiency labelling programme for office equipment (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 signed on 10 December 2012 in Brussels and 18 January 2013 in Washington. The Agreement will cover a period of five years.
Energy Star and ecodesign: 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.
The programme shall be coordinated, as appropriate, with other Union labelling or quality certification arrangements as well as with schemes such as 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: other existing and new voluntary energy-efficiency labelling schemes for office equipment products in the Member States may co-exist with the Energy Star programme. Products covered by the Regulation which are placed on the Union market may be tested by the Commission or Member States in order to verify their compliance with the requirements of the Regulation.
European Union Energy Star Board (EUESB) shall review the implementation of the Energy Star programme within the Union and shall provide the Commission with advice and assistance.
Review and revision: 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. The results of such an evaluation and assessment shall be reported to the European Parliament and to the Council at least two years before the expiry of the Agreement.
ENTRY INTO FORCE : 26/03/2013.