The Commission presents a report on the voluntary ecodesign scheme for complex set-top boxes. It recalls that Directive 2009/125/EC (the Ecodesign Directive) provides for the Commission to introduce implementing measures for consumer electronics product groups offering a high potential for the cost-effective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
The Commission commissioned preparatory studies for consumer electronic product groups, including complex set-top boxes, i.e. pay-TV receivers.
The preparatory study on complex set-top boxes (CSTBs) confirmed that this product group meets the criteria listed in the Ecodesign Directive for a priority product group. In particular, it represents significant sales volumes, has a significant environmental impact and has a significant improvement potential. The Commission further recalls that the Ecodesign Directive states that the priority product groups should be subject to alternative courses of action such as industry self-regulation or voluntary agreements rather than mandatory implementing measures, if such action is likely to deliver the policy objectives faster or in a less costly manner than mandatory requirements. Accordingly, CSTBs should be covered by an implementing measure or by self-regulation.
Companies active on the CSTB market have proposed a voluntary scheme for the CSTB product group in the EU and, to this end, concluded a voluntary agreement laying down specific ecodesign requirements for CSTBs placed and/or put into service on the EU market. The voluntary scheme has been in force since 1 July 2010.
Elements of the scheme: under this scheme, each signatory to the agreement undertakes to ensure that at least 90 % of all CSTB models it places on the market and/or puts into service comply with the energy consumption targets agreed for the relevant period of time as defined in the voluntary agreement. The environmental aspect of CSTBs that was identified as significant for setting ecodesign requirements for CSTBs in the voluntary agreement was electricity consumption in the use phase. Commitments undertaken by the signatories to the voluntary agreement will reduce electricity consumption (between 2011 and 2020) to 115 TWh with savings of 44 TWh, corresponding to 21 Mt CO2 emissions.
The voluntary scheme proposed by the industry was subject to a full impact assessment by the Commission and stakeholder consultations in the course of the Ecodesign Consultation Forum established under Article 18 of the Ecodesign Directive. Furthermore, in March 2012 the industry provided the Commission with the updated information about the market coverage of the scheme that was required to finalise assessment of the scheme by the Commission.
Impact assessment: the impact assessment concluded that:
- the proposed voluntary scheme would achieve the policy objectives more quickly and at lesser expense than mandatory requirements;
- the proposed scheme complied with all provisions of the Treaty (in particular, internal market and competition rules), international engagements of the EU (including multilateral trade rules), the objectives of the Ecodesign Directive, and the specific assessment criteria, i.e. (i) openness of participation, (ii) added value, (iii) representativeness, (iv) quantified and staged objectives, (v) involvement of civil society, (vi) monitoring and reporting, (vii) cost effectiveness of administering a self-regulatory initiative, (viii) sustainability, and (ix) incentive compatibility.
As a result, the Commission:
- recognises that CSTBs placed and/or put into service on the EU market should be subject to the voluntary ecodesign scheme. The conditions for the scheme are laid down in the voluntary agreement concluded by the industry.
- considers this voluntary scheme to be a valid alternative to an ecodesign implementing measure, so will abstain, for now, from establishing mandatory ecodesign requirements for CSTBs placed and/or put into service on the EU market.
The Commission will continuously monitor the application of the voluntary scheme. Should this reveal that the objectives and general principles of the Ecodesign Directive are not being met, the Commission will consider establishing ecodesign requirements for CSTBs in a mandatory implementing measure.