Ecodesign
Ecodesign legislation drives energy efficiency and sustainability by pushing manufacturers to innovate and reduce waste. It has curbed standby power consumption, cutting energy waste and emissions even when devices are off.
Since 2008, stricter limits have led to appliances that use minimal power during inactivity. This progress has inspired global adoption of similar rules, preventing non-compliant products from entering EU markets.
Consumers and the environment benefit: improved testing methods now reflect real-world use, boosting energy performance across household, industrial, and climate-control products.
Ecodesign for Sustainable Products
In 2024, a new regulation that will gradually replace the Ecodesign Directive, has been adopted.
Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation
Implementing the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation
Ecodesign Horizontal Legislation
Ecodesign regulation 1275/2008 on energy consumption in ‘off’ and various ‘standby’ modes was designed as a horizontal piece of legislation. Read more information about Standby and Networked Standby, Off Mode.
What does the existing Ecodesign legislation cover?
The existing Ecodesign regulations typically include:
- Technical requirements for the physical product typically focused on energy efficiency, emission or general resource efficiency-related aspects. The product needs to fulfil these so-called minimum requirements to be allowed to be placed on the EU market.
- Requirements concerning the availability of spare parts and information for repair and maintenance to increase the expected lifetime of products.
- Information requirements covering the documentation of the product. When placed on the market, the product has to fulfil all technical requirements and information requirements. The documentation confirms the compliance of the product with all requirements of the regulations by the supplier.
Source: Compliance Services
Energy Labelling
Energy labelling empowers consumers to make eco-friendly choices and drives innovation. Nearly 80% of EU citizens consider the label when buying appliances, showing its impact on both consumer decisions and product development.
Since 1994, the label has provided clear information on energy use, helping consumers save money and encouraging manufacturers to improve efficiency. The EU’s proposal to merge technologies under one label will further simplify comparisons and highlight the most energy-efficient options.
More efficient products mean lower energy use and better resource conservation—benefiting both people and the planet.
View more information about the energy label.
Transition period
What to consider when legislation has been revised
For all regulations a certain period is specified between the publication of a new regulation and the applicability of the specific regulation requirements. This transition period ensures sufficient lead-time for the market actors (including manufacturers, importers distributors, and dealers) to adjust their products and product information for compliance without disruptive effects on production and sales.
Source: Compliance Services
Who does what?
The specific requirements vary depending on your role and the regulations that apply to the product.
The Ecodesign and Energy Labelling regulations describe these six roles:
- Manufacturer: A manufacturer that produces products or lets produce products.
- Authorised representative: An entity with written consent from a manufacturer outside the EU to act on their behalf.
- Importer: An entity that imports products and places them on the EU market (either for money or free of charge).
- Distributor/wholesaler: Any economic operator in the EU supply chain who makes products
available on the market and is not an importer or manufacturer. - Supplier means a manufacturer established in the EU, the authorised representative of a manufacturer who is not established in the EU, or an importer, who places a product on the EU market.
- Dealer means a retailer or other natural or legal person who offers for sale, hire, or hire purchase, or displays products to customers or installers in the course of a commercial activity, whether or not in return for payment.
Please note that economic operators can have several roles and therefore must meet several requirements. A dealer has the same obligations as a supplier, if the dealer e.g., imports products. And a supplier has the same obligations as a dealer if the supplier e.g. import products and sells them to customers.
Commission Notice on the implementation of EU product groups C/2016/1958, The ‘Blue Guide’: this notice provides clarifications on a number of concepts and terms such as 'making available on the market', 'placing on the market', 'CE marking', 'conformity assessment', market surveillance', etc.
View the roles of the different economic operators under Ecodesign and Energy labelling
Legal guarantee vs commercial warranty
In the context of EU legislation, the difference between the mandatory legal guarantee and the voluntary commercial guarantee is relevant:
- Legal guarantee:
- A legal guarantee is provided by law and is mandatory across all EU member states. It ensures that consumers have a minimum of two years from the date of delivery to claim a remedy if a purchased product is found to be defective or not in conformity with the sales contract.
- The seller is responsible for any defects that are present at the time of delivery. If a defect becomes apparent within the first six months, it is assumed to have existed at the time of delivery unless proven otherwise by the seller. After six months, the burden of proof shifts to the consumer to demonstrate that the defect existed at the time of delivery.
- Remedies available to consumers include repair or replacement of the defective item or, if those are not possible or are disproportionate, a price reduction or a refund.
- Commercial guarantee (or voluntary warranty):
- A commercial guarantee, also known as a voluntary warranty, is an additional promise or service provided voluntarily by the seller, manufacturer or other supplier. It is not required by law and is meant to offer additional protection or benefits beyond those provided by the legal guarantee.
- The terms and conditions of a commercial guarantee, including its duration, scope, and the rights it confers, are defined by the warrantor and can vary widely.
- This warranty does not replace or reduce the rights given to consumers by the legal guarantee.
In summary, while the legal guarantee is the well-known mandatory protection under EU law applicable to all consumer sales, a commercial guaranteeis an optional added benefit provided by the seller, manufacturer or other supplier.
Highlights
EU27 Energy Savings 2023 & 2030 From Ecodesign and Energy Labelling
Source: estimations from the Ecodesign Impact Accounting Overview Report 2024