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The EU Ecodesign Directive – Meet the requirements with the iPoint Compliance Agent

Elevators, hairdryers, vacuum cleaners, toasters, lawnmowers – the Ecodesign Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council (2009/125/EC) is being applied to more and more products. In 2009, the Ecodesign Directive replaced the previous Directive 2005/32/EC, which is also known as the Energy-using Products (EuP) directive.

The Ecodesign Directive applies to:

  • products requiring an energy supply for their designated use, and

  • products which, although they do not require energy themselves, have an impact on energy consumption in some way (e.g. windows and insulating mats, showerheads).

The directive does not apply to means of transport for persons or goods.

Purpose

The purpose of the new Ecodesign Directive, also known as “ErP Directive” or “Ecodesign of ErPs” (energy-related products), is to improve the environmental compatibility and energy efficiency of energy-related products throughout their entire lifecycle. To support the achievement of this objective, there are general and specific requirements for ecological product design, since the design and structure of a product can already have a significant influence on the environmental impact of a product.

Affected Products

On September 1, 2014, amendments and implementing measures entered into force, introducing more stringent requirements, e.g. for vacuum cleaners and halogen spotlights. In the next few months, there will be further new provisions to reduce the energy consumption of other devices, such as tumble dryers, warming plates for coffee machines, ovens, and hobs.

During the coming weeks, the European Commission will make preliminary decisions on the devices and products that are to be regulated under the Ecodesign Directive between 2015 and 2017. The list of suggestions includes, among other things, cordless screwdrivers, elevators, steam cleaners, gym machines, hairdryers, greenhouses, kitchen appliances, lawnmowers, sandblast cleaners, swimming pool heating devices, smart phones, amplifiers, video projectors, kettles, wireless routers and fish tank equipment. In the spring of 2015, the EU Commission, in consultation with the member states and industry, wants to make the final decision on the products that are to be included in the working program from 2015 to 2017. After that, minimum requirements concerning the energy and resource consumption of the affected products will be developed in co-operation with the competent national authorities and the affected industries.

Requirements for Manufacturers and Importers

Manufacturers and importers have to examine the compliance of products affected by the Ecodesign Directive by using an assessment procedure authorized under the directive. Following that, a declaration of conformity must be issued. Prior to its first placing on the market, the product has to be provided with the CE marking. The individual member states’ market surveillance will carry out spot checks for CE marking. If the requirements are not met, the competent authorities may prohibit the placing on the market of a product or order the recall of a product that has been put on the market. Monetary penalties are also possible.

Ecodesign Compliance Made Easy

The iPoint Compliance Agent modules “LCA” (Life Cycle Assessment) and “DfE” (Design for Environment) provide you with efficient tools to help you comply with the Ecodesign Directive requirements. The LCA module allows you collect and evaluate data on the environmental impact of your products throughout their entire life cycle – from selection and use of raw materials, manufacturing, transport and use to recycling and disposal. The DfE module helps reduce or completely avoid weak points in the products’ features already at the planning stage. Convenient functions for exporting data allow you to make the results available to your customers as well as the authorities.

For further information on the LCA and DfE modules visit

http://www.ipoint-systems.com/integrated-solutions/lca/ and

http://www.ipoint-systems.com/integrated-solutions/dfe/

For further information on the Ecodesign Directive visit

eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/ and

eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/