Energy efficiency labelling

The European Parliament adopted by 535 votes to 46, with 79 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council setting a framework for energy efficiency labelling and repealing Directive 2010/30/EU.

The European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading, following the ordinary legislative procedure, amended the Commission proposal as follows:

Subject matter and scope: this Regulation lays down a framework that applies to energy-related products and provides for the labelling of those products and the provision of standard product information regarding energy efficiency, the consumption of energy and of other resources by products during use and supplementary information concerning products, thereby enabling customers to choose more efficient products in order to reduce their energy consumption.

This Regulation shall not apply to: (i) second-hand products, unless they are imported from a third country; (ii) means of transport for persons or goods.

Labelling: the term "label" shall mean a graphic diagram, either in printed or electronic form, including a closed scale using only letters from A to G, each letter representing a class and each class corresponding to energy savings, in seven different colours from dark green to red, in order to inform customers about energy efficiency and energy consumption.

In addition to the scale, the label shall also indicate the absolute energy consumption, where appropriate, to allow customers to predict the direct impact of their choices on their energy bills.

Obligations of suppliers and dealers: where a supplier places a product on the market, each unit of the product should be accompanied by a label in paper form. The label displayed shall be clearly visible and identifiable as the label belonging to the product in question and should attract the attention of the customer browsing through the product displayed.

The dealer shall display, in a visible manner, including for online distance selling. It shall be able to print or download one for electronic display from the product database.

Customers shall be offered software or firmware updates of their products after the products have been placed on the market and put into use.

The supplier and the dealer shall make reference to the energy efficiency class of the product and the range of the efficiency classes available on the label in visual advertisements or technical promotional material for a specific model.

Procedure for the introduction and rescaling of labels: the Commission may adopt delegated acts to supplement the Regulation by introducing labels or rescaling.

In order to ensure a homogenous A to G scale, this Regulation provides, as a first step, an initial rescaling of existing labels, in order to ensure a homogeneous A to G scale for three categories of products pursuant to this Regulation. The rescaled label shall be displayed both in shops and online, 18 months after the entry into force of the delegated acts.

In order to keep up with the progress made in the area of energy efficiency, any further redesign of labels shall be undertaken if it is estimated that:

• 30 % of the units of models belonging to a product group sold within the Union market fall into the top energy efficiency class A;
• 50 % of the units of models belonging to a product group sold within the Union market fall into the top two energy efficiency classes A and B.

In order to avoid over burdening suppliers and dealers, and, in particular, small businesses, the frequency of further rescaling should be around 10 years. Before rescaling, the Commission shall carry out an appropriate preparatory study.

The introduction of labels and rescaling of labels shall be accompanied by educational and promotional information campaigns on energy labelling. The Commission shall support cooperation and the exchange of best practices in relation to those campaigns, including through the recommendation of common key messages.

Product database: the Commission shall establish and maintain a product database consisting of a public part, a compliance part and an online portal to provide the public with information about products.

As from 1 January 2019, the supplier shall, before placing on the market a unit of a new model covered by a delegated act, enter in the public and compliance parts of the product database the information for that model, as set out in Annex I.