Ecodesign for energy-related products

SUMMARY OF:

Directive 2009/125/EC establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-related products

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DIRECTIVE?

It sets out a framework for the European Commission to lay down harmonised ecodesign* minimum requirements for energy-related products that are sold in the European Union (EU). It does not apply to means of transport used to carry people or goods.
It seeks to improve the energy efficiency* of products and the protection of the environment, thus contributing to sustainable development, while doing so in a harmonised way to support the EU single market and avoid market fragmentation and higher prices that could result from diverging national rules on the same aspects.

KEY POINTS

Ecodesign requirements may cover all stages of a product’s life and the repair and recycling at end of life. The focus so far has been, in most cases, on in-use energy consumption because action in that area was prioritised. The most recent regulations, however, have a more holistic perspective, considering the entirety of the energy used during the product’s lifetime. For electronic products, in particular, the manufacturing phase accounts for anywhere from one third to even two thirds of the energy used during the product’s lifetime, suggesting requirements to maximise the use of this embodied energy with requirements on reliability and reparability, to extend the product lifetime, and recyclability, to more efficiently recover materials.
Products that satisfy the requirements bear the CE marking and may be sold anywhere in the EU.

Implementing acts

By means of implementing acts adopted under the directive, the Commission has established ecodesign requirements for the placing on the market of the following goods:

household dishwashers (Regulation (EC) No 1275/2008);
fans driven by motors with an electric input power between 125 W and 500 kW (Regulation (EU) No 327/2011);
air conditioners and comfort fans (Regulation (EU) No 206/2012);
water pumps (Regulation (EU) No 547/2012);
glandless stand-alone circulators and glandless circulators integrated into products (Regulation (EU) No 622/2012);
household tumble dryers (Regulation (EU) No 2023/2533);
computers and computer servers (Regulation (EU) No 617/2013);
vacuum cleaners (Regulation (EU) No 666/2013);
standby, off-mode electric power consumption of electrical and electronic household and office equipment (Regulation (EU) No 801/2013);
space heaters and combination heaters (Regulation (EU) No 813/2013);
water heaters and hot water storage tanks (Regulation (EU) No 814/2013);
domestic ovens, hobs and range hoods (Regulation (EU) No 66/2014);
small, medium and large power transformers (Regulation (EU) No 548/2014);
ventilation units (Regulation (EU) No 1253/2014);
professional refrigerated storage cabinets, blast cabinets, condensing units and process chillers (Regulation (EU) 2015/1095);
solid fuel local space heaters (Regulation (EU) 2015/1185);
local space heaters (Regulation (EU) 2015/1188);
solid fuel boilers (Regulation (EU) 2015/1189);
energy-related products, air heating products, cooling products, high-temperature process chillers and fan coil units (Regulation (EU) 2016/2281);
servers and data storage products (Regulation (EU) 2019/424);
electric motors and variable speed drives (Regulation (EU) 2019/1781);
external power supplies (Regulation (EU) 2019/1782);
small, medium and large power transformers (Regulation (EU) 2019/1783);
welding equipment (Regulation (EU) 2019/1784);
refrigerating appliances (Regulation (EU) 2019/2019);
light sources and separate control gears (Regulation (EU) 2019/2020);
refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function (Regulation (EU) 2019/2024);
electronic displays (Regulation (EU) 2019/2021).

Regulation (EU) 2023/826, which repeals Regulations (EC) Nos 1275/2008 and 107/2009, lays down ecodesign requirements for off mode, standby mode and networked standby energy consumption of electrical and electronic household and office equipment, and will apply from 9 May 2025.

FROM WHEN DO THE RULES APPLY?

The directive had to be transposed into national law by 20 November 2010. The regulations setting ecodesign requirements for specific product groups are binding in all Member States and create obligations from the application date(s) set in the individual regulations.

The Directive will be gradually replaced as the legal basis for product-specific rules adopted by the Commission in the coming years by the new ecodesign for sustainable products regulation adopted in 2024.

BACKGROUND

For further information, see:

Energy label and ecodesign (European Commission)
Ecodesign for sustainable products regulation (European Commission).

KEY TERMS

Ecodesign. The integration of environmental aspects into product design with the aim of improving the environmental performance of the product throughout its whole life cycle.

Energy efficiency. Using less energy to provide the same service. Examples in terms of products are energy-efficient fridges and washing machines.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-related products (recast) (OJ L 285, 31.10.2009, pp. 10–35).

Successive amendments to Directive 2009/125/EC have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/826 of 17 April 2023 laying down ecodesign requirements for off mode, standby mode, and networked standby energy consumption of electrical and electronic household and office equipment pursuant to Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Commission Regulations (EC) No 1275/2008 and (EC) No 107/2009 (OJ L 103, 18.4.2023, pp. 29–47).

Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/424 of 15 March 2019 laying down ecodesign requirements for servers and data storage products pursuant to Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and amending Commission Regulation (EU) No 617/2013 (OJ L 74, 18.3.2019, pp. 46–66).