Ecodesign requirements — external power supplies

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EU) 2019/1782 — laying down ecodesign requirements for external power supplies

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

It establishes ecodesign* requirements for the placing on the market or putting into service of external power supplies*.

KEY POINTS

The regulation does not apply to:
- voltage converters;
- uniterruptible power supplies;
- battery chargers without power supply function;
- lighting converters;
- external power supplies for medical devices;
- active power over Ethernet injectors;
- docking stations for autonomous appliances;
- external power supplies placed on the market before 1 April 2025 solely as a service part or spare part for replacing an identical external power supply placed on the market before 1 April 2020.
The ecodesign requirements are set out Annex II.
The regulation sets out the conformity assessment procedure and in Annex II, point 3, the measurement method and calculations that must be used.
National authorities must apply the verification procedures laid down in Annex III when carrying out market surveillance checks.
Annex IV sets out indicative benchmarks for the best-performing products and technologies available on the market.
The European Commission must review this regulation in the light of technological progress and present its results, including, if appropriate, a draft revision proposal, by 14 November 2022.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It applies from 1 April 2020 and repeals Regulation (EC) No 278/2009 on that date.

BACKGROUND

Directive 2009/125/EC establishes a framework to set ecodesign requirements for energy-related products. The Commission must set these for products which are widely sold and traded in the EU and have a significant environmental impact.

For more information see:

External power supplies — Ecodesign requirements (European Commission)
The new ecodesign measures explained (European Commission)
About the energy label and ecodesign — Energy savings (European Commission).

KEY TERMS

Ecodesign: Policy to improve, through better design, products’ environmental performance throughout their life cycle, especially their energy efficiency.

External power supplies: a device meeting each of these criteria:

designed to convert alternating current (AC) power input from the mains power source input into one or more lower voltage direct current (DC) or AC outputs;
used with one or more separate devices that constitute the primary load;
contained in a physical enclosure separate from the device or devices that constitute the primary load;
connected to the device or devices that constitute the primary load with removable or hard-wired male/female electrical connections, cables, cords or other wirings;
nameplate output power not exceeding 250 watts; and
used with electrical and electronic household and office equipment included in Annex I.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1782 of 1 October 2019 laying down ecodesign requirements for external power supplies pursuant to Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Commission Regulation (EC) No 278/2009 (OJ L 272, 25.10.2019, pp. 95-106)