European Parliament votes in favour of better products for people and the environment

By adopting its own initiative report on Ecodesign on 31 May by an overwhelming majority, the European Parliament has confirmed its vision of the Ecodesign policy as a success story, but also its support for a better consideration of both energy and resources.

Members of the European Parliaments notably called for:

• a greater number of product groups to be considered for an Ecodesign measure, notably for their resource efficiency potential:

Recommends that the Commission continue to include more product groups selected on the basis of their ecodesign potential, including both energy efficiency and material efficiency potential as well as other environmental aspects, (…) and that it keep existing standards up to date, in order to reap the full potential of the [ecodesign] directive’s scope and objectives.  

• stricter deadlines to avoid delays in the policy process:

Urges the Commission to avoid delays in the adoption and publication of implementing measures and recommends defining clear deadlines and milestones for their finalisation and for the revision of existing regulations; considers that ecodesign measures should be adopted individually and released as soon as they are completed

• an improved market surveillance system with a set of concrete measures and a system of information on products placed on the market:

Calls on the Commission to examine the potential of establishing a digital product fact sheet, as a tool to disclose materials and substances used in products.

It is worth highlighting that the EU Parliament also formulated a clear demand for increased and more proactive communication on the benefits of EU Ecodesign policy.

It is now expected that the EU Commission, and the national authorities, will take up the recommendations supported by an overwhelming majority of the directly elected members of the European Parliament.

The clear call of the European Parliament for an ambitious implementation of the Ecodesign policy comes just in time as Commission and Member States are currently finalising its Package of Ecodesign & Energy Labelling measures.

Read our press release on the European Parliament vote here.