Eco-design Directive - Directive 2009/125/EC
Updated on 24.06.2024
This is 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) (Text with EEA relevance). The current Directive establishes a framework for the setting of community ecodesign requirements for energy-related products with the aim of ensuring the free movement of such products within the internal market.
Key objectives and (or) targets related to cities & regions
The current Directive targets ecodesign requirements for energy-related products. The Directive sets minimum legal requirements for placing products on the market, which may seem out of direct control of local authorities.
On 30 March 2022, the Commission published a proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for setting ecodesign requirements for sustainable products and repealing Directive 2009/125/EC (Text with EEA relevance). The proposal establishes a framework to set ecodesign requirements for specific product groups to significantly improve their circularity, energy performance and other environmental sustainability aspects. It will enable the setting of performance and information requirements for almost all categories of physical goods placed on the EU market.
The framework will allow for the setting of a wide range of requirements, including on:
- product durability, reusability, upgradability and reparability;
- presence of substances that inhibit circularity;
- energy and resource efficiency;
- recycled content;
- remanufacturing and recycling;
- carbon and environmental footprints;
- information requirements, including a Digital Product Passport.
The new ‘Digital Product Passport’ will provide information about products’ environmental sustainability. It should help consumers and businesses make informed choices when purchasing products, facilitate repairs and recycling and improve transparency about products’ life cycle impacts on the environment. The product passport should also help public authorities to better perform checks and controls.
In the future, if the new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation confirms the definition of the requirements for Green Public Procurement, this will also affect local authorities. Local authorities may also have an active role when they are in charge of policy enforcement, as the enforcement of the policy should also be improved through mandatory inspection plans.
The proposal was published together with the Ecodesign and Energy Labelling working plan 2022-2024, which covers new energy-related products and updates and increases the ambition for products that are already regulated, as a transitionary measure until the new regulation enters into force.
More information about the ecodesign (and energy labelling) regulations can be found here: https://energy-efficient-products.ec.europa.eu/ecodesign-and-energy-label/legislative-framework_en and here: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/european-standards/harmonised-standards/ecodesign_en.
More information about the new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) can be found here: https://commission.europa.eu/energy-climate-change-environment/standards-tools-and-labels/products-labelling-rules-and-requirements/sustainable-products/ecodesign-sustainable-products-regulation_en.
Key dates
- Date of document: 21/10/2009
- Date of effect: 20/11/2009; Entry into force Date pub. + 20 See Art 25
- Date of transposition: 20/11/2010; At the latest See Art 23
- Date of end of validity: No end date
e.g. commercial, residential, service, industrial