WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATIONS?
- Regulation (EU) 2019/2024 establishes ecodesign1 requirements for the placing on the market or putting into service mains-operated refrigerating appliances2 which have a direct sales function, including appliances sold for refrigerating non-food items.
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2018 lays down rules on the labelling of, and supply of additional product information on, the same refrigerating appliances.
KEY POINTS
The appliances covered by the regulations (refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function) include supermarket cabinets (refrigerators and freezers), refrigerated vending machines, beverage coolers, ice-cream freezers and gelato-scooping cabinets.
The regulations do not cover:
- appliances not powered by electricity;
- appliances that do not use vapour compression refrigeration;
- remote components, such as condensing units or compressors;
- food processing appliances;
- appliances specifically for medicines or scientific samples;
- appliances for live foodstuffs, such as living fish and shellfish;
- saladettes (e.g. easy-access serving units for pizza toppings or salad items);
- horizontal serving-counters designed to work at chilled operating temperatures;
- appliances that have no integrated system for producing cooling and function by ducting chilled air;
- vending machines designed to work at frozen operating temperatures;
- fish serving-counters with flaked ice;
- professional refrigerated storage cabinets, blast cabinets, condensing units and process chillers;
- wine storage appliances and minibars.
The Commission regulation:
- sets out in Annex II the dates (initially 1 March 2021, with further requirements being introduced from 1 September 2023) when the ecodesign requirements come into force. These cover:
- energy efficiency
- resource efficiency
- information for installers and end-users;
- sets out the conformity assessment procedure, and in Annex III the measurement methods and calculations that must be followed.
National authorities must apply the verification procedures laid down in Annex IV when carrying out market surveillance checks.
Manufacturers, importers or their authorised representatives must not place on the market products capable of detecting when being tested and changing their performance accordingly to get a better result for any of the parameters being tested.
Annex V sets out indicative benchmarks based on the best-performing products and technologies available for refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function in terms of their energy efficiency index.
The Commission must review the regulation in the light of technological progress and to assess a number of aspects 4 years after its entry into force.
With this Regulation, refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function will be subject to ecodesign requirements for the first time.
The delegated regulation supplements Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 on energy labelling and sets out rules for suppliers, dealers and internet hosting platforms.
- Suppliers must ensure that:
- each refrigerating appliance with a direct sales function has a printed label in the format set out in Annex III;
- the information on the product information sheet, set out in Annex V, and the content of the technical documentation (Annex VI) are uploaded into the product database;
- visual advertisements for a particular model contain the energy efficiency class and range of classes available, in line with Annexes VII and VIII;
- technical promotional material, including on the internet, for a particular model describing its specific parameters includes the appliance’s energy efficiency class and the range of available classes according to Annex VII;
- dealers receive for each refrigerating appliance with a direct sales function an electronic label in Annex III format and an electronic product information sheet as set out in Annex V.
- Dealers must ensure that:
- each refrigerating appliance with a direct sales function on sale, including at trade fairs, bears a clearly visible label provided by suppliers in line with Annex III;
- in the event of distance selling, the label and product information sheet comply with Annexes VII and VIII;
- visual advertisements, including on the internet, for a specific model contain the energy efficiency class and range of classes according to Annex VII;
- technical promotional material, including on the internet, for a particular model describing its specific parameters includes the appliance’s energy efficiency class and the range of available classes according to Annexes VII and VIII.
- Internet hosting platforms must ensure that:
- the electronic label and electronic product information sheet provided by the dealer are clearly displayed, according to Annex VIII, on all refrigeration appliances with a direct sales function sold directly through the site.
National authorities apply the verification procedure laid down in Annex IX when carrying out market surveillance checks.
The energy efficiency class is based on an index set out in Annex II.
The Commission must review the regulation in the light of technological progress 4 years after its entry into force.
FROM WHEN DO THE REGULATIONS APPLY?
They both apply from 1 March 2021.
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.
- Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 establishes a framework to set energy labelling requirements for energy-related products to enable consumers to choose more efficient products to reduce their energy consumption.
- For more information, see:
KEY TERMS
- Ecodesign: Policy to improve, through better design, products’ environmental performance throughout their life cycle, especially their energy efficiency.
- Refrigerating appliance: an insulated cabinet with one or more compartments controlled at specific temperatures, cooled by natural or forced convection.
MAIN DOCUMENTS
Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/2024 of 1 October 2019 laying down ecodesign requirements for refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function pursuant to Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 315, 5.12.2019, pp. 313-334)
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2018 of 11 March 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to energy labelling of refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function (OJ L 315, 5.12.2019, pp. 155-186)
RELATED DOCUMENTS
Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2017 setting a framework for energy labelling and repealing Directive 2010/30/EU (OJ L 198, 28.7.2017, pp. 1-23)
Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on fluorinated greenhouse gases and repealing Regulation (EC) No 842/2006 Text with EEA relevance OJ L 150, 20.5.2014, p. 195-230
Directive 2012/19/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) (OJ L 197, 24.7.2012, pp. 38-71)
Successive amendments to Directive 2012/19/EU have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
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 (OJ L 285, 31.10.2009, pp. 10-35)
See consolidated version.
