Ecodesign legislation was designed to create EU-wide rules to improve the energy efficiency, sustainability and overall environmental performance of products on the market.
Ecodesign requirements are of two types - general and specific.
General requirements do not set threshold values, but may include:
- that the product must be energy efficient or recyclable;
- that the manufacturer must provide information on the use and maintenance of the product to minimise its environmental impact;
- that the manufacturer must carry out a life cycle analysis of the product in order to identify alternative technical solutions and options to reduce the environmental impact of the product.
Following the introduction of new mandatory requirements, it may be made illegal to sell in EU countries any product that does not comply with these requirements. For example incandescent light bulbs, which have been phased out since 2009.
Specific requirements include precise values and thresholds, such as maximum energy consumption or minimum amounts of recycled materials to be used in production. More on the specific requirements for different product groups is described below.
Justification for all the Regulations mentioned below:
Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for sustainable products, amending Directive (EU) 2020/1828 and Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 and repealing Directive 2009/125/ECDocument applies to the EEA. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/LV/TXT/?qid=1719580391746&uri=CELEX%3A32024R1781 Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No 941 of 6 December 2011 "Regulations on ecodesign requirements for energy-related goods (products)". https://likumi.lv/ta/id/241282-noteikumi-par-ekodizaina-prasibam-ar-energiju-saistitam-precem-produktiem- |