Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for sustainable products

What it is

PURPOSE: to establish a broadened framework for setting ecodesign requirements for sustainable products. PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: Directive 2009/125/EC establishes a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-related products. It has significantly reduced EU primary energy demand for products and has been generally successful in fostering the energy efficiency and some circularity aspects of energy-related products, and its approach has the potential to progressively address the sustainability of all products. To deliver on Green Deal commitments, this approach should be extended to other product groups and systematically address key aspects for increasing the environmental sustainability of products with binding requirements. The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the report by Alessandra MORETTI (S&D, IT) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for setting of ecodesign requirements for sustainable products and repealing Directive 2009/125/EC. The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows: This Regulation should establish a framework to improve the environmental sustainability of products, in order to make sustainable products the norm and to reduce their overall environmental footprint over their lifecycle. Ecodesign requirements, to be specified by the Commission in delegated acts, should also address product recycling . When establishing ecodesign requirements in delegated acts, the Commission should allow economic operators sufficient time to adjust to the new requirements, taking particular account of the needs of micro-enterprises and SMEs. When developing ecodesign requirements, the Commission should take into account the objectives of the Union in relation to: - the climate , in particular the objective of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest; - the environment , including biodiversity, resource efficiency and security and reduction of the environmental, material and consumption footprints, and staying within the planetary boundaries; - non-toxicity , energy efficiency and other related EU objectives; - the prioritisation of measures in accordance with the waste hierarchy established by Directive 2008/98/EC. In carrying out the impact assessments, the Commission should provide an assessment of (i) the expected reduction of the environmental, carbon and material footprints by the new ecodesign requirements; and (ii) any relevant consequences for human health. The Commission should ensure that manufacturers: (i) do not limit the durability of a product making it prematurely obsolete; (ii) do not limit the reparability of products by impeding the disassembly of key components or limiting access to repair information and spare parts exclusively to authorised…

Official title: 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/EC (Text with EEA relevance)