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Improving the environmental performance - and, in particular,
the energy efficiency - of products and stimulating their
market uptake are the core objectives of a package put forward
by the European Commission.
It sets out a series of voluntary and obligatory actions
to support a coherent and dynamic policy in the EU and internationally
- helping to define eco-friendly products, informing the consumer
through improved labelling and supporting their purchase through
public procurement and fiscal incentives.
Commission Vice-President Günter Verheugen, responsible for
enterprise and industry policy, said - "The EU has to set
an example and prove that industry is capable to contribute
vigorously to fight against climate change. Taking up this
challenge will create a win-win situation - more growth,
more jobs, more environmental protection."
The action plan lists the initiatives the Commission will
undertake in 3 areas:
1. A new product policy
Energy and resource-efficient consumer products
In the absence of voluntary action, the Ecodesign
Directive presently provides a framework for setting compulsory
minimum requirements and voluntary benchmarks for energy-using
products. All energy-related products - that do not
consume energy during use, but have an indirect impact on
energy consumption - will also be covered in future. This
will allow addressing products such as water-using devices
and windows. For example, water-saving taps and shower heads
reduce water consumption and, therefore, also the amount of
energy used for hot water without altering the user’s perceived
well-being.
Mandatory labelling
Mandatory labelling will indicate relevant environmental
parameters for a wider range of products - including energy-using
and energy-related products.
Incentives and public procurement
The Commission also proposes that only products attaining
a certain level of energy or environmental performance - identified
by one of the labelling classes - are eligible for incentives
and public procurement at national and EU levels. It will
be up to Member States whether and in which form to provide
incentives.
Today, incentives are granted for very different levels of
environmental performance across the EU, sometimes in regions
very near to each other - thus limiting economies of scale
for better performing products. In addition, Member States
are recommended to adopt common green procurement practices
for goods and services not (yet) covered by the above
plan.
Voluntary eco labelling
The EU Ecolabel scheme, which indicates the most
environmentally friendly products on the EU market, will be
extended to cover a wider range of products and services -
such as food and drink products - and made less costly and
bureaucratic. These changes will make the scheme more attractive
to manufacturers and encourage them to innovate and offer
more such products.
Retailers’ responsibility
A Retail Forum will be created, which will also include
other stakeholders such as producers and consumers’ organisations.
This forum will prepare actions to improve large retailers’
environmental performance, promote the purchase of greener
products and better inform consumers.
2. Promoting leaner production
With a view to promoting leaner production, the proposals
foresee -
- Developing targets and tools to monitor, benchmark and
promote resource efficiency and eco-innovation. An Environmental
Technology Verification scheme will be established,
to support eco-innovation through increased confidence in
new technologies.
- Revising EMAS
- the EU’s voluntary eco-management and audit scheme - to
increase its uptake, notably among SMEs, by making participation
less costly and involving organisations outside the EU.
- Developing an industrial policy for eco-industries by
first analysing the barriers to their expansion and to their
full uptake by other sectors.
- Promoting environmental performance in small enterprises
(SMEs) through customised advice.
3. Sustainable consumption and production
internationally
In order to promote sustainable products worldwide, the proposals
envisage -
- Supporting agreements of industry sectors as part of international
climate negotiations
- Promoting and sharing good practice internationally
- Promoting international trade in environmentally friendly
goods and services.
Examples of gains in efficiency and cost reduction
30% of the energy used in buildings could be saved
with positive economic effects in 2030. Better window insulation
would contribute to reducing CO2 emissions
by more than one fifth, while reducing costs to households.
Significant gains are also estimated for water-related devices
such as baths, showers and taps.
For more information - Click
Here
Sustainable Development website - Click
Here
See also - MEMO/08/514;
MEMO/08/513;
MEMO/08/512;
MEMO/08/507.
To view a video news release on the contents of the
new package - Click
Here
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