European Commission Kick-off Meeting for Ecodesign Measures

The meeting will start with an informal lunch for delegates. The European Commission will open the proceedings by giving the general policy objectives, its view on the extended product approach and information about the horizontal mandate M495. Discussions will continue in the plenary session on motors (Lot 30) followed by parallel sessions on pumps (Lots 28 and 29) and compressors (Lot 31).

The ecodesign Directive establishes a legal framework for the adoption of implementing measures to promote the ecodesign of energy-related products. Energy-related products include energy-using products, but also products which do not consume energy but whose use has an impact on energy consumption. The scope of the Directive includes all environmental impacts from all energy-related products. However the Commission will only develop implementing measures for energy-related products having a significant environmental impact and improvement potential.

The scope of the Lots is as follows:

• Lot 28: Pumps (extended product approach including motors, VSD and controls, where appropriate) for private and public waste water (including all stages including buildings, networks and treatment facilities) and for fluids with high solid content
• Lot 29: Pumps (extended product approach including motors, VSD and controls, where appropriate) for private and public swimming pools, ponds, fountains and aquariums, as well as clean water pumps larger than those regulated under Lot 11
• Lot 30: Products in motor systems outside the scope of the Regulation 640/2009 on electric motors, such as special purpose inverter duty motors (asynchronous servo motors), permanent magnet motors, motors cooled by their load (fans), including motors and products under Article 1, Points 2(b), (c) and (d) and including drives, such as soft starters, torque or variable speed drives (VSD) from 200W – 1000kW. The study should also cover motors in the scope of the Regulation 640/2009 from 750kW – 1000kW.
• Lot 31: Products in motor systems outside of the scope of Lot 30 and the Regulation 640/2009 on electric motors, in particular compressors, including small compressors, and their possible drives.

The general objective of the mandate M495 is to provide European standards to enable the implementation of the ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC and its implementing measures. This mandate aims at ensuring an effective standardisation process.

“This is the first time that Europump has the opportunity to host a Kick-Off Meeting for new ErP working Lots, “ says Frank Ennenbach, Europump Standards Commission Chairperson. “ Europump is looking forward to meeting environmental NGOs, the consultant and the European Commission. This shows the importance of the Europump “Extended Product Approach” to the EU Commission. Europump trusts that the Kick-Off Meeting will herald the start of intensive cooperation with all stakeholders.”

Picture: Frank Ennenbach (Image: Europump)