In 2019, we had a major positive impact on the drafting and publication of the so-called Ecodesign Package of measures, aiming at making our TVs, fridges, washing machines, and many other products sold in Europe more efficient and repairable. In 2020, we kept a close eye on how the rules were being implemented. And luckily so: thanks to our vigilance industry associations did not manage to delay the application of a number of adopted environmental policies, which would have prevented savings for the planet, and our wallets.

2020 presented us with a complicated situation – an unexpected, worldwide crisis, which required adjustments in virtually all aspects of our daily lives. Unfortunately, some also saw it as an excuse to call for a delay or rollback the application of several key environmental policies.

Covid19 is not an excuse

Such a request came, for example, from the home appliance industry association APPLiA, who asked the European Commission to delay the application of certain requirements laid out by the newly adopted ecodesign and energy labelling regulations.

While a small number of claims were justified, for instance regarding the impossibility to access test houses to perform measurements on the appliances during lockdown, other asks were unsubstantiated – in particular postponing the application of ecodesign requirements.

If governments introduce measures to cope with a pandemic, we cannot expect the regulations to be implemented at a time foreseen in a pre-pandemic reality, can we?, they argued.

Together with the Coolproducts and Right to Repair campaign partners, we reacted swiftly. We told the European Commission that delaying progress made so far by halting environmental protection would be a serious mistake.

The new ecodesign requirements alone will deliver 167 TWh of energy savings per year by 2030. This is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of Denmark, as well as a reduction of over 45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent and about €150 per household every year. The move towards a circular economy will aid economic recovery and step up our fight against the ongoing climate and environmental emergencies.

Luckily, our call was heard. The European Commission did not change the dates specified in the regulations. What is more, in October 2020 APPLiA acknowledged that the ecodesign requirements foreseen for 2024 could now be met as business continuity seems to have been preserved.

Ecodesign ‘omnibus’ amendment: could have been a wolf in sheep’s clothing

Months passed, and in November 2020 we were already envisaging a future where our washing machines, fridges and TVs are easier to repair and consume less energy. However, the EU’s regulator suddenly proposed a set of changes that would have silently undone some of the rules agreed upon within the Ecodesign Package. These changes, known as the ‘omnibus amendment’, were only meant as a necessary correction of the existing requirements to ensure consistency and clarity of interpretation.

However, the exercise also provided a platform for industry to call for specific requirements to be reviewed, and some of the proposals on the table were not about correcting errors, inconsistencies or loopholes in the 2019 regulations – they were attempts at re-writing the rules already written, for example allowing to exempt the manufacturers of the extremely inefficient heating lamps or loosely defined ‘industrial’ displays from all environmental requirements, or completely dismissing the rules on TV and display repairability.

Luckily, and thanks to our pressure, the EU Member States did not allow this to happen, and opted to stay true to the EU ambition of becoming climate neutral.

‘No’ to delays, a step towards green recovery

Once again, we stayed vigilant and fought to preserve the environmental benefits of the Ecodesign Package – we very much hope that for the last time. Before the Covid-19 crisis, Europe set out a strategy to move beyond our wasteful economy. Now more than ever we need to accelerate this transition to rebuild the economy.