The European Standardisation Regulation holds strategic importance for ECOS and is now under revision. Watch this space, as the public consultation is expected in the coming weeks. In other news, we have a new European standard for testing the durability of washing machines and we also discuss ‘the big question’ - what kinds of hydrogen now qualify as ‘low-carbon’ in the EU?
This month, ECOS Members, Experts, and partners met in Brussels for stimulating exchanges, learning about standards, and shaping priorities for the ECOS network. Also in June, we celebrated the African Day of Standardisation. Developing standards with environmental consideration can help to develop clean technologies, promote circularity, manage waste, or protect the natural ecosystems that produce raw materials – growing in importance for Africa and global trade.
Public procurement can accelerate the industrial transition whilst simultaneously advancing competitiveness and sustainability in Europe. This month ECOS launched a new coalition on green public procurement at a special event hosted in the European Parliament. 'Buy Better to Build Better' brings together 35 stakeholders from across the construction value chain, civil society, and public authorities, who aim to make green public procurement the default approach in Europe’s construction sector.
ECOS has long advocated for ecodesign principles to apply broadly across products and sectors. This month, the first working plan for the ESPR was published, bringing us one step closer. These new ecodesign rules will eventually apply to almost all products sold on the EU market, but we are only at the beginning of a lengthy implementation process. We will continue to push for the most ambitious implementation.
We have released our Annual Report for 2024, a summary of the impact and progress we made last year across our network. A network that continues to grow - as we also welcome two new members this month. We also have two publications to share this month, one offering a framework to reduce the negative impacts of an unfair and unsustainable textile sector, and another showing the way to decarbonise heating and cooling within five years. All this and more in our March newsletter!
A number of important EU policies will be taking shape this year – ecodesign, the Clean Industrial Deal, circular vehicle design - to name but a few. ECOS will be closely following these files and participating in the development of related standards, secondary legislation, and design requirements. The ECOS Africa office will also be hosting a webinar with our Cameroonian member to exchange best practices from Europe and Africa for tackling greenwashing.
Our new five-year strategy will help deliver our vision of a healthy and clean environment, protected by robust rules that respect nature and its resources. In our 2025 work programme, we lay out how we will create momentum for ambitious, systemic change. We also take a deep dive on some key EU files for 2025 and analyse the EU’s new rules on packaging and ecodesign, which are now at the crucial stage of implementation – where secondary legislation and standards will play an important role.
ECOS is co-funded by the European Commission and EFTA
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.