On 30 March 2022 the Commission presented a package of European Green Deal proposals to make sustainable products the norm in the EU, boost circular business models and empower consumers for the green transition. As announced in the Circular Economy Action Plan, the Commission is proposing new rules to make almost all physical goods on the EU market more friendly to the environment, circular, and energy efficient throughout their whole lifecycle from the design phase through to daily use, repurposing and end-of-life.
The Commission is also presented a new strategy to make textiles more durable, repairable, reusable and recyclable, to tackle fast fashion, textile waste and the destruction of unsold textiles, and ensure their production takes place in full respect of social rights.
A third proposal aims to boost the internal market for construction products and ensure that the regulatory framework in place is fit for making the built environment deliver on our sustainability and climate objectives.
Finally, the package includes a proposal on new rules to empower consumers in the green transition so that consumers are better informed about the environmental sustainability of products and better protected against greenwashing.
With the proposals mentioned, the Commission presented the tools to move to a truly circular economy in the EU: decoupled from energy- and resource dependencies, more resilient to external shocks and respectful of nature and people's health. The proposals build on the success of EU's existing Ecodesign rules, which have brought remarkable reductions in EU's energy consumption and significant savings to consumers.
In 2021 alone, existing ecodesign requirements saved consumers €120 billion. The rules have also led to a 10% lower annual energy consumption by the products in scope. By 2030, the new framework can lead to 132 mtep of primary energy savings, which corresponds roughly to 150 bcm of natural gas, almost equivalent to EU's import of Russian gas.
Making sustainable products the norm
The proposal for a Regulation on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products addresses product design, which determines up to 80% of a product's lifecycle environmental impact. It sets new requirements to make products more durable, reliable, reusable, upgradable, reparable, easier to maintain, refurbish and recycle, and energy and resource efficient.
In addition, product-specific information requirements will ensure consumers know the environmental impacts of their purchases. All regulated products will have Digital Product PassportsThis will make it easier to repair or recycle products and facilitate tracking substances of concern along the supply chain. Labelling can be introduced as well.
The proposal also contains measures to end the destruction of unsold consumer goods, as well as expand green public procurement and provide incentives for sustainable products.
The proposal extends the existing Ecodesign framework in two ways: first, to cover the broadest possible range of products; and second, to broaden the scope of the requirements with which products are to comply.
Setting criteria not only for energy efficiency, but also for circularity and an overall reduction of the environmental and climate footprint of products will lead to more energy and resource independence and less pollution. It will strengthen the Single Market, avoiding diverging legislation in each Member State, and create economic opportunities for innovation and job creation, notably in remanufacturing, maintenance, recycling and repair.
The proposal will set a framework and a process through which the Commission, working in close cooperation with all those concerned, will progressively set out requirements for each product or group of products.
Together with this proposal, the Commission has also adopted an Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Working Plan 2022-2024 to cover new energy-related products, update and increase the ambition for products that are already regulated, as a transitionary measure until the new regulation enters into force. It notably addresses consumer electronics (smartphones, tablets, solar panels) - the fastest growing waste stream.
To support the deployment of sustainable products across the EU market, targeted sectoral initiatives are also presented, for example:
The EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles
The revision of the Construction Products Regulation
The declarations:
The Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans said: “It's time to end the modelof ‘take, make, break, and throw away'that is so harmful to our planet, our health and our economy. Today's proposals will ensure that only the most sustainable products are sold in Europe. They allow consumers to save energy, repair and not replace broken products, and make smart environmental choices when they are shopping for new ones. This is how we bring balance back in our relationship with nature and reduce our vulnerability to disruptions in global supply chains.”
The Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton said: “European consumers rightly expect more environment-friendly and longer-lasting products. More sustainability and resource efficiency also means more resilience when a crisis disrupts our industrial supply chains. By harnessing the potential of the Single Market, making the most of digital tools and improving market surveillance, we will maximise opportunities for businesses and consumers alike. Greater resource and energy efficiency in the construction and textile sectors in particular will generate highly skilled jobs across Europe.”
The Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičiussaid: “Our circular economy proposals kick off an era where products will be designed in a way that brings benefits to all, respects the boundaries of our planet and protects the environment. Giving a longer lifespan to the phones we use, to the clothes we wear and to many other products will save money for European consumers. And at the end of their life products will not be a source of pollution, but of new materials for the economy, decreasing the dependency of European businesses on imports.”
These important European initiatives to promote the sustainability of the products that we consume and use every day in our lives, working and not, make us reflect on the urgency of applying to every single reality measures aimed at achieving a balance between society and the environment.
LCA Ambiente can provide you with the right tools to start being part of this transition plan towards a better future: contact us for advice at info@lca-ambiente.com or info@scfinternational.it
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For more information:
Proposal for a Regulation on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products