G/TBT/N/VUT/1  
9 December 2019  
(19-8447) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  VANUATU   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:   
Department of Energy  
Ministry of Climate Change and Adaptation  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from  above:   
Department of External Trade  
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation & External Trade  
PMB 9030, Port Vila, Vanuatu  
Tel: (678) 33420 Fax: (678) 23142 Email: vwato@vanuatu.gov.vu  
3. Notifie d under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Products 
covered under this legislation are; 1. Freezers and Refrigerators [HS84.18] Refrigerators, 
freezers and other refrigerating or freezing equipment, electrical or other; heat pumps 
other than air conditioning machines of heading 84.15 2. Air Condit ioner [HS84.15] Air 
Conditioning machines, comprising a motor driven fan and elements for changing the 
temperature and humidity, including those machines in which the humidity cannot be 
separately regulated. 3. Lights [85.39] Electric filament or discharge  lamps, including 
sealed beam lamp units and ultra -violet or infra -red lamps; arc -lamps, light -emitting 
diode (LED) lamps.  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Energy 
Efficiency of Electrical Appliances, Equipment and Lighting Products, Act No.24 of 2016 
(26 page(s), in English; 26 page(s), in French)  
6. Description of content:  The Act establishes the minimum energy performance 
standards and energy standard lab elling requirements for electrical appliances, 
equipment and lighting products; It provides for minimum performance standard 
requirements for product to comply with and the registration of energy efficient brand. 
The Energy Rating Label Requirements prohib its the sell, advertisement or display of 
appliances that have not met the energy labeling requirements. It further provides 
provisions on registration of a brand/model and cancellation of registration. It lastly 
outlines function and powers of the regulat or and appointment and powers of authorized 
officers.  G/TBT/N/VUT/1  
 
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  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Energy labelling and MEPS for appliances are used largely around the world 
to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emission. Pacific Island countries and territories 
risk being left behind to become grounds for inefficient appliances, so in 2012 the South  
Pacific Commission (SPC) started a project to help Pacific Island countries set up their 
own energy labelling and MEPS programmes. The Pacific Appliance Labelling and 
Standards (PALS) Programme is part of SPC's approach to increasing sustainable 
economic development through improved energy efficiency. Pacific Island countries such 
as Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, 
Tuvalu and Vanuatu are part of the PALS Programme. These countries are implementing 
energy  labelling and MEPS for refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and lighting; though 
at different stages. A lot of work and effort is put into drafting appropriate legislation, 
regulations, seeking appropriate endorsements and collaboration between secto rs and 
agencies.  
8. Relevant documents:   
• Energy Efficiency of Electrical Appliances, Equipment and Lighting Products, Act 
No.24 of 2016.  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  29 March 2017  
Proposed date of entry into force:  29 September 2017  
10. Final date for comments:  The legislation is already in force since 2017.  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
The text is available from the Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute (PacLII) database  
http://www.paclii.org/cgi -
bin/sinodisp/vu/legis/num_act/eeoeaealpa2016660/eeoeaealpa2016660.html?stem=&s
ynonyms=&query=Energy%20Efficiency%20of%20Electrical%20Appliances,%20Equipm
ent%20and%20Lighting%20Products