EN   EN 
 
 
 EUROPEAN  
COMMISSION   
Brussels, XXX   
[…](2018) XXX  draft  
 
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) …/…  
of XXX  
laying down ecodesign requirements for electric motors and variable speed drives 
pursuant to Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council  
 
 
and repealing Commission Regulation (EC) No 640/2009  
(Text with EEA relevance)    
EN 1  EN COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) …/…  
of XXX  
laying  down ecodesign requirements for electric motors and variable speed drives 
pursuant to Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council  
 
 
and repealing Commission Regulation (EC) No 640/2009  
(Text with EEA relevance)  
THE EUROPEAN COMMI SSION,  
Having regard to  Article 114 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,  
Having regard to Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 
October 2009 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy -
related products1, and in particular Article  15(1) thereof,  
Whereas:  
(1) Pursuant to Directive 2009/125/EC , the Commission should set ecodesign 
requirements for energy -related products  which account for significant volumes of 
sales and trade  in the Union  and which have a significant environmental impact and 
present significant potential for improvement through design in terms of their 
environmental impact, without entailing excessive costs.  
(2) The Ecodesign Working Plan 2016 -2019 establishe d by the Commi ssion in application 
of Article  16(1) of Directive 2009/125/EC sets out the working priorities under the 
ecodesign and energy labelling framework for the period 2016 -2019. The Working 
Plan identifies the energy -related product groups to be co nsidered as priorities for the 
undertaking of preparatory studies and eventual adoption of implementing measures, as 
well as the review of the current regulations.  
(3) Measures from the Working Plan have an estimated potential to deliver a total in 
excess of 260 TWh of annual final energy savings in 2030, which is equivalent to 
reducing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 100 million tonnes per year in 
2030. Electric motors is one of the product groups listed in the Wor king Plan, with an 
estimated 10  TWh of annual final energy savings in 2030.  
(4) The Commission established ecodesign requirements for electric motors in 
Commission Regulation (EC) No  640/20092 and pursuant to  that Regulation , the 
Commission shall review th at Regulation in the light of technologi cal progress  on both 
motors and drives . 
                                                 
1 OJ L 285, 31.10.2009, p. 10.  
2 Commission Regulation (EC) No 640/2009 of 22 July 2009 implementing Directive 2005/32/EC of the 
European Parliament and of the Council with regard to ecodesign requirements for electric motors ( OJ L 
191, 23.7.2009, p. 26 ).  
EN 2  EN (5) The Commission has reviewed Regulation (EC) No  640/2009 and analysed the 
technical, environmental and economic aspects of electric motors and drives as well as 
real-life user behaviour. The review was carried out in close cooperation with 
stakeholders and interested parties from the Union and third countries. Its results were 
made public and presented to the Consultation Forum established pursuant to 
Article  18 of Directive 2009/125/EC . 
(6) Electric motor driven systems use about half the electricity produced in the Union. It is 
estimated t hat electric motors converted 1  425 TWh of electricity into mechanical 
energy and heat in 2015, corresponding to 560  Mt of CO 2-equivalent emissions. This 
value is expected to rise to ar ound 1  470 TWh by 2020 and to about 1  500 TWh by 
2030.  
(7) The review also shows that variable speed drives are placed on the Union's market in 
large quantities, with their use -phase energy consumption being the most significant 
environmental aspect of all lif e cycle phases. In 2015, variable s peed drives converted 
about 265  TWh of electricity from the grid into electricity with a frequency suited for 
the driven application; this corresponds to 105  Mt of CO 2 emissions. This value is 
expected to rise to around 3 80 TWh by 2020 and to about 570  TWh by 2030.  
(8) The review indicates that Regulation (EC) No  640/2009 would save 57  TWh anually 
by 2020 and 102  TWh annually by 2030. As the provisions of that Regulation are 
being maintained, these savings will also continue  to materialise . 
(9) There is significant additional scope for improving these motor driven systems’ energy 
efficiency cost -effectively . One cost -effective way to do so is by making motors more 
energy -efficient, including motors not covered by Regulation (EC) No  640/2009, and 
using energy -efficient variable speed drives. This implies that ecodesign requirements 
for electric motors should be adjusted and ecodesign requirements set for variable 
speed drives, to realise the ir full potential for cost -effective energy  efficiency.  
(10) Ecodesign requirements should also include product information requirements that will 
help potential buyers make the most appropriate decision and make it easier for 
Member States to perform  market  surveillance.  
(11) Many motors are integrated in  other products. To maximise cost -efficient energy 
saving, this Regulation should apply to such motors, provided that their efficiency can 
be tested separately.  
(12) The environmental aspect of products in the scope of this Regulation that have been 
identified  as significant for the purposes of this Regulation is energy consumption in 
the use phase.  
(13) Electric motors are used in many different types of products, such as pumps, fans or 
machine tools, and under many different operating conditions. The energy use of 
motor -driven systems can be reduced if motors in variable speed and load applications 
are equipped with variable speed drives, but also if these drives have their own 
minimum energy efficiency requirements. In fixed speed ( constant load ) applications, a 
variable speed drive induces additional costs and energy losses. The use of a variable 
speed drive should not, therefore, be mandatory under this regulation.  
(14) Improvements in the electricity consumption of electric motors and variable spee d 
drives should be achieved by applying existing, non -proprietary and cost -effective 
technologies that can reduce the total combined costs of purchasing and operating 
them.   
EN 3  EN (15) Ecodesign requirements should harmonise energy efficiency requirements for electric  
motors and variable speed drives throughout the Union, thus contributing to the smooth 
operation of the internal market and helping to improve these products’ environmental 
performance.  
(16) Manufacturers should have enough time to redesign or adapt their prod ucts where 
needed. The timing should be such as to minimise  negative impact on the 
functionalities of electric motors or variable speed drives. It should also take account of 
cost implications for manufacturers, especially small and medium -sized enterpris es, 
while ensuring that the objectives pursued by this r Rgulation are achieved in good 
time.  
(17) The inclusion of motors not covered by Regulation (EC) No  640/2009, notably smaller 
and larger motors, in conjunction with updated minimum energy efficiency 
requir ements that are in line with international standards and technological progress, 
and together with the inclusion of variable speed drives, should increase the market 
penetration of electric motors and variable speed drives with an improved life -cycle 
envir onmental impact. This should result in additional estimated net electricity savings 
of 10  TWh per year, and should reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 3  Mt CO 2 
equivalent annually by 2030, compared with the situation that would prevail if no 
additional measures were taken.  
(18) Although the environmental impacts of medium voltage motors are relevant, for the 
time being no classification exists for the energy efficiency of electric moto rs with a 
rated voltage above 1  000 V. Once such a classification is develo ped, the possibility of 
setting minimum requirements for medium voltage motors should be reassessed.  
(19) Although the environmental impacts of submersible motors are relevant, there is, at the 
present time, no test standard that defines energy efficiency class es for these motors. 
Once such a test standard and classification is developed, the possibility of setting 
minimum requirements for submersible motors should be reassessed.  
(20) The Commission communication on the circular economy3 and on the Communication 
on the Ecodesign working plan4 underline the importance of using the ecodesign 
framework to support the move towards a more resource  efficient and circular 
economy. This regulation should therefore lay down appropriate requirements that will 
contribute to circ ular economy objectives, including the provision of information on 
disassembly, recycling or disposal at end -of-life.  
(21) In addition, t o cut the costs of repairing products containing motors that were placed on 
the market before the entry into force of the R egulation, or to avoid to scrap them early 
if they cannot be repaired, motors supplied as spare parts should be exempted for a 
given period. This is meant to avoid the problem that arise s if it is impossible to replace 
a non -compliant motor by a compliant one without disproportionate costs to the end -
user.  
(22) In particular situations, for instance, where safety, functionality or disproportionate 
costs are at stake, certain motors or variable speed drives ( VSDs ) should be exempted 
from efficiency requirements. However, th is Regulation should nonetheless cover such 
products as regards product information requirements, such as information concerning 
                                                 
3 COM/2015/0614 final  of 02.12/2015 . 
4 COM(2016) 773 final of 30.11.2016 .  
EN 4  EN disassembly, recycling or disposal at end -of-life, or other inform ation useful for market 
surveillance purposes.  
(23) The relevant product parameters should be measured using reliable, accurate and 
reproducible methods. These methods should take into account the recognised state -of-
the-art measurement methods including, where  available, harmonised standards 
adopted by the European standardisation organisations, as listed i n Annex  I to 
Regulation (EU) No  1025/2012  of the European Parliament and of the Council5. 
(24) In accordance with Article  8(2) of Directive 2009/125/EC, this Regu lation should 
specify the applicable conformity assessment procedures.  
(25) To facilitate compliance checks, manufacturers should provide the information in the 
technical documentation referred to in Annexes  IV and  V to Directive 2009/125/EC, 
insofar as that in formation relates to the requirements laid down in this Regulation.  
(26) To improve the effectiveness of this Regulation and to protect consumers , products that 
automatically alter their performance in test conditions to improve the declared 
parameters should b e prohibited.  
(27) In addition to the legally binding requirements laid down in this Regulation, indicative 
benchmarks for best available technologies should be identified to make information 
on product’s environmental performance over their life -cycle subject  to this Regulation 
widely available and easily accessible in accordance wi th Directive 2009/125/EC, 
Annex  I, part  3, point  2. 
(28) A review of this Regulation should assess the appropriateness and effectiveness of its 
provisions in achieving its goals. The timing of the review should be sufficient for all 
provisions to be implemented and show an effect on the market . 
(29) Regulation (EC) No  640/2009 should therefore be repealed .  
(30) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of t he 
Committee established by Article  19(1) of Directive 2009/125/EC , 
HAS ADOPTED TH IS REGULATION:  
Article 1  
Subject matter  
This Regulation establishes ecodesign requirements for the placing on the market  and/or the 
putting into service  of electric motors  and variable speed drives , including where they are  
integrated in other products . 
Article 2  
Scope  
This Regulation applies to the following products:  
                                                 
5 Regulation (EU) No  1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25  October 2012 on 
European standardisation, amending Council Directives 89/686/EEC and 93/15/EEC and Directives 
94/9/EC, 94/25/EC, 95/16/EC, 97/23/EC, 98/34/EC, 2004/22/EC, 2007/23/EC, 2009/23/EC and 
2009/105/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Dec ision 87/95/EEC 
and Decision No  1673/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the ( OJ L 316, 14.11.2012, p. 12 ).  
EN 5  EN (a) induction electric motors without brushes, commutators, slip rings or electrical 
connections to the rotor, rated for operation on a 50  Hz, 60  Hz or 50/60 Hz 
sinusoidal voltage, that:  
(i) have two, four, six or eight poles;  
(ii) have a rated voltage UN above 50  V and up to and including 1  000 V;  
(iii) have a rated output PN from 0 ,12 kW up to and including 1 000 kW;  
(iv) are rated on the basis of continuous duty operation ; and  
(v)  are suited for direct  on-line operation . 
(b) variable speed drives with 3 phases input that are:  
(i) rated for operat ing with one motor refered to in point (a), within the 
0,75 kW - 1 000 kW motor rated output range ; 
(ii) have a rated voltage above 100  V and up to and including 1  000 V AC ; 
(iii) have only one AC voltage output.  
Article 3 
Definitions  
For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions shall apply:  
(1) ‘electric motor’ or ‘motor’ means a device that converts electric al input power into 
mechanical output power in the form of a rotation with a rotational speed and torque 
that depends on factors including the frequency of the supply voltage an d number of 
poles of the  motor . 
(2) ‘variable speed drive’  (VSD)  means an electronic power converter that continuously 
adapts the electrical power supplied to the motor to control the motor’s mechanical 
power output according to the torque -speed characteristic of the load driven by t he 
motor, by adjusting  the power supply to a variable frequency and voltage supplied to 
the motor . 
(3) ‘energy efficiency’ of a motor means the ratio of its mechanical output power to the 
electrical input power.  
(4) ‘pole’ means a north or a south pole produced by  the rotating magnetic field of the 
motor, whose total number of poles determines its base speed.  
(5) ‘continuous duty operation’ means capable of continuous operation at rated power 
with a temperature rise within the specified insulation temperature class, sp ecified as 
specific duty types S1, S3 >=80  %, S6 or S9 according to IEC 60034 -1:2017.  
(6) ‘phase’ means the type of configuration of the mains electrical supply.  
(7) ‘AC’ means alternating current.  
(8) ‘motor  with mechanical commutators’ means a motor in which a mechanical device 
reverse s the direction of the current . 
(9) ‘totally enclosed non -ventilated ( TENV) motor’ means a motor designed and 
specified to operate without a fan, and which dissipates heat predomin antly through 
natural ventilation or radiation  on the totally enclosed motor surface.  
(10) ‘totally enclosed air over (T EAO) motor’ means a motor designed and specified to be 
cooled by the air stream coming from the driven equipment.   
EN 6  EN (11) ‘brake motor’ means a motor  equipped with an electromechanical brake unit 
operating directly on the motor shaft without couplings.  
(12) ‘increased safety motor’ means a motor intended for use in explosive atmospheres 
and certified ‘Ex eb’, as defined in standard IEC EN 60079 -7:2015.  
(13)  ‘other explosion -protected motor’ means a motor intended for use in explosive 
atmospheres and certified ‘Ex ec’, ‘Ex tb’ or ‘Ex tc’, as defined in standard IEC EN  
60079 -7:2015.  
(14) ‘test load’ of a VSD means the electrical device used for testing purposes that 
determines the output current and the output displacement factor cos phi.  
(15) ‘equivalent model ’ means a model with the technical  characteristics as set out in 
Annex  I, and is placed on the market by the same supplier, but has a different model 
identifie r.  
Article 4 
Ecodesign requirements  
1. Motors and variable speed drives within the scope of this Regulation shall comply 
with the ecodesign requirements set out in Annex  I from the dates  indicated  therein.  
Compliance shall be measured and calculated in accordance with Annex  II. 
2. The following motors shall be exempt from the efficiency requirements specified in 
section  1 of Annex  I. Nonetheless, they shall  comply with the product information 
requirements spe cified in points  (3), (4), (1 2), and  (13) of section  2 of Annex  I: 
(a) motors completely integrated into a product (for example into a gear, pump, fan 
or compressor) and whose energy performance cannot be tested independently 
from the product, even with the pr ovision of a temporary end -shield and drive -
end bearing; the motor must share common components (apart from connectors 
such as bolts) with the driven unit (for example, a shaft or housing) and shall 
not be designed in such a way that the motor can be separ ated in its entirety 
from the driven unit and operate independently. For a motor to be exempt from 
performance requirements, the process of separation must render it inoperative;  
(b) motors with an integrated variable speed drive (compact drives) whose energy 
performance cannot be tested independently from the variable speed drive;  
(c) motors with an integrated brake which forms an integral part of the inner motor 
construction and can neither be removed nor supplied by a separate power 
source during the testing of the motor efficiency;  
(d) motors specified to operate exclusively:  
(i) at altitudes exceeding 4  000 metres above sea -level;  
(ii) where ambient air temperatures exceed 60  °C; 
(iii) in maximum operating temperature above 400  °C; 
(iv) where  ambient air temperatures are less than − 30 °C; 
(v) where the water coolant temperature at th e inlet to a product is below 
0 °C or above 32  °C. 
(e) Motors designed and specified to operate wholly immersed in a liquid;   
EN 7  EN (f) motors specifically qualified for the safety of nuclear installations, as defined in 
Article  3 of Council Directive 2009/71/EURATOM6; 
(g) motors in cordless or battery -operated equipment;  
(h) motors in hand -held equipment whose weight is supported by hand during 
operation;  
(i) motors in hand -guided mobile eq uipment moved while in operation;  
(j) motors with mechanical commutators ; 
(k) Totally E nclosed Non -Ventilated (TENV) motors;  
(l) Totally Enclosed Air Over (TEAO) m otors;  
(m) motors placed  on the market not later than 1  July 2029 as substitutes for 
identical motors integrated in products and place d on the market no later than 
1 July 2022;  
(n) multi -speed motors, i.e. motors with multiple windings or with a switchable 
winding , providing a different number of poles and speeds;  
(o) motors designed specifically for traction electric vehicles.  
3. The following VSDs are exempt from the efficiency requirements specified in Annex 
I.3, but must meet the product information requirements specified in  points  (3), (4), 
(8) and  (9) of section  4 of Annex I: 
(a) VSDs integrated into a product  and whose energy performance cannot be tested 
independently from the product;  
(b) VSDs qualified specifically for the safety of nuclear installations, as defined  
Article  3 of Directive 2009/71/EURATOM;  
(c) VSDs placed on the ma rket not later than 1  July 2029 as substitute for identical 
VSDs integrated in products and placed on the market no later than 1  July 2022.  
Article 5 
Conformity assessment  
1. The conformity assessment p rocedure referred to in Article  8 of Directive 
2009/125/EC shall be the internal design control system set out in Annex  IV of that 
Directive or the management system set out in Annex  V of that Directive.  
2. For the purposes of the conformity assessment pursuant to that Directive, the 
technical documentation of mo tors shall contain the information set out in point  2 of 
Annex  I to this Regulation.  
3. For the purposes of the conformity assessment pursuant to that Directive, the 
technical documentation of VSDs shall contain the information set out in point  4 of 
Annex  I to this Regulation.  
4. Where the information included in the technical documentation referred to in that 
Directive has been obtained for a particular model by calculation s on the basis of 
design, or extrapolation from another model, or both, the documentatio n shall include 
                                                 
6 Council Directive 2009/71/Euratom of 25  June 2009 establishing a Community framework for the 
nuclear safety of nuclear installations  (OJ L 1 72, 2.7.2009, p. 18 ).  
EN 8  EN details of such calculations or extrapolations, or both, and of tests carried out by 
manufacturers to verify the accuracy of such calculations and extrapolations . 
Article 6 
Verification procedure for market surveillance purposes  
Member Stat es shall apply the verificati on procedure laid down in Annex  III when performing 
the market surveillance checks referred to in Article  3(2) of Directive 2009/125/EC.  
Article 7 
Circumvention  
The manufacturer or importer shall not place on the market product s designed in such a way 
that their performance is automatically altered under test conditions with the aim of reaching a 
more favourable level for any of the parameters specified in this Regulation or declared by the 
manufacturer in the technical documentation or included in any of the documentation provided 
with the product.  
Where applicable, the power consumption of the product shall not increase after a software or 
firmware update when measured with  the same test standard originally used for the declaration 
of conformity, except with explicit consent of the end -user prior to the update . 
Article 8 
Indicative benchmarks  
The indicative benchmarks for the best -performing motors and variable speed drives available 
at the time of adopting this Regulation are set out in Annex  IV.  
Article 9  
Review  
The Commission shall review this Regulation in the light of technological progress and 
present the results of this  review , including, if appropriate, a draft revision proposal, to the 
Consultation Forum no later than [OP - please insert date – 5 years after its entry into force] .  
This review shall in particular address:  
(1) further resource efficiency, re -use and recycling opportun ities; 
(2) the appropriat eness of the level of verification tolerances;  
(3) the possibility of setting stricter requirements for m otors and variable speed 
drives;  
(4) the possibility of setting minimum energy efficiency requirements for motors 
with a rated vo ltage above 1000  V, as well as for submersible motors ; 
(5) the possibility  of setting  requirements for combinations of motors and VSD s 
placed on the market together , as well as integrated variable speed motors 
(compact drives) ; 
(6) the relevance of the exemptions  set out in Articles  4(2) and  4(3). 
Article 10 
Repeal  
Regulation  (EC) No  640/2009  is repealed with effect from 15 January  2021.  
EN 9  EN Article 11 
Entry into force  and application  
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in 
the Official Journal of the European Union.  
It shall apply from 15 January  2021. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States . 
Done at Brussels,  
 For the Commission  
 Jean-Claude JUNCKER  
 The President