. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/EEC/228 
27 October 2008 
 (08-5213) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   European Commission 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:    
European Commission 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point Fax:  +(32) 2 299 80 43 E-mail:  ec-tbt@ec.europa.eu
 
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [ X  ], 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):   Simple set top boxes 
(digital converters). 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Commission 
Regulation implementing Directive 2005/32/EC of  the European Parliament and of the 
Council with regard to ecodesign requirement s for simple set-top boxes (20 pages, in 
English). 
6. Description of content:   This draft Commission Regulation sets minimum energy 
performance requirements for simple set top boxes (SSTB). The SSTB is a device with the 
primary aim of converting Free-to-Air digita l broadcasting signals into analogue signals 
suitable for TVs adapted to the reception of sole ly analogue signals. Due to the shift in the 
EU to digital broadcasting in the next 8 years the stock and sales of these devices as well as 
the associated energy consumption will sharpl y rise. As there exists a cost-effective 
potential to limit this energy consumption, the draft regulation sets requirements for the energy performance of SSTBs in active and st andby modes. In accordance with Framework 
Directive 2005/32/EC products not meeting th ese requirements will not be allowed to be 
placed on the internal market. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Fight against climate change, increase of  energy efficiency in the EU G/TBT/N/EEC/228 
Page 2  
 
  8. Relevant documents:   Directive 2005/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the 
Council of 6 July 2005 establishing a framew ork for the setting of ecodesign requirements 
for energy-using products ,  Official Journal L 191 , 22 July 2005 P. 0029 – 0058
http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriSer v.do?uri=OJ:L:2005:191:0029:0058:EN:PDF  
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    End of  2008 
30 days from publication in the Official 
Journal of the EU. The first requirements will be applicable one year after the entry into force of the regulation. 
10. Final date for comments:   60 days from date of notification. 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [    ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
European Commission 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point 
Fax:  + (32) 2 299 8043 
E-mail:  ec-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
The text is available on the EC-TBT Website :  http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/    
And at: 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2008/tbt/eec/08_3374_00_e.pdf