EN    EN EN EN    EN  COMMISSION OF THE E UROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 23.6.2008 
COM(2008) XXX 
  
Draft 
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No …/.. 
of […] 
implementing Directive 2005/32/EC of the Euro pean Parliament and of the Council with 
regard to ecodesign requirements for standby and off mode electric power consumption 
of electrical and electronic ho usehold and office equipment  
(Text with EEA relevance) EN 3   EN EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM  
1. CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL  
• Grounds for and objectives of the proposal 
Directive 2005/32/EC lays down a fram ework for the Commission, assisted by a 
Regulatory Committee, to set ecodesign re quirements for energy-using products. 
Ecodesign requirements are requirements that products covered by implementing 
measures must meet in order to be placed  on the market, with the aim of improving 
their environmental performance. 
Article 16 of the Directive states that the Commission shall, as a ppropriate, introduce 
by anticipation a separate implementing m easure reducing stand-by losses for a group 
of products" in accordance w ith the criteria set out in  Article 15 (in particular 
significant volume of sales and trade, signi ficant environmental impact, significant 
potential for improvement and assessment of impacts).  
A technical, environmental and economical analysis ("preparatory study") has shown 
that (i) products with standby and off mode  are placed in large quantities on the EU 
market, (ii) the environmental impact ofel ectricity consumption in standby/off mode 
in the EU is significant, (iii) there are wide  disparities in power consumption levels in 
standby/off-mode, and cost-effective t echnical solutions exist which could 
significantly improve the environmental im pacts of standby/off mode. Pursuant to 
Article 15 of Directive 2005/32/EC standby/o ff-mode shall therefore be covered by 
an ecodesign implementing measure 
• General context 
Although cost-effective solutions for improvi ng the life cycle environmental impact 
of standby/off mode exist, market forces al one have resulted in market penetration by 
products whose standby/off mode power cons umption being much higher as it could 
be, and cost-effective (from the user's pe rspective) improvement  potentials are not 
realized. This market failure is mainly rela ted to the incremental costs of technologies 
leading to better product performance in st andby/off mode. These costs are small, but 
nevertheless relevant in price sensitive ma rkets in which standby/off-mode is very 
important, in particular household electric al and electronic equipment, consumer 
electronics and information and communi cation technologies. Though very small 
when looked at in isolation for a single product, sta ndby/off-mode energy 
consumption represents significant losse s of energy and money for users when 
multiplied by the number of products involved. 
The preparatory study estimated that 3.7 bi llion installed produc ts had standby/off 
mode in 2005, leading to electricity consum ption in standby/off-mode of 47 TWh in 
the EU-25, corresponding to electricity co sts of EUR 6.4 billion and 19 Mt of CO2 
emissions. By 2020 it is expected that some  4.6 billion installed products will have 
standby/off mode and that, without specific countermeasures, electricity consumption 
in standby/off-mode will have risen to 49 TWh per year (as much as the total electricity consumption of Greece). 
It is estimated that the proposed ecodesign requirements would lead to a reduction of 
approximately 35 TWh of electricity per year by 2020 in the EU. Additional energy 
savings are expected in other parts of th e world because some equipment categories 
are produced for the world market to identical specifications. 
• Existing provisions in the area of the proposal EN 4   EN There are no existing provisions  in the area of the proposal. 
• Consistency with the other polic ies and objectives of the Union 
Directive 2005/32/EC is an important inst rument to achieve the target of 20% 
increase of energy efficiency by 2020, and its  implementation is one of the priorities 
of the Commission's Energy Efficiency Acti on Plan. Furthermore, implementation of 
Directive 2005/32/EC contributes to the EU's  binding target to at tain a reduction of 
greenhouse gases by at least 20% in 2020, or 30%  in 2020 if there is an international 
agreement which commits other develope d countries to comparable emissions 
reductions. The proposed Regulation is an im portant contribution to this process.. 
2. CONSULTATION  OF INTERESTED  PARTIES  AND  IMPACT  ASSESSMENT 
• Consultation of interested parties 
Consultation methods, main sectors targ eted and general pr ofile of respondents  
Stakeholders were consulted as part of the preparatory study and in the Ecodesign 
Consultation Forum. 
On 19 October 2007 the Ecodesign Consultation  Forum (set up pursuant to Article 18 
of Directive 2005/32/EC) held a meeting on standby/off mode. Building on the results 
of the preparatory study, Commission st aff presented a "working document" 
suggesting ecodesign requirements forsta ndby/off mode. On 19 September 2007 the 
working document was sent to the member s of the Consultation Forum, and to the 
secretariats of the ENVI (Environment, Public Health and Food Safety) and ITRE 
(Industry, Research and Energy) Committees  of the European Parliament for 
information. The working document was published on DG TREN's ecodesign website and included in the Commission's CIRC A system alongside the stakeholder 
comments received in writing before and after the meeting. 
In addition, the initiative was discussed in  meetings between Commission staff and 
stakeholder representatives, and with international partners on many occasions, e.g. in 
the EU-US Summit process, the EU-Jap an Energy and Regulatory Cooperation 
Dialogues, the IEA "Implementing Agreement Energy Efficient End Use Equipment" and the G8 Gleneagles process, the "1-Watt In itiative", the International Platform for 
Energy Efficiency Cooperation, and during bilateral meetings between Commission 
staff and with delegations from China, India, Korea, APEC, etc. 
Summary of responses and how th ey have been taken into account
 
The positions of the main stakeholders, as expressed before, during and after the 
Consultation Forum meeting on 19 October 2007 as a reaction to the Commission 
staff working document can be summarised as follows. 
The Member States support "horizontal " ecodesign requirements on standby/off-
mode. The suggested levels for power consumption requi rements and staged timing 
were considered appropriate in general, al though some concerns were raised that the 
timing originally suggested, in particular the three years suggested for the entry into force of the second stage, was too short. Fu rther issues that were raised include the 
precise definitions of "standby" and "off  mode", the need to avoid potential 
loopholes, and the appropriatene ss of requiring a "hard of f" switch or a "0 Watt 
mode". 
The general approach to setting mandatory minimum requirements in the framework 
of ecodesign is largely supported by industry associations. Specific issues that were EN 5   EN raised include the scope of the implementing measure and its legal definition, the 
definitions of the relevant operating modes, the relation to "vertical" (product-specific) ecodesign implementing measur es, the suggested power consumption 
requirements for the second stage (seen as demanding), and the timing of entry into 
force. 
Environmental and consumer NGOs welc ome "horizontal" ecodesign requirements 
on standby/off mode. Concerns were raised  on potential loopholes , the scope of the 
operating modes addressed, in particular "n etworked standby" operating modes, the 
need for "hard off switch" and the role  of requirements for providing relevant 
information to consumers. 
These issues have been considered with a view to the proposed Regulation. Details 
are given in the impact assessment. 
• Collection and use of expertise 
Scientific/expertise domains concerned
 
External expertise on standby/off-mode was mainly gathered through the preparatory 
study providing technical, environmental and economic analysis, which was carried 
out by a consortium of external cons ultants on behalf of the Commission's 
Directorate-General for Energy and Transport. 
Methodology used  
The methodology followed the provisions of the Directive, in particular Article 15 
and Annexes I and II. The technical, envi ronmental and economic analysis followed 
the structure of the "Methodology Study Eco-design of Energy-using Products" 
developed for the Commission's Directorate- General for Enterprise and Industry and 
endorsed by stakeholders. 
Main organisations/experts consulted  
The preparatory study was conducted in an open process that took into account input 
from relevant stakeholders  including manufact urers and manufacturing associations, 
environmental NGOs, consumer organizatio ns, EU/EEA Member State experts, 
experts from third countries (e.g. Australia,  Canada, Japan, Korea, and the USA) and 
international organisations such as th e International Energy Agency (IEA).  
Summary of advice received and used  
No potentially serious risks with irrevers ible consequences were raised by any 
stakeholder, nor were any identi fied during the preparatory work. 
The technical, market and economical analys is carried out in th e framework of the 
preparatory study resulted in recommendati ons on levels for standby/off mode power 
consumption. These recommendations were used as a basis for suggesting possible ecodesign requirements to the Consultation Forum. 
Means used to make the exper t advice publicly available
 
The preparatory study was given a dedica ted website where interim results and 
further relevant materials were publis hed regularly for timely stakeholder 
consultation and input. Written submissions fr om stakeholders are listed in the final 
report. The study website was promoted on the ecodesign-specific websites of the 
Transport and Energy DG and the Enterp rise and Industry DG. The Commission 
hosted an open consultation meeting for stake holders directly aff ected in Brussels on 
4 May 2007 to discuss the preliminary results of the study. EN 6   EN The written submissions received through the Consultation Forum process are 
available in the Commission' s CIRCA system. The minutes of the Forum meeting on 
standby/off mode are available on the Transport and Energy DG's website. 
• Impact assessment 
An impact assessment was carried out pur suant to Article 15(4 b) of Directive 
2005/32/EC. Several Options for improving the power consumption of standby/off 
mode were considered, and the outco me can be summarised as follows. 
Option 1. No EU action: This option implies that the market failure would persist, and it is to be expected that 
Member States would want to take individual, non-ha rmonised action on standby/off 
mode. This would hamper the functioning of the internal market and lead to 
considerable administrative bur dens and costs for manufactur ers, contrary to the goals 
of the ecodesign framework Directive. In addition, it ignores th e specific mandate 
given to the Commission by the Council and Parliament.. 
Option 2. Self regulation: No industrial sector has brought forwar d any initiative for self-regulation of 
standby/off mode for electrical and electr onic equipment. On the contrary, some 
industry sectors terminated relevant vol untary initiatives in 2007 by industry and 
called for a clear legal framework ensuring fa ir competition (a "level playing field").. 
Option 3. Ecodesign requirements for st andby/off mode set only under product-
specific ecodesign implementing measures: 
If this option were chose n, most of the potential for improving standby/off mode 
would not be realized because dedicated  product-specific ecodesign implementing 
measures would not be justified for other characteristics of those products. Therefore 
the electricity consumption in standby/off mode of many products entering the market 
in the future would be higher than necessa ry. Furthermore, from an administrative 
point of view, having a (large) number of product-specific implementing measures 
aiming to produce the same effect is not effi cient. It also ignores the specific mandate 
given to the Commission by the Council and Parliament. 
Option 4. Labelling targeting the ener gy consumption of standby/off mode: 
If this option were chosen  any market transformati on towards equipment with 
desirable levels of standby/off mode en ergy consumption would take place very 
slowly, because the absolute energy c onsumption in standby/off mode of an 
individual product is low, and would ha rdly influence consumers to purchase 
equipment with "good" standby/off-mode  energy consumption. The burden on 
manufacturers and retailers would be dispr oportionate. It also ignores the specific 
mandate given to the Commission by the Council and Parliament. 
Option 5. "Horizontal" ecodesign implemen ting regulation on standby functions 
and off mode: 
This option implies setting of ecodesign requirements on maximum levels for the 
energy consumption of standby/off mode fo r electrical and elec tronic household and 
office equipment. It is estimated that th e proposed requirements would lead to a 
reduction of some 35 TWh electricity per year in 2020 in the EU. The measure is 
highly cost-effective for consumers. In addi tion, it complies with the specific mandate 
given to the Commission by the Council and Parliament. EN 7   EN Following the principle of proportionality in  the analysis effort, Options 1-4 were 
assessed qualitatively and discarded for the detailed analysis, and the impact 
assessment focussed on Option 5. With a view to Article 15(4) and 15(5) of Directive 
2005/32/EC the impact on environment, c onsumers and manufacturers of several sub-
options for setting ecodesign requirement s on power consumption levels and the 
timing for entry into force have been assesse d. It has been concluded that two sets of 
ecodesign requirements (2W/1W, and 1W/0.5W) on power consumption of standby/off mode, which become effective 1 ye ar and 4 years after entry into force of 
the proposed Regulation respectively, provide  the appropriate balance between an 
improvement of the environmental impact of the affected equipment and the cost 
benefits for the user/consumer (due to a reduction of electricity  consumption) on the 
one hand, and possible additional burdens fo r manufacturers (in particular due to 
unplanned re-design) on the other hand. 
3. LEGAL
 ELEMENTS  OF THE  PROPOSAL 
• Summary of the proposed action 
Scope  
The product categories addre ssed by the proposed Regulation covers electrical and 
electronic household and office equipment, in line with the analysis carried out in the 
preparatory study. The term "equipment" is used to underline that end-use equipment 
is addressed, but "parts", within the m eaning of Directive 20 05/32/EC, are not. The 
scope has been defined using an  approach similar to that of  the "Waste electrical and 
electronic equipment" (WEEE) Directive (2002/96/EC), but  limited to household and 
office equipment. In addition, "catch all" cl auses are included to ensure that products 
not explicitly named in the product list, wh ich can never be exhaustive, are covered. 
This aspect is crucial, because it ensure s that categories of equipment not yet 
available on the market ar e designed to fulfil minimu m requirements for standby and 
off-mode. 
Staged implementation  
It is proposed to introduce maximum power le vels in two stages. In the first stage, 
products placed on the market one year af ter the proposed Regulation has come into 
force must have a maximum power cons umption of 1 W for off mode only or 
standby/reactivation function only and 2 W for standby/reactivation function and/or 
display function only. 
In the second stage, four years after the proposed Regulation ha s come into force, 
products must have a maximum power cons umption of 0.5 W fo r off mode only or 
standby/reactivation function only, and 1 W for standby/reactivation function and/or 
display function only. 
The preparatory study has shown that thos e levels are cost-effective and can be 
achieved with current state-of-the-art te chnology. The stages are timed to avoid 
negative impacts on the functionalities of e quipment on the market, and to take into 
account cost impacts for manufacturers, including SMEs, while ensuring timely 
achievement of the policy objectives. 
Definitions for "off mode" and "standby"  
The definitions of "off mode" and "standby"  are based on the pr eparatory study. The 
definitions are considered for the on-going revision of the international "standby standard" IEC 62301. Taking into account stak eholder feedback, the definitions have EN 8   EN been refined compared to the preparat ory study and/or Co mmittee draft 59/490/CD 
for the revised IEC 62301. 
Conditions of equipment involving sensor-bas ed safety functions are not included in 
the definition of standby in or der to prevent that safety f unctions from being left out 
of equipment merely for the sake of m eeting ecodesign requirements. This mainly 
applies for wet appliances (w ater-stop functions) and cooki ng equipment, e.g. sensors 
indicating that a cook ing field is hot.  
Requirement of standby/off mode and power management  
The loss of standby functionalities would le ad to an increase in overall energy 
consumption because users would often not switch off the main function, which 
usually consumes much more energy than  standby. The strategy for minimising the 
overall energy consumption of equipment is therefore to require that equipment has 
– a standby/off mode with low power c onsumption levels, or an operating 
condition meeting the standby/off mode  power consumption requirements, 
– an automatic switch to standby/off mode, or an operating condition meeting the 
standby/off mode power consumption requi rements, when the main function is 
not being used. 
The first requirement also aims to prevent loopholes and unfair competition, because 
there is a risk that equipment could be designed without standby/off mode, with the 
aim to evade the requirements. The second re quirement aims to ensure that equipment 
is switched to standby/off mode (conditions  with very low power consumption) when 
the main function is not used. The automatic  switch to standby/off mode may require 
a more thorough re-design of the product, and is therefore required only in the second 
stage. 
Measurements  
The proposed Regulation requires that measurem ents have to be reliable, accurate and 
reproducible. A mandate for a corresponding harmonised standard will be issued. 
Verification procedure for market surveillance purposes  
A number of Member States have argued th at the procedure in EN 62301 (and similar 
labelling standards under Directive 92/75/ EEC) leaves room for product design which 
could be systematically exceeding ecodesign power levels (energy efficiency grades 
for labelling purposes) by several per cent. The tolerance for the first test of the verification procedure is th erefore reduced from 15% to  10% for power consumption 
greater than 1 W, and from 0.15 W to 0.1 W for power consumption equal to, or less 
than, 1 W. Information to be provided by the manufacturers 
In order to facilitate compliance check s manufacturers are re quested to provide 
information in the technical documentation referred to in Annexes IV and V of Directive 2005/32/EC on operating conditions su bject to the definitions of standby/off 
mode, and the corresponding power consump tion levels. Furtherm ore it is requested 
to provide information on the product characte ristics as relevant for the requirements 
that equipment has to have sta ndby/off mode and power management. 
Date for evaluation and possible revision
 
The main issues for a revision of the proposed Regulation are: EN 9   EN –  the feasibility of extending the m easure to horizontal requirements on 
"networked" operating conditions (in addi tion to the standby/off mode currently 
covered); 
–  whether the levels of ecodesign requi rements on standby/off mode are still 
appropriate; 
–  whether the scope is  still appropriate. 
Taking into account the time needed to collec t, analyse and complement the data and 
experiences of the second stage in order to  properly assess technological progress, a 
review could be presented to the Consulta tion Forum six years after entry into force 
of the Regulation. 
• Legal basis 
The proposed Regulation is an implem enting measure pursuant to Directive 
2005/32/EC, and in particular Ar ticle 15(1) thereof. The Di rective is based on Article 
95 of the Treaty. 
• Subsidiarity principle 
The adoption of different ecodesign meas ures for standby and off mode electric 
power consumption by individual Member Stat es would lead to obstacles to the free 
movement of goods within the Community. Su ch measures must therefore have the 
same content throughout the Community. In line  with the principle of subsidiarity, it 
is thus appropriate that the measures in  question are adopted at Community level. 
• Proportionality principle 
The proposal complies with the proportionali ty principle for the following reason(s). 
In accordance with the principle of propor tionality, this measure does not go beyond 
what is necessary in order to achieve the objective.  
No costs for national administrations for transposition of the action into national 
legislation arise. 
• Choice of instruments 
Proposed instruments: Regulation. Other means would not be adequate for the following reason(s). The proposed form of action is a Commi ssion Regulation (implementing Directive 
2005/32/EC), because the objectives of the ac tion can be achieved most efficiently by 
fully harmonized requirements throughout  the EU, ensuring free movement of 
compliant equipment. 
Trade implications: WTO/TBT will be notified to ensure that no barrier to trade is 
introduced. 
4. BUDGETARY
 IMPLICATION 
The proposal has no implications for the Community budget. 
5. ADDITIONAL  INFORMATION 
• Review/revision/sunset clause 
The proposal includes a review clause. EN 10   EN • European Economic Area 
The proposed act concerns an EEA matte r and should therefore extend to the 
European Economic Area. EN 11   EN Draft 
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No …/.. 
of  
implementing Directive 2005/32/EC of the Euro pean Parliament and of the Council with 
regard to ecodesign requirements for standby and off mode electric power consumption 
of electrical and electronic ho usehold and office equipment  
(Text with EEA relevance) 
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 
Having regard to the Treaty esta blishing the European Community, 
Having regard to Directive 2005/32/EC of the Eu ropean Parliament and of the Council of 6 
July 2005 establishing a framework for the sett ing of ecodesign requirements for energy-using 
products and amending Council Directive 92/42/EEC and Directives 96/57/EC and 
2000/55/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council1 and in particular Article 15(1) 
thereof, 
After consulting the Ecodes ign Consultation Forum, 
Whereas: (1) Under Directive 2005/32/EC ec odesign requirements shall be set by the Commission 
for energy using products representing signifi cant volumes of sales and trade, having 
significant environmental impact and presen ting significant potential for improvement 
in terms of their environmental impact without entailing excessive costs. 
(2) Article 16(2) second indent of Directive 2005/32/EC provides that in accordance with 
the procedure referred to in Article 19(3) and the criteria set out in Article 15(2), and after consulting the Consultation Forum, th e Commission shall as appropriate introduce 
a separate implementing measure reduci ng standby losses for a group of products. 
(3) The Commission has carried out a preparat ory study which analysed the technical, 
environmental and economic aspects of sta ndby mode and off mode  losses. The study 
has been developed together with stakeholde rs and interested parties from the EU and 
third countries, and the results have  been made publicly available. 
(4) It has been stated in the preparatory study that standby functionalities and off mode 
losses occur for the majority  of electrical and electr onic household and office 
equipment products sold in the Community, while the annual electricity consumption 
related to standby functional ities and off mode losses in  the Community has been 
estimated to be 47 TWh in 2005, correspond ing to 19 Mt CO2 emissions. Without 
taking specific measures, the consumption is predicted to increase to 49 TWh in 2020. 
It has been concluded that the electricity  consumption of standby functionalities and 
off mode losses can be significantly reduced. 
                                                
 
1 Directive 2005/32/EC (OJ L 191, 22.7.2005, p. 29) Directive as amended by Directive 2008/28/EC (OJ 
L 81, 20.3.2008, p. 48) EN 12   EN (5) Improvements of electricity consumption of standby functionalities and off mode 
losses should be achieved by applying ex isting non-proprietary cost effective 
technologies, which lead to a reduction of the combined ex penses for purchasing and 
operating equipment. 
(6) Ecodesign requirements for the power consump tion of standby mode and off mode of 
electrical and electr onic household and offi ce equipment should be set with a view to 
harmonizing ecodesign requirements on sta ndby mode and off mode throughout the 
Community and contributing to the functio ning of the internal market and to 
improvement of the environmental performance of the products affected. 
(7) The ecodesign requirements should not have negative impact on the functionality of 
the product and should not affect negativel y health, safety and environment. In 
particular, the benefits of reducing the el ectricity consumption during the use phase 
should over-compensate potential additional environmental impacts during the production phase of equipment having standby functionalities and/or off mode losses. 
(8) The application of this Regulation shoul d be limited to products corresponding to 
household and office equipment intended for us e in the domestic e nvironment, which, 
for information technology equipment, corres ponds to class B equi pment as set out in 
EN 55022:2006. The scope should be defined such that equipment that is not yet available on the market, but have similar functionalities to thos e products explicitly 
named in this Regulation, are designed to fu lfil the requirements. When appropriate, an 
amendment to this Regulation can complement the list of products. 
(9) Operating modes not covered by this Regul ation, such as the ACPI S3 mode of 
computers, should be considered in produc t-specific implementi ng measures pursuant 
to 2005/32/EC.  
(10) As a general rule, requirements on standby an d off mode set out in product-specific 
implementing measures pursuant to Directiv e 2005/32/EC should not be less ambitious 
than those set out in this Regulation.  
(11) In order to prevent unnecessary losses of energy, products should ideally enter into a 
"0-Watt" consumption state when providing no function. The techni cal feasibility and 
appropriateness should be considered on a pr oduct by product basis in the relevant 
implementing measure pursuant to Directive 2005/32/EC. 
(12) The two-staged entry into force of th e ecodesign requirements should provide an 
appropriate timeframe for manufacturers to redesign products as far as standby 
functionalities and off-mode losses are con cerned. The timing of the stages should be 
set in such a way that negative impacts re lated to functionalities of equipment on the 
market are avoided, and cost impacts for manu facturers, in particular SMEs, are taken 
into account, while ensuring timely achieveme nt of policy objectives. Measurements of 
the power consumption should be performed taking into account the generally recognised state of the art; manufactur ers may apply harmonised standards in 
accordance with Article 9 of Directive 2005/32/EC. 
(13) This Regulation should increase the mark et penetration of technologies yielding 
improved energy efficiency for standby functio nalities and off mode losses, leading to 
estimated energy savings of 35 TWh in 2020, compared to a business as usual scenario. 
(14) Pursuant to Article 8(2) of  Directive 2005/32/EC, this Regu lation should specify that 
the applicable conformity assessment procedur es are the internal design control set out 
in Annex IV and the management system set out in Annex V of Directive 2005/32/EC EN 13   EN (15) In order to facilitate compliance checks manu facturers should be requested to provide 
information in the technical documentati on referred to in Annexes IV and V of 
Directive 2005/32/EC on the operating conditions subject to the definitions of standby/off mode, and the corresponding power consumption levels. 
(16) Benchmarks for currently available technol ogies with low standby and off mode power 
consumption should be identified. This help s to ensure wide availability and easy 
access to information, in particular for SM Es and very small firms, which further 
facilitates the integration of best design technologies  for reducing the energy 
consumption of standby and off mode. 
(17) The measures provided for in this Regulati on are in accordance with the opinion of the 
Committee established by Article 19(1) of Directive 2005/32/EC. 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLO WING REGULATION: 
Article 1 
Subject matter and scope 
This Regulation establishes eco design requirements related to standby and off mode electric 
power consumption. This Regulatio n applies to electr ical and electronic household and office 
equipment. 
Article 2 
Definitions 
For the purposes of this Regulation, the defi nitions set out in Di rective 2005/32/EC shall 
apply. The following definitions shall also apply: 
1. "electrical and electronic household and offi ce equipment (hereafter referred to as 
"equipment"), means any energy using product which 
(a) is made commercially available as a single functional unit and is intended for 
the end-user, 
(b) falls under the list of ener gy-using products of Annex I, 
(c) is dependent on energy input from the mains power source in order to work as 
intended, and 
(d) is designed for use with a nominal  voltage rating of 250 V or below, 
 also when marketed for non-household or non-office use; 2. "standby mode(s)" means a condition where the equipment is connected to the mains 
power source, depends on energy input fr om the mains power source to work as 
intended and provides only the following functions, which may persist for an 
indefinite time: 
– reactivation function, or r eactivation function and only an indication of enabled 
reactivation function, and/or 
– information or status display. 
3. "reactivation function" means a function facilitating the activation of other modes, 
including active mode, by remote switch incl uding remote control, internal sensor, 
timer to a condition providing additional functions, including the main function; EN 14   EN 4. "information or status display" means a c ontinuous function providing information or 
indicating the status of  the equipment on a display, including clocks; 
5. "active mode(s)" means a condition in which the equipment is connected to the mains 
power source and at least one of the main  function(s) providing the intended service 
of the equipment has been activated; 
6. "off mode" means a condition in which the equipment is connected to the mains 
power source and is not providing any f unction; the following shall also be 
considered as off mode: 
(a) conditions providing only an i ndication of off mode condition, 
(b) conditions providing only functionalitie s intended to ensure electromagnetic 
compatibility pursuant to Directive 2004/ 108/EC of the European Parliament 
and of the Council2. 
7. "information technology equipment" mean s any equipment which has a primary 
function of either entry, storage, disp lay, retrieval, transmission, processing, 
switching, or control, of data and of tel ecommunication messages or a combination of 
these functions and may be equipped with  one or more terminal ports typically 
operated for information transfer. 
8. "domestic environment" means an environm ent where the use of broadcast radio and 
television receivers may be expected with in a distance of 10 m of the apparatus 
concerned. 
Article 3 
Ecodesign requirements 
The ecodesign requirements related to standby a nd off mode electric power consumption are 
set out in Annex II. 
Article 4 
Conformity assessment 
The procedure for assessing confor mity referred to in Article 8(2) of Directive 2005/32/EC 
shall be the internal design cont rol system set out in Annex IV  of Directive 2005/32/EC or the 
management system set out in Annex V of Directive 2005/32/EC. 
Article 5 
Verification procedure for market surveillance purposes 
Surveillance checks shall be carried out in acco rdance with the verification procedure set out 
in Annex III. 
Article 6 
Benchmarks 
The indicative benchmarks for the best-p erforming products and technology currently 
available on the market are identified in Annex IV . 
                                                 
2 OJ L 390 of 31.12.2004, p. 24. EN 15   EN Article 7 
Revision 
No later than 6 years after the entry into for ce of this Regulation the Commission shall review 
it in the light of technological pr ogress and present the result of this review to the Consultation 
Forum. 
Article 8 
Entry into force 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following that of its publication in the 
Official Journal of the European Union . 
Point 1 of Annex II shall apply as from one y ear after the date referred to in the first 
paragraph. 
Point 2 of Annex II shall apply as from four years after the date referred to in the first 
paragraph. 
Article 9 
This Regulation shall be binding in  its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States . 
Done at Brussels,  
 For the Commission 
   Member of the Commission EN 16   EN ANNEX I  
List of energy using products covered by this Regulation  
1. Household appliances 
Washing machines Clothes dryers Dish washing machines Cooking: Electric ovens Electric hot plates Microwave ovens Toasters Fryers Grinders, coffee machines and equipment for opening or sealing containers or 
packages 
Electric knives Other appliances for cooking and other processing of food, cleaning, and 
maintenance of clothes. 
Appliances for hair cutti ng, hair drying, tooth brushing, shaving, massage and other 
body care appliances 
Scales 
2. Information technology equipment intended primarily for use in the domestic 
environment 
3. Consumer equipment 
Radio sets Television sets Videocameras 
Video recorders 
Hi-fi recorders Audio amplifiers Home theatre systems Musical instruments And other equipment for the purpose of recording or re producing sound or images, 
including signals or other technologies fo r the distribution of sound and image other 
than by telecommunications 
4. Toys, leisure and sports equipment 
Electric trains or car racing sets Hand-held video game consoles EN 17   EN Sports equipment with electri c or electronic components 
Other toys, leisure and sport equipment 
ANNEX II  
Ecodesign requirements 
1. One year after this Regula tion has come into force: 
a) Power consumption in "Off mode":  Power consumption of equipment in a ny off mode condition shall not exceed 
1.00 W. 
b) Power consumption in "Standby mode(s)":  The power consumption of equipment in any condition providing only a 
reactivation function, or providing onl y a reactivation function and a mere 
indication of enabled reactivation function, shall not exceed 1.00 W. 
 The power consumption of equipment in any condition providing only 
information or status display, or provid ing only a combinat ion of reactivation 
function and information or status display, shall not exceed 2.00 W. 
c) Availability of Off mode and/or Standby mode 
 Equipment shall, except where this is inappropriate for the intended use, 
provide Off mode and/or  Standby mode, and/or another condition which does 
not exceed the applicable power consump tion requirements for off mode and/or 
standby mode when the equipment is c onnected to the mains power source. 
2. Four years after this Regulation has come into force: 
a) Power consumption in "Off mode":  Power consumption of equipment in a ny off mode condition shall not exceed 
0.50 W. 
b) Power consumption in "Standby mode(s)":  The power consumption of equipment in any condition providing only a 
reactivation function, or providing onl y a reactivation function and a mere 
indication of enabled reactivation function, shall not exceed 0.50 W. 
 The power consumption of equipment in any condition providing only 
information or status display, or provid ing only a combinat ion of reactivation 
function and information or status display shall not exceed 1.00 W. 
c) Availability of Off mode and/or Standby mode 
 Equipment shall, except where this is inappropriate for the intended use, 
provide Off mode and/or  Standby mode, and/or another condition which does 
not exceed the applicable power consump tion requirements for off mode and/or 
standby mode when the equipment is c onnected to the mains power source. 
d) Power management  When equipment is not providing the main function, or when other energy-
using product(s) are not dependent on it s functions, equipment shall, unless 
inappropriate for the intended use, offe r a power management function, or a EN 18   EN similar function, that switches equipment after the shortest possible period of 
time appropriate for the intended use of the equipment, automatically into 
– Standby mode, or  
– Off mode, or 
– Another condition which does not exceed the applicable power 
consumption requirements for off mode  and/or standby mode when the 
equipment is connected to the mains power source. The power management function shall be  activated before delivery. 
3. Measurements 
The power consumption referred to in Points 1.a ), 1.b), 2.a) and 2.b) shall be established by a 
reliable, accurate and reproducible measuremen t procedure, which takes into account the 
generally recognised state of the art. 
Measurements of power of 0.50 W or  greater shall be made with an  uncertainty of  less than or 
equal to 2% at the 95% confid ence level. Measurements of power of less than 0.50 W shall be 
made with an uncertainty of less than or equal to 0.01 W at the 95% confidence level. 
4. Information to be provided by manufacturers 
For the purposes of conformity assessment pur suant to Article 4, the technical documentation 
shall contain the following elements: 
a) For each standby and/or off mode 
– The power consumption data in Watts rounded to the second decimal 
place 
– The measurement method used 
– Description of how the appliance mode was selected or programmed 
– Sequence of events to reach the mode  where the equipment automatically 
changes modes 
– Any notes regarding the operation of the equipment 
 
b) Test parameters for measurements 
– Ambient temperature 
– Test voltage in V and frequency in Hz 
– Total harmonic distortion of the electricity supply system 
– Information and documentation on the instrumentation, set-up and 
circuits used for electrical testing 
c) The characteristics of equipment rele vant for assessing conformity with the 
requirements set out in Point 1.c), or the requirements set out in Points 2.c) and/or 2.d), as applicable, including th e time taken to automatically reach 
standby, or Off mode, or another c ondition which does not exceed the 
applicable power consumption require ments for off mode and/or standby 
mode. EN 19   EN  In particular, if applicable, the technical  justification shall be provided that the 
requirements set out in Point 1.c), or the requirements set out in Points 2.c) and/or 2.d), are inappropriate for the intended use of equipment. 
ANNEX III 
 
Verification procedure 
When performing the market su rveillance checks referred to in Directive 2005/32/EC, Article 
3 (2), the authorities of the Member State sha ll apply the following verification procedure for 
the requirements set out in Annex II, Points 1.a) and 1.b), or Points 2.a) and 2.b), as applicable. 
For power consumption require ments larger than 1.00 W: 
Member State authorities sh all test one single unit. 
The model shall be considered to comply with the provisions set out in  Annex II, Points 1.a) 
and 1.b), or Points 2.a) and 2.b), as  applicable, of this Regulati on if the results for off-mode 
and standby mode conditions, as applicable, do not exceed the limit values by more than 10%. 
Otherwise, three more units shall be tested. The model shall be c onsidered to comply with this 
Regulation if the average of th e results of the latter three te sts for off-mode and/or standby 
mode conditions, as applicable, does not exceed the limit values by more than 10%. 
For power consumption requirements smaller than, or equal to, 1.00 W: 
Member State authorities sh all test one single unit. 
The model shall be considered to comply with the provisions set out in  Annex II, Points 1.a) 
and 1.b), or Points 2.a) and 2.b), as  applicable, of this Regulati on if the results for off-mode 
and/or standby mode conditions, as applicable , do not exceed the limit va lues by more than 
0.10 W. 
Otherwise, three more units shall be tested. The model shall be c onsidered to comply with this 
Regulation if the average of th e results of the latter three te sts for off-mode and/or standby 
mode conditions, as applicable, does not exceed the limit values by more than 0.10 W. 
Otherwise, the model shall be  considered not to comply. 
ANNEX IV
 
Benchmarks 
The following benchmarks are identified for th e purpose of Annex I, part 3, point 2, of 
Directive 2005/32/EC: 
Off mode:  0 W - 0.3 W with hard-off switch on the pr imary side, depending, inter alia, on the 
characteristics related to elect romagnetic compatibility pursuant to Directive 2004/108/EC of 
the European Parliament and of the Council.  
Standby – reactivation function:  0.1 W  
Standby – display:  simple displays and low power LEDs 0.1 W, larger displays (e.g. for 
clocks) require more power.