EN    EN EN EN    EN  COMMISSION OF THE E UROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, XXX 
C(2009) YYY final 
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 household refrigerating appliances EN 2   EN COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No …/… 
of … 
implementing Directive 2005/32/EC of the Europe an Parliament and of the Council with 
regard to ecodesign requirements for household refrigerating appliances 
(Text with EEA relevance) 
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
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) Directive 96/57/EC of the European Pa rliament and of the Council of 3 September 
1996 on energy efficiency requirements for h ousehold electric refr igerators, freezers 
and combinations thereof
2 lays down provisions rega rding household refrigerating 
appliances. The requirements laid down in that  Directive, which have been applicable 
since 1999, are now outdated.  
(2) Under Directive 2005/32/EC ecodesign requi rements should be set by the Commission 
for energy-using products representing significa nt 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. 
(3) Article 16(2), first indent , of Directive 2005/32/EC provide s 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 Ecodesign Consultation Forum, the Commission shall, as appropriate, introduce a new implementi ng measure for house hold refrigerating 
appliances repealing Directive 96/57/EC.  
(4) The Commission has carried out a prep aratory study to analyse the technical, 
environmental and economic aspects of refr igerating appliances typically used in 
households. The study has been developed toge ther with stakeholders and interested 
parties from the Community and third count ries, and the results have been made 
publicly available on the Comm ission’s website on EUROPA. 
(5) The energy efficiency of absorption-ty pe refrigerators and thermoelectric cooling 
refrigerating appliances, such as mini dr ink chillers, can be significantly improved. 
Those appliances should therefore be included in this Regulation. 
                                                
 
1 OJ L 191, 22.7.2005, p. 29. 
2 OJ L 236, 18.9.1996, p. 36. EN 3   EN (6) The environmental aspects identified as si gnificant for the purposes of this Regulation 
are energy consumption in the use phase and product features designed to ensure more 
environmentally friendly use of household refrigerating appliances by the end-user. 
(7) The preparatory study shows that require ments regarding other ecodesign parameters 
referred to in Annex I, Part 1, of Directive 2005/32/EC are not necessary. 
(8) The annual electricity consumption of pr oducts subject to this Regulation in the 
Community was estimated to have been 122 TWh in 2005, corresponding to 56 million 
tonnes of CO 2 equivalent. While the projected energy consumption of household 
refrigerating appliances will decrease by 2020, th is reduction is expected to slow as a 
result of outdated requirements and ener gy labels. The cost-effective energy-savings 
potential would therefore not be achieved if no further measures are introduced to 
update the existing ecodesign requirements.  
(9) The electricity consumption of products subject to this  Regulation should be made 
more efficient by applying existing non-propr ietary cost-effectiv e technologies that 
reduce the combined cost of purch asing and operating these products. 
(10) This Regulation should quickly ensure the placing on the market of more energy-
efficient products subject to this Regulation. 
(11) The ecodesign requirements should not a ffect functionality from the end-user’s 
perspective and should not nega tively affect health, safety  or the environment. In 
particular, the benefits of reducing electricity consumpti on during the use phase should 
more than offset any additional envir onmental impacts during the production of 
products subject to this Regulation. 
(12) The ecodesign requirements should be in troduced gradually in order to provide a 
sufficient timeframe for manufacturers to re-d esign products subject to this Regulation 
as appropriate. The timing should be such  as to avoid negative impacts on the 
functionalities of equipment on the market, and to take into account cost impacts for 
end-users and manufacturers, in  particular small and medium-sized enterprises, while 
ensuring timely achievement of th e objectives of this Regulation. 
(13) Conformity assessment and measurements  of the relevant product parameters should 
be performed using reliable, accurate a nd reproducible measurement methods, which 
take into account the generally recognise d state of the art measurement methods 
including where available, harmonised standards adopted by the European 
standardisation bodies, as liste d in Annex I to Directive 98/34/EC of the European 
Parliament and of the Council of 22 J une 1998 laying down a procedure for the 
provision of information in the field of tec hnical standards and regul ations and of rules 
on Information Society services3 
(14) In accordance with Article 8 of Direc tive 2005/32/EC, this Regul ation should specify 
the applicable conformity assessment procedures. 
(15) In order to facilitate compliance checks,  manufacturers should provide information in 
the technical documentation referred to in  Annexes V and VI of Directive 2005/32/EC 
insofar as this information relates to the requirements laid down in this Regulation. 
(16) In addition to the legally binding requir ements laid down in this Regulation, indicative 
benchmarks for best availabl e technologies should be identified to ensure the wide 
                                                 
3 OJ L 204, 21.7.1998, p. 37. EN 4   EN availability and accessibility of info rmation on the life-cycle environmental 
performance of products s ubject to this Regulation. 
(17) Directive 96/57/EC shou ld therefore be repealed.  
(18) The measures provided for in this Regul ation are in accordance with the opinion of the 
Committee established by Article 19(1) of Directive 2005/32/EC, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
Subject matter and scope 
1. This Regulation establishe s ecodesign requirements for th e placing on the market of 
electric mains-operated house hold refrigerating appliances  with a storage volume up 
to 1500 litres. 
2. This Regulation shall apply to electr ic mains-operated hous ehold refrigerating 
appliances, including those sold for non-household use or for the refrigeration of 
items other than foodstuffs.  
It shall also apply to electric mains-operate d household refrigerat ing appliances that 
can be battery-operated. 
3. This Regulation shall not apply to: (a) refrigerating appliances that are prim arily powered by energy sources other than 
electricity, such as liquefied  petroleum gas (LPG), kerose ne and bio-diesel fuels; 
(b) battery-operated refrigerating appliances that can be connected to the mains through 
an AC/DC converter, purchased separately;  
(c) custom-made refrigerating appliances, ma de on a one-off basis and not equivalent to  
other refrigerating appliance models; 
(d) refrigerating appliances for tertiary sector application where the removal of 
refrigerated foodstuffs is electronically  sensed and that information can be 
automatically transmitted through a network connection to a remote control system 
for accounting;  
(e) appliances where the primary function is not the storage of foodstuffs through 
refrigeration, such as stand-alone ice- makers or chilled drinks dispensers.  
Article 2 
Definitions 
In addition to the definitions set out in Di rective 2005/32/EC, the following definitions shall 
apply:  
(1) ‘foodstuffs’ means food, ingredients, be verages including wine, and other items 
primarily intended for consumption whic h require refrigeration at specified 
temperatures; 
(2) ‘household refrigerat ing appliance’ means  an insulated cabinet, with one or more 
compartments, intended for refrigerating or freezing foodstuffs, or for the storage of 
refrigerated or frozen foodstuffs for non-professional purposes, cooled by one or 
more energy-consuming processes including appliances sold as building kits to be assembled by the end-user;  EN 5   EN (3) ‘refrigerator’ means a refrigerating a ppliance intended for the preservation of 
foodstuffs with at least one compartment su itable for the storage of fresh food and/or 
beverages, including wine; 
(4) ‘compression-type refrigerating appliance’  means a refrigerating appliance in which 
refrigeration is effected by mean s of a motor-driven compressor; 
(5) ‘absorption-type refrigerating appliance’  means a refrigerating appliance in which 
refrigeration is effected by an absorption process using heat as  the energy source; 
(6) ‘refrigerator-freezer’ means a refrigerati ng appliance with at least one fresh-food 
storage compartment and at least one other compartment suitable for the freezing of 
fresh food and the storage of frozen foodstuffs  under three-star storage conditions (the 
food-freezer compartment); 
(7) ‘frozen-food storage cabinet’ means a re frigerating appliance with one or more 
compartments suitable for the storage of frozen foodstuffs; 
(8) ‘food freezer’ means a refrigerating app liance with one or more compartments 
suitable for freezing foodstuffs with temper atures ranging from ambient temperature 
down to -18  °C, and which is also suitable for th e storage of frozen foodstuffs under 
three-star storage conditions ; a food freezer may also includ e two-star sections and/or 
compartments within the compartment or cabinet;  
(9) ‘wine storage appliance’ means a refrig erating appliance that  has no compartment 
other than one or more wine storage compartments; 
(10) ‘multi-use appliance’ means a refrigerat ing appliance that has no compartment other 
than one or more multi-use compartments; 
(11) ‘equivalent refrigeratin g appliance’ means a model pl aced on the market with the 
same gross and storage volumes, same technical, efficiency and performance characteristics, and same compartment type s as another refrigerating appliance model 
placed on the market under a different commercial code number by the same manufacturer. 
Additional definitions for the purpose of A nnexes II to VI are set out in Annex I. 
Article 3 
Ecodesign requirements 
The generic ecodesign requirements for household re frigerating appliances within the scope of 
this Regulation are set out in Annex II, poi nt 1. The specific ecodesign requirements for 
household refrigerating appliances within the scope of this Regulation are set out in Annex II, 
point 2. 
 
Article 4 
Conformity assessment 
1. The conformity assessment procedure re ferred to in Article 8 of Directive 
2005/32/EC shall be the internal  design control system set out in Annex IV of that 
Directive or the management system se t out in Annex V of  that Directive. 
2. For the purposes of conformity assessm ent pursuant to Article 8 of Directive 
2005/32/EC, the technical documentation file  shall contain a copy of the product 
information provided in accordance with A nnex III, point 2, and the results of the 
calculations set out in Anne x IV of this Regulation. EN 6   EN Where the information included in the t echnical documentation for a particular 
household refrigerating appliance model has been obtained by calculation on the basis 
of design, or extrapolation from other equi valent household refrig erating appliances, 
or both, the documentation shall include detail s of such calculations  or extrapolations, 
or both, and of tests undertaken by manuf acturers to verify the accuracy of the 
calculations undertaken. In such cases, the technical documentation shall also include 
a list of all other equivalent household re frigerating appliance models where the 
information included in the technical docum entation was obtained on the same basis. 
Article 5 
Verification procedure for market surveillance purposes 
When performing the market surveillance checks referred to in Article 3(2) of Directive 
2005/32/EC for the requirements set out in Anne x II of this Regulation, the Member State 
authorities shall apply the verification proce dure described in Annex V of this Regulation. 
Article 6 
Benchmarks 
The indicative benchmarks for best-performi ng household refrigerating appliances available 
on the market at the time of entry into for ce of this Regulation ar e set out in Annex VI. 
Article 7 
Revision 
The Commission shall review th is Regulation in the light of  technological progress no later 
than five years after its entry in to force and present the result of this review to the Ecodesign 
Consultation Forum. The review shall in particular assess the ve rification tolerances of Annex 
V and the possibilities for removing or reducing th e values of the correc tion factors of Annex 
IV. 
The Commission shall assess the need to a dopt specific ecodesign requirements for wine 
storage appliances no later than  two years after the entry into  force of this Regulation. 
Article 8 
Repeal 
Directive 96/57/EC is re pealed from 1 July 2010. 
Article 9 
Entry into force 
1. This Regulation shall enter into force on  the twentieth day following that of its 
publication in the Official J ournal of the European Union. 
2. The generic ecodesign requirements set out in  point 1(1) of Annex II shall apply from 
1 July 2010. 
The generic ecodesign requirements set out in point 1(2) of Annex II shall apply from 
1 July 2013. 
The specific ecodesign requirements for the En ergy Efficiency Index set out in point 
2 of Annex II shall apply in accordance with the timetable set out in Tables 1 and 2 of 
Annex II.  EN 7   EN 3. This Regulation shall be binding in its entire ty and directly applicable in all Member 
States. 
Done at Brussels, […]  
 For the Commission 
 Member of the Commission EN 8   EN LIST OF ANNEXES  
Annex I: Definitions applicable fo r the purposes of Annexes II to VI 
Annex II: Ecodesign requirements 
Point 1: Generic ecodesign requirements Point 2: Specific ecodesign requirements 
Annex III: Measurements  
Point 1: General conditions for testing Point 2: Technical parameters 
Annex IV: Method for calculating the maximu m allowable Energy E fficiency Index  
Point 1: Classification of house hold refrigerating appliances  
Point 2: Calculation of the Equivalent Volume Point 3: Calculation of the Energy Efficiency Index 
Annex V: Verification procedure fo r market surveillance purposes  
Annex VI: Benchmarks EN 9   EN ANNEX I  
Definitions applicable for th e purposes of Annexes II to VI   
For the purpose of Annexes II to VI, th e following definitions shall apply: 
(a) ‘other-type refrigerating appliances’ means a refrigerating appliance in which 
refrigeration is effected by any other technology or process than compression or 
absorption-types; 
(b) ‘frost-free system’ means a system auto matically operated to prevent the permanent 
formation of frost, where cooling is provide d by forced air circul ation, the evaporator 
or evaporators are defrosted by an automatic defrost system, and the water from 
defrosting is disposed of automatically;  
(c) ‘frost-free compartment’ means any comp artment defrosted by a frost-free system; 
(d) ‘built-in appliance’ means a fixed refriger ating appliance intended to be installed in a 
cabinet, in a prepared recess in a wall or  similar location, a nd requiring furniture 
finishing; 
(e) ‘refrigerator-cellar’ means a refrigerat ing appliance where at least one fresh-food 
storage compartment and one cellar compartm ent, but no frozen-food storage, chill or 
ice making compartments,  are present; 
(f) ‘cellar’ means a refrigerating appliance where only one or more cellar compartments 
are present; 
(g) ‘refrigerator-chiller’ means a refrigerati ng appliance where at least a fresh-food 
storage compartment and a chill comp artment, but no frozen-food storage 
compartments, are present; 
(h) ‘compartments’ means any of the comp artments listed in points (i) to (p); 
(i) ‘fresh-food storage compartment’ means a compartment designed for the storage of 
unfrozen foodstuffs, which may itself be  divided into sub-compartments; 
(j) ‘cellar compartment’ means a compartment intended for the storage of particular 
foodstuffs or beverages at a temperature wa rmer than that of a fresh-food storage 
compartment; 
(k) ‘chill compartment’ means a compartment intended specifically for the storage of 
highly perishable foodstuffs; 
(l) ‘ice-making compartment’ means a low-temperature compartment intended 
specifically for the freezing and storage of ice; 
(m) ‘frozen-food storage compartment’ mean s a low-temperature compartment intended 
specifically for the storage of frozen foodstuffs and classified according to 
temperature as follows:  
(i) ‘one-star compartment’: a frozen-f ood storage compartment in which the 
temperature is not warmer than -6  °C, 
(ii) ‘two-star compartment’: a frozen -food storage compartment in which the 
temperature is not warmer than -12  °C, 
(iii) ‘three-star compartment’: a frozen -food storage compartment in which the 
temperature is not warmer than -18  °C, 
(iv) ‘food freezer compartment’ (or ‘fou r-star compartment’): a compartment 
suitable for freezing at least 4.5 kg of foodstuffs per 100 l of storage volume, EN 10   EN and in no case less than 2 kg, from ambient temperature down to -18  °C over a 
period of 24 hours, which is  also suitable for the st orage of frozen food under 
three-star storage conditions, and may include two-star sections within the 
compartment, 
(v) ‘0-star compartment’: a frozen-fo od storage compartment in which the 
temperature is <0  °C and which can also be used for the freezing and storage of 
ice but is not intended for the stor age of highly perishable foodstuffs; 
(n) ‘wine storage compartment’ means a comp artment exclusively designed either for 
short-term wine storage to bring wines to the ideal drinking temperature or for long-
term wine storage to allow wine to mature, with the following features: 
(i) continuous storage temperature, either  pre-set or set manually according to the 
manufacturer’s in structions, in th e range from +5  °C to +20  °C, 
(ii) storage temperature(s) within a variation over time of less than 0.5 K at each 
declared ambient temperature specified  by the climate class for household 
refrigerating appliances, 
(iii) active or passive control of the co mpartment humidity in the range from 50  % to 
80 %, 
(iv) constructed to reduce th e transmission of vibration to the compartment, whether 
from the refrigerator compressor or from any external source; 
(o) ‘multi-use compartment’ means a compartment intended for use at two or more of the 
temperatures of the compartment types and capable of being set by the end-user to 
continuously maintain the operating temp erature range applicable to each 
compartment type according to the manuf acturer’s instructions; however, where a 
feature can shift temperatures in a compar tment to a different operating temperature 
range for a period of limited duration only  (such as a fast-freeze facility) the 
compartment is not a ‘multi-use compar tment’ as defined by this Regulation; 
(p) ‘other compartment’ means a compartment,  other than a wine storage compartment, 
intended for the storage of particular foods tuffs at a temperature warmer than +14  °C; 
(q) ‘two-star section’ means part of a food- freezer, a food-freezer compartment, a three-
star compartment or  a three-star frozen-food storage cabinet which does not have its 
own individual access door or lid and in wh ich the temperature is not warmer than -
12 °C; 
(r) ‘chest freezer’, means a food freezer in wh ich the compartment(s) is accessible from 
the top of the appliance or which has both top-opening type and upright type 
compartments but where the gross volume of  the top-opening t ype compartment(s) 
exceeds 75  % of the total gross volu me of the appliance; 
(s) ‘top-opening type’ or ‘chest type’ m eans a refrigerating appliance with its 
compartment(s) accessible from the top of the appliance; 
(t) ‘upright type’ means a refrigerating appliance with its compartment(s) accessible 
from the front of the appliance;  
(u) ‘fast freeze’ means a reversible feature to  be activated by the end-user according to 
the manufacturer’s instructions, which d ecreases the storage temperature of the 
freezer or freezer compartment to achieve a faster freezing of unfrozen foodstuffs; EN 11   EN ANNEX II  
Ecodesign requirements for household refrigerating appliances  
1. G ENERIC ECODESIGN REQUIREMENTS  
(1) From 1 July 2010:  
(a) For wine storage appliances, the follow ing information shall be displayed in the 
instruction booklet provid ed by manufacturers: ‘ This appliance is intended to  
be used exclusively for the storage of wine ’.  
(b) For household refrigerating appliances , information shall be provided in the 
instruction booklet provided by manufacturers concerning:  
– the combination of drawers, baskets and sh elves that result in the most efficient 
use of energy for the appliance; and 
– how to minimize the energy consumption of  the household refrigerating appliance 
in the use-phase.  
(2) From 1 July 2013: 
(a) The fast freezing facility, or any sim ilar function achieved through modification 
of the thermostat settings, in freezer s and freezer compartments, shall, once 
activated by the end-user according to the manufacturer’s instructions, automatically revert to the previous nor mal storage temperature conditions after 
no more than 72 hours. This requirement does not apply to refrigerator-freezers 
with one thermostat and one comp ressor which are equipped with an 
electromechanical control board.  
(b) Refrigerator-freezers with one thermostat and one compressor which are 
equipped with an electronic control board and can be used in ambient 
temperatures below +16
 °C according to the manufactur er’s instructions shall be 
such that any winter setting switch or  similar function guaranteeing the correct 
frozen-food storage temperature is automatically operated according to the ambient temperature where the appliance is installed. 
(c) Household refrigerating appliances w ith a storage volume below 10 litres shall 
automatically enter in an operating cond ition with a power consumption of 0.00 
Watt after no more than 1 hour when empt y. The mere presence of a hard off 
switch shall not be considered suffici ent to fulfil this requirement.  
2. S
PECIFIC ECODESIGN REQUIREMENTS  
Household refrigerating appliances within the scope of this Regulation with a storage volume 
equal to or higher than 10 litres shall comply with the energy efficiency index limits in Tables 1 and 2.  
The specific ecodesign requirements in Ta bles 1 and 2 shall not apply to:  
– wine storage appliances; or  
– absorption-type refrigerating appliances and Other-type refrigerating appliances 
belonging to Categories 4 to 9 as  set out in A nnex IV, Point 1. 
The Energy Efficiency Index ( EEI) of household refrigerating a ppliances is calculated in 
accordance with the procedure described in Annex IV. EN 12   EN Table 1: Compression-type refrigerating appliances  
Application date Energy Efficiency Index ( EEI) 
1 July 2010 EEI < 55 
1 July 2012 EEI < 44 
1 July 2014 EEI < 42 
 
Table 2: Absorption-type and Other -type refrigerating appliances  
Application date Energy Efficiency Index ( EEI) 
1 July 2010 EEI < 150 
1 July 2012 EEI < 125 
1 July 2015 EEI < 110 
 EN 13   EN ANNEX III  
Measurements  
For the purposes of compliance with the requireme nts of this Regulation, measurements shall 
be made using a reliable, accurate and reprodu cible measurement procedure that takes into 
account the generally recognised state of the art measurement methods, including methods set 
out in documents the reference numbers of whic h have been published for that purpose in the 
Official Journal of the European Union.  
1. G ENERAL CONDITIONS FOR TESTING  
The following general conditions for testing apply: 
(1) if anti-condensation heaters that can be switched on and off by the end-user are 
provided, they shall be switche d on and — if adjustable — set at maximum heating;  
(2) if ‘through-the-door devices’ (such as ice or chilled water/drinks dispensers) which 
can be switched on and off by the end-user  are provided, they shall be switched on 
during the energy consumption measurement but not operated;  
(3) for multi-use appliances and compartments, the storage temperature during the 
measurement of energy consumption shall be  the nominal temperature of the coldest 
compartment type as claimed for cont inuous normal use according to the 
manufacturer’s instructions; 
(4) the energy consumption of a refrigerating ap pliance shall be determined in the coldest 
configuration, according to th e manufacturer’s instructions  for continuous normal use 
for any ‘other compartment’ as defined in Annex IV, Table 5. 
2. T ECHNICAL PARAMETERS  
The following parameters shall be established:  
(a) ‘overall dimensions’, which are measured to the nearest millimetre; (b) ‘overall space required in use’, which is measured to the nearest millimetre; (c) ‘total gross volumes(s)’, which is measured to the nearest whole number of cubic 
decimetres or litres; 
(d) ‘storage volume(s) and total storage volume(s)’, which is measured to the nearest 
whole number of cubic decimetres or of litres; 
(e) ‘defrosting type’ (f) ‘storage temperature’ (g) ‘energy consumption’ which is expressed in kilowatt hours per 24 hours (kWh/24h), 
to three decimal places; 
(h) ‘temperature rise’; (i) ‘freezing capacity’; (j) ‘power consumption’, which is measured in Watts rounded to two decimal places; 
and 
(k) ‘wine storage compartment humidity’, whic h is expressed as a percentage rounded to 
the nearest integer. EN 14   EN ANNEX IV  
Method for calculating the Energy Efficiency Index  
1. C LASSIFICATION OF HOUSEHOLD REFRIGERATING APPLIANCES  
Household refrigerating appliances  are classified in categories as in Table 1. Each category is 
defined by the specific compartment composition as specified in Table 2 and is independent of 
the number of doors and/or drawers. 
Table 1: Household refrigerating appliances categories 
Category Designation 
1 Refrigerator with one or more  fresh-food storage compartments 
2 Refrigerator-cellar, Cellar and Wine storage appliances 
3 Refrigerator-chiller and Refrigerator with a 0-star compartment 
4 Refrigerator with a 1-star compartment 
5 Refrigerator with a 2-star compartment 
6 Refrigerator with a 3-star compartment 
7 Refrigerator-freezer  
8 Upright freezer 
9 Chest freezer 
10 Multi-use and other re frigerating appliances 
 
Household refrigerating appliances  that cannot be classified in  categories 1 to 9 because of 
compartment temperature are classified in category 10.  
EN 15   EN Table 2: Household refrigerating appliance cla ssification and relevant compartment composition 
Nominal temperature (for the EEI) (°C) Design T +12  +12 +5 0 0 -6  -12  -18 -18 
Compartment types Other Wine 
storage Cellar Fresh food  
storage  Chill 0star/ 
Ice making1 star 2 star 3 star 4 star Category 
(number) 
Appliance Category Compartments composition 
REFRIGERATOR WITH ONE OR 
MORE FRESH -FOOD STORAGE 
COMPARTMENTS  N N N Y N N N N N N 1 
O O O Y N N N N N N 
O O Y N N N N N N N REFRIGERATOR-CELLAR, CELLAR 
and WINE STORAGE APPLIANCE N Y N N N N N N N N 2 
O O O Y Y O N N N N REFRIGERATOR-CHILLER and  
REFRIGERATOR WITH A 0-STAR 
COMPARTMENT O O O Y O Y N N N N 3 
REFRIGERATOR WITH A 1-STAR 
COMPARTMENT O O O Y O O Y N N N 4 
REFRIGERATOR WITH A 2-STAR 
COMPARTMENT O O O Y O O O Y N N 5 
REFRIGERATOR WITH A 3-STAR 
COMPARTMENT O O O Y O O O O Y N 6 
REFRIGERATOR-FREEZER O O O Y O O O O O Y 7 
UPRIGHT FREEZER N N N N N N N O (Y)a Y 8 
CHEST FREEZER N N N N N N N O N Y 9 
MULTI-USE AND OTHER APPLIANCES O O O O O O O O O O 10 
Notes:  
Y = the compartment is present; N = the compartment is not  present; O = the presence of the compartment is optional; 
a) also includes 3-star frozen-food cabinets.  
EN 16   EN Household refrigerating appliances are classified  in one or more climat e classes as shown in 
Table 3 
Table 3: Climate classes 
Class Symbol Ambient average temperature 
°C 
Extended temperate SN + 10 to +32 
Temperate N +16 to +32 
Subtropical ST +16 to +38 
Tropical T +16 to +43 
 
The refrigerating appliance shall be capable of  maintaining the required storage temperatures 
in the different compartments simultaneously an d within the permitted temperature deviations 
(during the defrost cycle) as defined in Ta ble 4 for the different types of household 
refrigerating appliances and for th e appropriate climate classes.  
Multi-use appliances and/or compartments shall be capable of maintaining the required 
storage temperatures of the different compartm ent types where these temperatures can be set 
by the end-user according to th e manufacturer’s instructions. 
Table 4: Storage temperatures 
Storage temperatures (°C) 
Other 
compartment Wine storage 
compartment Cellar 
compartment Fresh-food  
storage 
compartment Chill 
compartment One-star 
compartment 
 Two-star 
compartment/
section Food freezer  
and three-star 
compartment
/cabinet 
tom t wma t cm t 1m, t2m, 
t3m, tma tcc t* t** t*** 
>+14 +5≤ 
twma≤+20 +8≤tcm ≤+14 0≤t1m, t2m, 
t3m≤ +8; 
tma≤+4 -2 ≤ tcc ≤+3 ≤ -6 ≤ -12 a ≤ -18 a 
Notes:  
─ tom: storage temperature of the other compartment  
─ twma: storage temperature of the wine storag e compartment with a variation of 0.5K 
─ tcm: storage temperature of the cellar compartment 
─t1m, t2m, t3m: storage temperatures of the fresh-food compartment 
─ tma: average storage temperature of  the fresh-food compartment  
─ tcc: instantaneous storage temperature of the chill compartment 
─ t*, t**, t***: maximum temperatures of  the frozen-food storage compartments 
─ storage temperature for the ice-making compartment and for the ‘0 star’ compartment is below 0 °C  
a) for frost-free household refrigerating appliances during the defrost cycle, a temperature deviation of no more 
than 3 K during a period of 4 hours or 20 % of the duration of the operating cycle, whichever is the shorter, is 
allowed 
2. C ALCULATION OF THE EQUIVALENT VOLUME  
The equivalent volume of a househ old refrigerating appliance is  the sum of the equivalent 
volumes of all compartments. It is calculated in litres and rounded to the nearest integer as: 
BI CC FFTV Vnc
ccc
c eq ××⎥⎦⎤
⎢⎣⎡×−×=∑=
=1 20) 25(
 
where:   
EN 17   EN – n is the number of compartments 
– Vc is the storage volume of the compartment(s)  
– Tc is the nominal temperature of the compartment(s) as set out in Table 2 
–  
20) 25(cT−
 is the thermodynamic factor as set in Table 5 
– FFc, CC and BI are volume correction fact ors as set out in Table 6 
The thermodynamic correction factor  
20) 25(cT−
 is the temperature difference between the 
nominal temperature of a compartment Tc (defined in Table 2) a nd the ambient temperature 
under standard test conditions at +25 °C, expressed as a ratio of the same difference for a 
fresh-food compartment at +5 °C. 
The thermodynamic factors for the compartments de scribed in Annex I, points (i) to (p), are 
set out in Table 5.  
Table 5: Thermodynamic factors for refrigerating appliance compartments 
Compartment Nominal 
temperature (25-Tc)/20 
Other compartment Design 
temperature  
20) 25(cT−
 
Cellar compartment / Wine storage compartment +12  °C 0.65 
Fresh-food storage compartment +5  °C 1.00 
Chill compartment 0  °C 1.25 
Ice-making compartment and 0-star compartment 0  °C 1.25 
One-star compartment  -6 °C 1.55 
Two-star compartment  -12 °C 1.85 
Three-star compartment -18  °C 2.15 
Food freezer compartment (fou r-star compartment) -18  °C 2.15 
Notes:  
(i) for multi-use compartments, the thermodynamic factor is determined by the 
nominal temperature as given in Tabl e 2 of the coldest compartment type 
capable of being set by the end-user and maintained continuously according to the manufacturer’s instructions; 
(ii) for any two-star section (within a freezer) the thermodynamic factor is 
determined at T
c = -12  °C; 
(iii) for other compartments the thermodyna mic factor is determined by the coldest 
design temperature capable of being set by the end-user and maintained 
continuously according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 
Table 6: Value of the correction factors  
Correction factor Value Conditions 
1.2 For frost-free frozen-food storage compartments FF (Frost-free) 1 Otherwise 
CC (climate class) 1.2 For T cl ass (tropical) appliances  
EN 18   EN 1.1 For ST class (subtropical) appliances 
1 Otherwise 
1.2 For built-in appliances under 58 cm in width BI (built-in) 1 Otherwise 
Notes:  
(i) FF is the volume correction factor for frost-free compartments. 
(ii) CC is the volume correction factor for a given climate class. If a refrigerating 
appliance is classified in more than one climate class, the climate class with the 
highest correction factor is used for the calculation of the e quivalent volume.  
(iii) BI is the volume correction fact or for built-in appliances. 
3. C ALCULATION OF THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY INDEX  
For the calculation of the Energy Efficiency Index ( EEI), of a household refrigerating 
appliance model, the Annual Ener gy Consumption of the househol d refrigerating appliance is 
compared to its Standard Annual Energy Consumption. 
(1) The Energy Efficiency Index ( EEI) is calculated and rounded to the first decimal 
place, as:  
  
where:  
– AEC = Annual Energy Consumption of the household refrigerating appliance 
– SAE C = Standard Annual Energy Consump tion of the household refrigerating 
appliance.  
(2) The Annual Energy Consumption ( AEC) is calculated in kW h/year and rounded to 
two decimal places, as: 
 36524×=h CE AE 
where: 
– E24h is the energy consumption of the household refrigerating appliance in 
kWh/24h and rounded to three decimal places.  
(3) The Standard Annual Energy Consumption ( SAE C) is calculated in kWh/year and 
rounded to two decimal places, as:  
  CHN M V SAEeq C ++×= 
where: 
– Veq is the equivalent volume of th e household refrigerating appliance 
– CH is equal to 50 kWh/year for household refrigerating appliances with a chill 
compartment with a storage volume of at least 15 litres 
– the M and N values are given in Table 7 for each household refrigerating 
appliance category   
EN 19   EN Table 7: M and N values by household refrigerating appliance category 
Category M N 
1 0.233 245 
2 0.233 245 
3 0.233 245 
4 0.643 191 
5 0.450 245 
6 0.777 303 
7 0.777 303 
8 0.539 315 
9 0.472 286 
10 * * 
Note: 
* for Category 10 household refr igerating appliances the M and N values depend on the 
temperature and star rating of the compartment w ith the lowest storage temperature capable of 
being set by the end-user and maintained continuously according to the manufacturer’s 
instructions. When only an ‘other compartment’ as defined in Table 2 and Annex I, point (p), 
is present, the M and N values for Category 1 are use d. Appliances with three-star 
compartments or food-freezer compartments ar e considered to be refrigerator-freezers.  
EN 20   EN ANNEX V  
Verification procedure for ma rket surveillance purposes  
For the purposes of checking conformity with  the requirements laid down in Annex II, 
Member State authorities shall test a single hou sehold refrigerating applia nce. If the measured 
parameters do not meet the values declared by the manufacturer, in acc ordance with Article 
4(2), within the range defined in Table 1, th e measurements shall be carried out on three 
additional household refrigerating appliances. Th e arithmetic mean of the measured values of 
these three additional household refrigerating appliances sha ll meet the requirements laid 
down in Annex II within the range defined in Table 1.  
Otherwise, the model and all other equivalent household refrigerating ap pliance models shall 
be considered not to comply.  
Table 1  
Measured parameter Verification tolerances 
Rated gross volume The measured value shall not be less than the 
rated value* by more than 3  % or 1 l, 
whichever is the greater value. 
Rated storage volume The measured va lue shall not be less than the 
rated value by more than 3  % or 1 l, 
whichever is the greater value. Where the volumes of the cellar compartment and fresh food storage compartment are adjustable, relative to one anothe r by the user, this 
measurement uncertainty applies when the cellar compartment is adjusted to its minimum volume. 
Freezing capacity  The measured value shall not be less than the 
rated value by more than 10  %.  
Energy consumption The measured va lue shall not be greater than 
the rated value ( E24h) by more than 10  %.  
Power consumption of household 
refrigerating appliances with a storage volume below 10 litres The measured value shall not be greater than 
the limit value laid down in Annex II, point 1(2c), by more than 0.10 W at the 95
 % 
confidence level.  
Wine storage appliances  The valu e measured for the relative humidity 
shall not exceed the nominal range by more than 10
 %.  
* “rated value” means a value that is declared by the manufacturer 
In addition to the procedure set out in Annex III, Member States authorities shall use reliable, 
accurate and reproducible measurement procedur es, which take into account the generally 
recognised state of the art, in cluding methods set out in docum ents the reference numbers of 
which have been published for that purpose in the Official Journal of  the European Union.  
EN 21   EN ANNEX VI  
Indicative benchmarks for hous ehold refrigerating appliances  
At the time of entry into force of this Regula tion, the best available technology on the market 
for household refrigerating appliances in terms of their Energy Efficiency Index ( EEI) and 
noise was identified as follows. 
Refrigerators, compression-type :  
• EEI = 29.7 and an annual energy consumption of  115 kWh/year for a total storage volume 
of 300 litres in a fresh-food compartment pl us a 25-litres chill compartment, and T 
(tropical) climate class; 
• Noise: 33 dB(A). 
Refrigerators, absorption-type :  
• EEI = 97.2 and an annual energy consumption of 245 kWh/year for a total storage volume 
of 28 litres in a fresh-food compartment, and N (temperate) climatic class; 
• Noise ≈ 0 dB(A). 
Refrigerator-freezers, compression-type :  
• EEI = 28.0 and an annual energy consumption of  157 kWh/year for a total storage volume 
of 255 litres, of which 236 litres  in a fresh-food compartment and 19 litres in a four-star 
freezer compartment, and T (tropical) climate class; 
• Noise = 33 dB(A). 
Upright freezers, compression-type :  
• EEI = 29.3 and an annual energy consumption of  172 kWh/year for a total storage volume 
of 195 litres in a four-star freezer compar tment, and T (tropical) climate class; 
• Noise = 35 dB(A). 
Chest freezers, compression-type :  
• EEI = 27.4 and an annual energy consumption of  153 kWh/year for a total storage volume 
of 223 litres in a four-star freezer compar tment, and T (tropical) climate class; 
• Noise =37 dB(A).