COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 643/2009

of 22 July 2009

implementing Directive 2005/32/EC of the European 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 establishing the European 

Community,

Having regard to Directive 2005/32/EC of the European 

Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2005 establishing a 

framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energyusing products and amending Council Directive 92/42/EEC and 

Directives 96/57/EC and 2000/55/EC of the European 

Parliament and of the Council (1), and in particular 

Article 15(1) thereof,

After consulting the Ecodesign Consultation Forum,

Whereas:

(1) Directive 96/57/EC of the European Parliament and of 

the Council of 3 September 1996 on energy efficiency 

requirements for household electric refrigerators, freezers 

and combinations thereof (2) lays down provisions 

regarding 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been applicable since 1999, are now outdated.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 requirements 

should be set by the Commission for energy-using 

products representing significant volumes of sales and 

trade, having significant environmental impact and presenting 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 

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 Ecodesign Consultation Forum, the Commission shall, as appropriate, 

introduce a new implementing measure for household 

refrigerating appliances repealing Directive 96/57/EC.

(4) The Commission has carried out a preparatory study to 

analyse the technical, environmental and economic 

aspects of refrigerating appliances typically used in 

households. The study has been developed together 

with stakeholders and interested parties from the 

Community and third countries, and the results have 

been made publicly available on the Commission’s 

website on EUROPA.

(5) The energy efficiency of absorption-type refrigerators and 

thermoelectric cooling refrigerating appliances, such as 

mini drink chillers, can be significantly improved. 

Those appliances should therefore be included in this 

Regulation.

(6) The environmental aspects identified as significant 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 requirements regarding 

other ecodesign parameters referred to in Annex I, Part 1, 

to Directive 2005/32/EC are not necessary.

(8) The annual electricity consumption of products subject 

to this Regulation in the Community was estimated to 

have been 122 TWh in 2005, corresponding to 56 

million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. While the projected 

energy consumption of household refrigerating 

appliances will decrease by 2020, this reduction is 

expected to slow as a result of outdated requirements 

and energy 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-proprietary cost-effective technologies that 

reduce the combined cost of purchasing 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 affect functionality from the end-user’s perspective and should not 

negatively affect health, safety or the environment. In 

particular, the benefits of reducing electricity 

consumption during the use phase should more than 

offset any additional environmental impacts during the 

production of products subject to this Regulation.

23.7.2009 Official Journal of the European Union L 191/53 EN

(

1) OJ L 191, 22.7.2005, p. 29.

(

2) OJ L 236, 18.9.1996, p. 36.
(12) The ecodesign requirements should be introduced 

gradually in order to provide a sufficient timeframe for 

manufacturers to re-design 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 the objectives of this 

Regulation.

(13) Conformity assessment and measurements of the relevant 

product parameters should be performed using reliable, 

accurate and reproducible measurement methods, which 

take into account the generally recognised state of the art 

measurement methods including where available, 

harmonised standards adopted by the European standardisation bodies, as listed in Annex I to Directive 98/34/EC 

of the European Parliament and of the Council of 

22 June 1998 laying down a procedure for the 

provision of information in the field of technical 

standards and regulations and of rules on Information 

Society services (1).

(14) In accordance with Article 8 of Directive 2005/32/EC, 

this Regulation 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 to Directive 

2005/32/EC insofar as this information relates to the 

requirements laid down in this Regulation.

(16) In addition to the legally binding requirements laid down 

in this Regulation, indicative benchmarks for best 

available technologies should be identified to ensure the 

wide availability and accessibility of information on the 

life-cycle environmental performance of products subject 

to this Regulation.

(17) Directive 96/57/EC should therefore be repealed.

(18) The measures provided for in this Regulation 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 establishes ecodesign requirements for the 

placing on the market of electric mains-operated household 

refrigerating appliances with a storage volume up to 1 500 

litres.

2. This Regulation shall apply to electric mains-operated 

household 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-operated household refrigerating appliances that can be battery-operated.

3. This Regulation shall not apply to:

(a) refrigerating appliances that are primarily powered by 

energy sources other than electricity, such as liquefied 

petroleum gas (LPG), kerosene 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, made 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 icemakers or chilled drinks dispensers.

Article 2

Definitions

In addition to the definitions set out in Directive 2005/32/EC, 

the following definitions shall apply:

1. ‘foodstuffs’ means food, ingredients, beverages, including 

wine, and other items primarily intended for consumption 

which require refrigeration at specified temperatures;

2. ‘household refrigerating 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;

3. ‘refrigerator’ means a refrigerating appliance intended for 

the preservation of foodstuffs with at least one 

compartment suitable for the storage of fresh food and/or 

beverages, including wine;

L 191/54 Official Journal of the European Union 23.7.2009 EN

(

1) OJ L 204, 21.7.1998, p. 37.
4. ‘compression-type refrigerating appliance’ means a 

refrigerating appliance in which refrigeration is effected 

by means 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 refrigerating 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 refrigerating 

appliance with one or more compartments suitable for 

the storage of frozen foodstuffs;

8. ‘food freezer’ means a refrigerating appliance with one or 

more compartments suitable for freezing foodstuffs with 

temperatures ranging from ambient temperature down to 

– 18 °C, and which is also suitable for the storage of frozen 

foodstuffs under three-star storage conditions; a food 

freezer may also include two-star sections and/or 

compartments within the compartment or cabinet;

9. ‘wine storage appliance’ means a refrigerating appliance that 

has no compartment other than one or more wine storage 

compartments;

10. ‘multi-use appliance’ means a refrigerating appliance that 

has no compartment other than one or more multi-use 

compartments;

11. ‘equivalent refrigerating appliance’ means a model placed 

on the market with the same gross and storage volumes, 

same technical, efficiency and performance characteristics, 

and same compartment types 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 Annexes II to VI are 

set out in Annex I.

Article 3

Ecodesign requirements

The generic ecodesign requirements for household refrigerating 

appliances within the scope of this Regulation are set out in 

Annex II, point 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 referred to in 

Article 8 of Directive 2005/32/EC shall be the internal design 

control system set out in Annex IV to that Directive or the 

management system set out in Annex V to that Directive.

2. For the purposes of conformity assessment 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 Annex III, point 2, and the results of the 

calculations set out in Annex IV to this Regulation.

Where the information included in the technical documentation 

for a particular household refrigerating appliance model has 

been obtained by calculation on the basis of design, or extrapolation from other equivalent household refrigerating 

appliances, or both, the documentation shall include details of 

such calculations or extrapolations, or both, and of tests 

undertaken by manufacturers to verify the accuracy of the 

calculations undertaken. In such cases, the technical documentation shall also include a list of all other equivalent household 

refrigerating appliance models where the information included 

in the technical documentation 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 Annex II to this Regulation, the Member State authorities 

shall apply the verification procedure described in Annex V to 

this Regulation.

Article 6

Benchmarks

The indicative benchmarks for best-performing household 

refrigerating appliances available on the market at the time of 

entry into force of this Regulation are set out in Annex VI.

Article 7

Revision

The Commission shall review this Regulation in the light of 

technological progress no later than five years after its entry 

into force and present the result of this review to the 

Ecodesign Consultation Forum. The review shall in particular 

assess the verification tolerances of Annex V and the possibilities for removing or reducing the values of the correction 

factors of Annex IV.

The Commission shall assess the need to adopt specific 

ecodesign requirements for wine storage appliances no later 

than two years after the entry into force of this Regulation.

23.7.2009 Official Journal of the European Union L 191/55 EN
Article 8

Repeal

Directive 96/57/EC is repealed from 1 July 2010.

Article 9

Entry into force

1. This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day 

following its publication in the Official Journal 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 Energy 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.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 22 July 2009.

For the Commission

Andris PIEBALGS

Member of the Commission

L 191/56 Official Journal of the European Union 23.7.2009 EN
ANNEX I

Definitions applicable for the purposes of Annexes II to VI

For the purpose of Annexes II to VI, the 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 automatically operated to prevent the permanent formation of frost, where cooling 

is provided by forced air circulation, 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 compartment defrosted by a frost-free system;

(d) ‘built-in appliance’ means a fixed refrigerating appliance intended to be installed in a cabinet, in a prepared recess in a

wall or similar location, and requiring furniture finishing;

(e) ‘refrigerator-cellar’ means a refrigerating appliance where at least one fresh-food storage compartment and one cellar 

compartment, 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 refrigerating appliance where at least a fresh-food storage compartment and a chill 

compartment, but no frozen-food storage compartments, are present;

(h) ‘compartments’ means any of the compartments 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 warmer 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’ means 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-food 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 ‘four-star compartment’): a compartment suitable for freezing at least 4,5 kg of 

foodstuffs per 100 l of storage volume, 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 storage of frozen food under three-star storage 

conditions, and may include two-star sections within the compartment;

(v) ‘0-star compartment’: a frozen-food 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 storage of highly perishable foodstuffs;

23.7.2009 Official Journal of the European Union L 191/57 EN
(n) ‘wine storage compartment’ means a compartment 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 instructions, in 

the 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 compartment humidity in the range from 50 % to 80 %;

(iv) constructed to reduce the 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 temperature 

range applicable to each compartment type according to the manufacturer’s instructions; however, where a feature 

can shift temperatures in a compartment 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 compartment’ as defined by this Regulation;

(p) ‘other compartment’ means a compartment, other than a wine storage compartment, intended for the storage of 

particular foodstuffs 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 which the temperature 

is not warmer than – 12 °C;

(r) ‘chest freezer’, means a food freezer in which 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 type 

compartment(s) exceeds 75 % of the total gross volume of the appliance;

(s) ‘top-opening type’ or ‘chest type’ means 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 decreases the storage temperature of the freezer or freezer compartment to achieve a faster freezing of 

unfrozen foodstuffs.

L 191/58 Official Journal of the European Union 23.7.2009 EN
ANNEX II

Ecodesign requirements for household refrigerating appliances

1. GENERIC ECODESIGN REQUIREMENTS

1. From 1 July 2010:

(a) For wine storage appliances, the following information shall be displayed in the instruction booklet provided 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 shelves that result in the most efficient use of energy for the 

appliance, and

— how to minimise the energy consumption of the household refrigerating appliance in the use-phase.

2. From 1 July 2013:

(a) The fast freezing facility, or any similar function achieved through modification of the thermostat settings, in 

freezers and freezer compartments, shall, once activated by the end-user according to the manufacturer’s 

instructions, automatically revert to the previous normal storage temperature conditions after no more than 

72 hours. This requirement does not apply to refrigerator-freezers with one thermostat and one compressor 

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 manufacturer’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 with a storage volume below 10 litres shall automatically enter in an 

operating condition with a power consumption of 0,00 Watt after no more than 1 hour when empty. The 

mere presence of a hard off switch shall not be considered sufficient to fulfil this requirement.

2. SPECIFIC 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 Tables 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 Annex IV, point 1.

The Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) of household refrigerating appliances is calculated in accordance with the procedure 

described in Annex IV.

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

23.7.2009 Official Journal of the European Union L 191/59 EN
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

L 191/60 Official Journal of the European Union 23.7.2009 EN
ANNEX III

Measurements

For the purposes of compliance with the requirements of this Regulation, measurements shall be made using a reliable, 

accurate and reproducible 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 which have been published 

for that purpose in the Official Journal of the European Union.

1. GENERAL 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 switched 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 continuous 

normal use according to the manufacturer’s instructions;

4. the energy consumption of a refrigerating appliance shall be determined in the coldest configuration, according to 

the manufacturer’s instructions for continuous normal use for any ‘other compartment’ as defined in Annex IV, 

Table 5.

2. TECHNICAL 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’, which is expressed as a percentage rounded to the nearest integer.

23.7.2009 Official Journal of the European Union L 191/61 EN
ANNEX IV

Method for calculating the Energy Efficiency Index

1. CLASSIFICATION 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 refrigerating appliances

Household refrigerating appliances that cannot be classified in categories 1 to 9 because of compartment temperature are classified in Category 10.

Table 2

Household refrigerating appliance classification and relevant compartment composition

Nominal temperature (for the EEI) (°C) Design 

T + 12 + 12 + 5 0 0 – 6 – 12 – 18 – 18

Category 

(number)

Compartment types Other Wine 

storage

Cellar

Fresh 

food 

storage

Chill 0-star/Ice 

making 1-star 2-star 3-star 4-star

Appliance Category Compartments composition

REFRIGERATOR WITH ONE OR MORE FRESH-FOOD 

STORAGE COMPARTMENTS

N N N Y N N N N N N 1

REFRIGERATOR-CELLAR, CELLAR AND WINE STORAGE 

APPLIANCE

O O O Y N N N N N N 2

O O Y N N N N N N N

N Y N N N N N N N N

REFRIGERATOR-CHILLER AND REFRIGERATOR WITH A 

0-STAR COMPARTMENT

O O O Y Y O N N N N 3

O O O Y O Y N N N N

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.

L 191/62 Official Journal of the European Union 23.7.2009 EN
Household refrigerating appliances are classified in one or more climate 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 and 

within the permitted temperature deviations (during the defrost cycle) as defined in Table 4 for the different types of household refrigerating 

appliances and for the appropriate climate classes.

Multi-use appliances and/or compartments shall be capable of maintaining the required storage temperatures of the different compartment types 

where these temperatures can be set by the end-user according to the 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 twma tcm t1m, 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 storage compartment with a variation of 0,5 K 

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. CALCULATION OF THE EQUIVALENT VOLUME

The equivalent volume of a household refrigerating appliance is the sum of the equivalent volumes of all compartments. It is calculated in litres and 

rounded to the nearest integer as:

Veq 1⁄4

Ï Xc1⁄4n 

c1⁄41

Vc Ü ð25 – TcÞ

20 Ü FFc

Ð

Ü CC Ü BI

23.7.2009 Official Journal of the European Union L 191/63 EN
where:

— 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

— ð25 – TcÞ

20 is the thermodynamic factor as set in Table 5

— FFc, CC and BI are volume correction factors as set out in Table 6.

The thermodynamic correction factor ð25 – TcÞ

20 is the temperature difference between the nominal temperature of a compartment Tc (defined in Table 

2) and 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 described 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

ð25 – TcÞ

20

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 (four-star compartment) – 18 °C 2,15

Notes:

(i) for multi-use compartments, the thermodynamic factor is determined by the nominal temperature as given in Table 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 Tc = – 12 °C;

(iii) for other compartments the thermodynamic 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.

L 191/64 Official Journal of the European Union 23.7.2009 EN
Table 6

Value of the correction factors

Correction factor Value Conditions

FF (Frost-free) 1,2 For frost-free frozen-food storage compartments

1 Otherwise

CC (climate class) 1,2 For T class (tropical) appliances

1,1 For ST class (subtropical) appliances

1 Otherwise

BI (built-in) 1,2 For built-in appliances under 58 cm in width

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 equivalent volume.

(iii) BI is the volume correction factor for built-in appliances.

3. CALCULATION OF THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY INDEX

For the calculation of the Energy Efficiency Index (EEI), of a household refrigerating appliance model, the Annual Energy Consumption of the 

household 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:

EEI 1⁄4 AEc

SAEc

Ü 100

where:

— AEC = Annual Energy Consumption of the household refrigerating appliance

— SAEC = Standard Annual Energy Consumption of the household refrigerating appliance.

2. The Annual Energy Consumption (AEC) is calculated in kWh/year and rounded to two decimal places, as:

AEc = E24h × 365

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 (SAEC) is calculated in kWh/year and rounded to two decimal places, as:

SAEc = Veq × M + N + CH

where:

— Veq is the equivalent volume of the household refrigerating appliance

23.7.2009 Official Journal of the European Union L 191/65 EN
— 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.

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 refrigerating appliances the M and N values depend on the temperature and star rating of the compartment with 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 used. Appliances with three-star compartments or food-freezer 

compartments are considered to be refrigerator-freezers.

L 191/66 Official Journal of the European Union 23.7.2009 EN
ANNEX V

Verification procedure for market surveillance purposes

For the purposes of checking conformity with the requirements laid down in Annex II, Member State authorities shall test 

a single household refrigerating appliance. If the measured parameters do not meet the values declared by the manufacturer, in accordance with Article 4(2), within the range defined in Table 1, the measurements shall be carried out on 

three additional household refrigerating appliances. The arithmetic mean of the measured values of these three additional 

household refrigerating appliances shall meet the requirements laid down in Annex II within the range defined in Table 1.

Otherwise, the model and all other equivalent household refrigerating appliance 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 value 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 another 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 value 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 value 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 procedures, which take into account the generally recognised state of the art, including methods set out in 

documents the reference numbers of which have been published for that purpose in the Official Journal of the European 

Union.

23.7.2009 Official Journal of the European Union L 191/67 EN
ANNEX VI

Indicative benchmarks for household refrigerating appliances

At the time of entry into force of this Regulation, 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 freshfood compartment plus 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 compartment, 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 compartment, and T (tropical) climate class,

— Noise = 37 dB(A).

L 191/68 Official Journal of the European Union 23.7.2009 EN