COMMISSION DECISION
of 21 May 2013
establishing the ecological criteria for the award of the EU Ecolabel for sanitary tapware
(notified under document C(2013) 2826)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2013/250/EU)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 on the EU Ecolabel (1), and in particular Article 8(2) thereof,
After consulting the European Union Eco-labelling Board,
Whereas:
(1)
Under Regulation (EC) No 66/2010, the EU Ecolabel may be awarded to products which have a reduced environmental impact during their entire life cycle.
(2)
Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 provides that specific EU Ecolabel criteria are to be established according to product groups.
(3)
Since the consumption of water and the related energy to heat the water contribute significantly to the overall environmental impacts of households and non-domestic premises, it is appropriate to establish EU Ecolabel criteria for the product group of ‘sanitary tapware’. The criteria should, in particular, promote water-efficient products which contribute to a reduction in the consumption of water and thereby also in the energy required for water heating.
(4)
The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established by Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No 66/2010,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
1. The product group ‘sanitary tapware’ shall comprise: household taps, showerheads and showers which are mainly used to derive water for personal hygiene, cleaning, cooking and drinking, including when they are marketed for non-domestic use.
2. The following products shall be excluded from the product group ‘sanitary tapware’:
(a)
bathtub taps;
(b)
double lever/handle showers;
(c)
non-domestic special purpose sanitary tapware.
Article 2
For the purpose of this Decision, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)
‘tap’ means a directly or indirectly, mechanically and/or automatically operated valve from which water is drawn;
(2)
‘showerhead’ means:
(a)
a fixed overhead or side shower outlet, body jet shower outlet or similar device which may be adjustable, and which directs water from a supply system onto the user; or
(b)
a moveable hand held shower outlet which is connected to a tap with a shower hose and can be hung directly on the tap or on the wall with the aid of an appropriate support;
(3)
‘shower’ means a combination of showerhead and interrelated control valves and/or devices packaged and sold as a kit;
(4)
‘double lever/handle shower’ means a shower equipped with separate levers or handles for the control of the supply of cold and hot water;
(5)
‘electric shower’ means a shower equipped with a device to locally heat water for the shower using electrical power;
(6)
‘non-domestic special purpose sanitary tapware’ means sanitary tapware which requires unrestricted water flow in order to fulfil the intended non-domestic function;
(7)
‘water flow limiting device’ means a technical device limiting water flow to a given volume and allowing a higher water flow only where activated by the user for a chosen period of time within a single use;
(8)
‘maximum available water flow rate’ means the highest available water flow rate from the system or individual fitting;
(9)
‘lowest maximum available water flow rate’ means the lowest water flow rate from the system or individual fitting available at full opening of the valve;
(10)
‘security technical feature’ means a device forming part of a sensor controlled sanitary tapware which is used to prevent continuous water flow by stopping the water supply after pre-set time even if there is a person or an object present within the sensor range.
Article 3
The criteria for awarding the EU Ecolabel under Regulation (EC) No 66/2010, for a product falling within the product group ‘sanitary tapware’ defined in Article 1 of this Decision, as well as the related assessment and verification requirements are set out in the Annex to this Decision.
Article 4
The criteria and the related assessment requirements set out in the Annex shall be valid for four years from the date of adoption of this Decision.
Article 5
For administrative purposes, the code number assigned to the product group ‘sanitary tapware’ shall be ‘x’.
Article 6
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 21 May 2013.