NoC49/32 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 24.2.92
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiveontheindicationbylabellingandstandard
productinformationoftheconsumptionofenergyandotherresourcesofhousehold
appliances(!)
(92/C49/08)
On25September1991theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle100AoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforEnergy,NuclearQuestionsandResearch,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon6December1991.The
RapporteurwasMrFrandi.
Atits292ndplenarysession(meetingof19December1991),theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionbyamajorityvotewithsevenabstentions .
1.SummaryofCommissionproposal
1.1.TheCommission ,inconjunctionwiththeDraft
CouncilRegulationonaCommunityeco-label(2)and
theadoptionoftheDirectiveongeneralproduct
safety(3),particularlythelatter,isproposingindication
bylabellingandstandardproductinformationfiches
oftheconsumptionofenergyandotherresourcesby
householdappliances .
1.2.TheCommissionlistshouseholdappliances
(Art.1)andprovides(Art.10)fortheadditionof
furtherappliancestothelist.
1.3.TheCommissionspecifiesthecriteriaforthe
labelsandtheinformationfiches.
1.4.TheCommissionassignsliabilityforfailureto
complywiththeDraftDirectivetothemanufacturer
andmarketingnetworkorfinalseller.
1.5.TheCommission statesthattechnicaldocu­
mentationistobekeptforaspecificperiod.Member
Statesareentitledandrequiredtomonitorimplemen­
tationoftheDirectiveandcommunicatetheirfindings
totheCommission .
1.6.TheDraftDirectiveincorporatesanumberof
recommendations intheCommitteeOpinions(4)on
Directives79/530/EECand79/531/EECof5April
1979(5).tiveonthegeneraluseoflabelsandinformationfiches
anditsprincipalobjectives,namely:
—topromoteenergyconservationbyprovidingthe
finaluserofhouseholdapplianceswithbetterinfor­
mation,
—toguaranteethatmeasurestakenbyMemberStates
donothindertradeinthesector,inthecontextof
achievementofthesinglemarket.
2.2.TheCommitteerecommends ,intheconsumer
interest,thattheDraftDirectivecontainaspecific
referencetotheDirectivebeingadoptedongeneral
productsafety,giventheexplicitreferenceinArticle2
ofthesaidDirectivetoproductlabellingandpresen­
tation.AlinkshouldalsobemadewithDirective73/
23/EEConelectricalequipmentdesignedforusewithin
certainvoltagelimits(6).
2.3.TheCommitteefeelsthatemphasisshouldbe
placedoninformingconsumersoftheconcretepossi­
bilityofeconomizing25%ofdomesticenergycon­
sumptionbytherationalutilizationandselectionof
householdelectricalappliances.Appliancesusingother
formsofenergyareofcoursecoveredbythisandthe
otherdirectivesonenergyconservationwhichhave
alreadybeenissuedorareinthecourseofadoption.
2.4.TheCommitteerecognizesthatthereisalink
withtheeco-labelRegulation,giventhattheenergy
conservationresultingfrommoreandbetterconsumer
information (andtheensuingincreasedcompetition
betweenproducers)shouldnotbeachievedatthe
expenseoftheurbanandruralenvironment ,andshould
alwaysbetargetedtolimitinganyincreaseincosts.
2.5.TheCommitteerecommendsthatitbespelled
out,attheendofpoint8oftheexplanatorymemor­
andum,exactlyhowMemberStateshavesolvedthe2.Generalcomments
2.1.TheCommitteefullyendorsestheDraftDirec­
HOJNoC235,10.9.1991,p.5.
(2)OJNoC75,20.3.1991.
(3)OJNoC193,31.7.1989(Commissionproposal,Directive
inthecourseofadoption).
(4)OJNoC212,6.9.1978.
(5)OJNoL145,13.6.1979. (6)OJNoL77,26.3.1973.

NoC49/3324.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
technicalproblemstackledtodate,andclarifythe'gen­
eralacceptance'ofthemethodofdealingwithmargins
oferrorofmeasurementstandardsandmethods.The
CommitteerecommendsthattheCommissionrenew
theremitithasgiventheEuropeanCommitteefor
Electrotechnical Standardization (Cenelec)inthiscon­
nection.
3.Specificcomments
3.1.Thelistofhouseholdelectricalappliancesin
Article1oftheDraftDirectiveshouldincludeaircon­
ditioners.Theterm'ovens'shouldbereplacedby'ovens
andhobs'.
3.2.WhileendorsingtheCommission'sfundamental
criteriafortheproperoperationofthelabelsystem,
theCommitteeproposesthatArticle2shouldstress:
3.2.1.theneedtoharmonizeandachieveafairbal­
ancebetweentechnologicalinnovation,energyconser­
vationandprotectionoftheenvironment ;
3.2.2.thatlabelmodelsshouldbeuniform,clearand
simple,andshouldnotbeconfusedwiththoseusedfor
eco-labels.Theyshouldalsoindicatetheexistenceofa
moredetailedinformationfiche.Aproperlydevised
informationfichewillpreventaproliferationoflabels
oranincreaseintheirsize;
3.2.3.thatthelabelsshouldsetoutclear,pertinent
basicinformationprintedasboldlyaspossibleinthe
languageofthecountryinwhichtheapplianceisput
onsale;thecharactersshouldnotbesosmallthatthey
areinpracticeillegible,andtheinformationconse­
quentlyuselessorunclear;
3.2.4.thattheinformationshouldcontainamini­
mumnumberofabbreviations ,andthoseusedshould
becommonlyunderstoodbythegeneralpublic,since
otherwiseitmightbeunintelligible ;
3.2.5.thatinadditiontoinformationonenergycon­
sumption (and,whererelevant,waterconsumption),
thelabelsshouldgivesimilardataindecibelsonthe
noiselevelofappliances;
3.2.6.thatthelabelsshouldbemadeofmaterials
whichresisttheeffectofheat,damporlight,and
affixedconspicuously inasecurewaywhichissimilarly
resistant.
3.3.Informationfichesshouldgivefull,clear,com­
prehensibleandcomparativeinformationontheprod­uct,andtheprintshouldbebold(asalreadystressed
forlabels)inordertoavoidanymisunderstanding or
theconsumerbeingmisled.TheCommitteeemphasizes
thevalueofthecurrentpracticeofmulti-language
fiches.
3.4.TheCommitteerecommends thatwherever
possible,andinkeepingwiththeflexibilityneededto
allowinformationtobeupdatedandnewappliances
withatypicalenergyconsumptiontobemarketed,
theCommissionshouldprovideindicationsonhowto
applytheDirectivesimplyandcheaply.
3.5.TheCommitteeconsidersthattheinformation
fichesshouldalsoproviderelevantindicationsastothe
rationalutilizationofhouseholdappliances,e.g.the
mosteconomicaltimesofday,problemsconnected
withthesimultaneous useofseveralappliances,the
minimizingofhouseholdenergyconsumptionandnoise
emissionsandthebestwaytoinstallandutilize
applianceswithaviewtoenergyconservation .
3.6.Theclarityoftheinformationficheandthe
informationonrationalenergyusewhichitdissemi­
natesatminimumcostwilleducateconsumersinenergy
conservationandensurethatthefichebringsaboutthe
domesticenergysavingswhichtheCommissionhas
targeted.
3.7.TheCommitteewouldaskthatArticle4make
theretailerorsellerresponsiblenotonlyforattaching
thelabelbutalsoforsupplyingtheinformationfiche
atthemomentofsaletothecustomer,purchaser,user
orconsumer .
3.8.TheCommitteerecommendsclearerwordingof
theprovisionsofArticle4,andinparticularofitssub­
section(a)concerningthefichesandlabels,withrespect
totheattributionoffiche/labeleditingresponsibilities
tomanufacturers anddistributionresponsibilities to
retailersandfinalsellers.
3.9.Asregardssalesbymailorder,fromcatalogues
andbytelevision,Article5shouldspecifymorefirmly
thatthepotentialcustomermustbemadeawareof
thelabelandtheproductinformationfichewhenthe
applianceisofferedforsale.
DoneatBrussels,19December1991.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
FrancoisSTAEDELIN