OPINION OF THE COMMISSION pursuant to Article 189 b (2) (d) of the EC Treaty, on the European Parliament's amendments to the Council's common position regarding the proposal for a EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL DIRECTIVE on Energy Efficiency Requirements for Household Electric Refrigerators, Freezers and their Combinations
Date: 1996-07-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European standard, energy consumption, energy demand, free movement of goods, household electrical appliance

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

Brussels,  19.07.1996 
COM(96) 382  final 

96/0272 (COD) 

OPINION  OF THE  COMMISSION 
pursuant to Article  189 b (2) (d) of the EC Treaty, 
on the European  Parliament's  amendments 
to the Council's  common  position  regarding the 

proposal  for a 
EUROPEAN  PARLIAMENT  AND COUNCIL  DIRECTIVE 

on Energy 
Efficiency Requirements for Household Electric Refrigerators, Freezers andtheir 
Combinations 

AMENDING  THE PROPOSAL  OF THE COMMISSION 
pursuant to Article  189 a (2) of the EC  Treaty 

1- 

Background 

Date proposal transmitted to: 

Parliament and Council (codecision procedure) 

18.01.1995 

Date of opinion of Economic and Social Committee  27.04.1995 

Date of  Parliament's opinion on first reading 

26.10.1995  """" 

Date amended proposal transmitted COM (95) 638  08.12.1995 
11.03.1996 
Date common position adopted 

Date of Parliament's  opinion on second reading 

18.06.1996 

2. 

Purpose of Commission  proposal 

The present  proposal aims to establish minimum  energy efficiency  standards 
for domestic refrigeration appliances sold in the European Union. The adoption 
of the proposal will make a key contribution to improving energy efficiency and 
therefore helps to reduce C02 emissions. The present proposal also fulfils the 
undertaking by the Commission to propose Community-wide minimum efficiency 
standards for refrigeration appliances after having blocked a proposal from the 
Netherdans to introduce similar standards for appliances sold in their country, 
which would have  introduced a potential barrier to trade. 

3. 

Comments on the Parliament's second reading 

The European Parliament has adopted in second reading two amendments to 
the  Council  Common  Position.  The  two  amendments  do  not  modify  the 
substance of the Common Position. 

The  Commission  position on this two amendments  is as follows: 

Amendment  nr. 5: accepted; 

This amendment adds the word "significantly" in Article 8 concerning the 
second  phase  of  efficiency  improvement.  This  is  the  Commission 

Z 

preferred text for Article 8. 

Amendment  nr. 4: accepted; 

This  amendment  changes the reference  in Annex  I for  the  measuring 
method  to  the  new  version  of  the  European  standard  EN  153 of  July 
1995.  The  new  version  of  EN  153  of  July  1995  does  not  change 
anything compared to the old version of May 1990 in the measurement 
of energy consumption; it only introduces new definitions and references 
for no-frost refrigerators and freezers. The Commission however would 
like to point out that this change from "May 1990" to "July 1995" should 
also be introduced in the "17th whereas". 

4. 

conclusion 

The  Commission  therefore  accepts  both  the  amendments  adopted  by  the 
Parliament in second reading. 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(96) 382 final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

08  10  IS  14 

Catalogue number  : CB-CO-96-372-EN-C 

ISBN 92-78-07259-1 

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