Commission Directive 2003/66/EC of 3 July 2003 amending Directive 94/2/EC implementing Council Directive 92/75/EEC with regard to energy labelling of household electric refrigerators, freezers and their combinations (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2003-07-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: energy consumption, energy saving, harmonisation of standards, household electrical appliance, labelling, noise level

L 170/10

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

9.7.2003

COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2003/66/EC

of 3 July 2003

amending Directive 94/2/EC implementing Council Directive 92/75/EEC with regard to energy
labelling of household electric refrigerators, freezers and their combinations

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 92/75/EEC of 22 September
1992 on the indication by labelling and standard product infor-
mation of the consumption of energy and other resources of
household appliances (1), and in particular Articles 9 and 12
thereof,

(6)

The measures provided for in this Directive are in accor-
dance with the opinion of the Committee set up under
Article 10 of Directive 92/75/EEC,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Whereas:

Article 1

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Electricity use by refrigerators, freezers and their combi-
nations accounts for a significant part of total Commu-
nity household energy demand. The further scope for a
reduction of energy use by these appliances is substan-
tial.

the labelling scheme introduced by
The success of
Commission Directive 94/2/EC (2),
in conjunction with
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 (3) has led to a rise of the effi-
ciency index of new refrigerators and freezers by over
30 % between 1996 and 2000.

About 20 % of the cold appliances sold in 2000 were in
the most efficient class A, and in some markets the
proportion was more than 50 %. The market shares of A
class appliances is rising rapidly. Consequently, there is a
need to introduce two additional classes, to be desig-
nated as A+ and A++, as an interim arrangement until a
comprehensive revision of the energy labelling classes
takes place.

The effect of labelling on energy efficiency will diminish,
or disappear, unless further and more efficient classes
are defined.

Directive 94/2/EC should therefore be amended accord-
ingly. By the same occasion, it will be possible to align
that Directive on similar directives recently adopted,
implementing Directive 92/75/EEC.

(1) OJ L 297, 13.10.1992, p. 16.
(2) OJ L 45, 17.2.1994, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 236, 18.9.1996, p. 36.

Directive 94/2/EC is amended as follows:

1. In Article 1, paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 are replaced by the

following:

‘2.
The information required by this Directive shall be
obtained by measurements made in accordance with harmo-
nised standards adopted by the European Standardisation
Bodies (CEN, CENELEC, ETSI) under mandate from the
Commission in accordance with Directive 98/34/EC of the
European Parliament and of the Council (*), the reference
numbers of which have been published in the Official Journal
of the European Union and for which Member States have
published the reference numbers of the national standards
transposing those harmonised standards.

The provisions in Annexes I, II and III requiring the
3.
giving of
information relating to noise shall apply only
where that information is required by Member States under
Article 3 of Directive 86/594/EEC. This information shall be
measured in accordance with that Directive.

In this Directive the definitions set out in Article 1(4)

4.
of Directive 92/75/EEC shall apply.

(*) OJ L 204, 21.7.1998, p. 37.’

2. Article 2 is amended as follows:

(a) In paragraph 1, the following subparagraph is added:

‘Where the information relating to a particular model
combination has been obtained by calculation on the
basis of design, and/or extrapolation from other combi-
nations, the documentation should include details of
such calculations and/or extrapolations, and of
tests
undertaken to verify the accuracy of the calculations
undertaken (details of mathematical model for calcu-
lating performance and of measurements taken to verify
this model).’

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(b) Paragraph 5 is replaced by the following:

Article 3

‘5. Where the appliances are offered for sale, hire or
hire purchase by means of a printed or written commu-
nication, or by other means which imply that the poten-
tial customer cannot be expected to see the appliance
displayed, such as a written offer, a mail order catalogue,
advertisements on the Internet or on other electronic
media, that communication shall include all the infor-
mation specified in Annex III.’

Member States shall adopt and publish the provisions to
comply with this Directive no later than 30 June 2004. They
shall immediately inform the Commission thereof.

When Member States adopt those provisions, they shall contain
a reference to this Directive or be accompanied by such a refer-
ence on the occasion of their official publication. Member
States shall determine how such reference is to be made.

3. Annexes I, II, III, and V are amended as shown in the Annex

to this Directive.

4. Annex VI is deleted.

Article 4

This Directive shall enter into force on the 20th day following
that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European
Union.

Article 2

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

Article 5

Member States shall allow the circulation of labels, fiches and
communications referred to in Article 2(5) of Directive 94/2/
EC, containing the information as revised by this Directive, no
later than 1 July 2004.

labels, fiches and communications
They shall ensure that all
referred to in Article 2(5) of Directive 94/2/EC comply with the
revised models, no later than 31 December 2004.

Done at Brussels, 3 July 2003.

For the Commission

Loyola DE PALACIO

Vice-President

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Official Journal of the European Union

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(1) Annex I is amended as follows:

ANNEX

(a) under the heading ‘Notes on label’, the final sentence ‘NB: the equivalent terms in other languages to those

described above are given in Annex VI’, is deleted;

(b) under the heading ‘Printing’:

(i) the following text is inserted after the illustration:

‘The indicator letter for A+ and A++ appliances shall be in accordance with the following illustrations, and
shall be placed in the same position as the A indicator for A class appliances

(ii) the final text, commencing with the words: ‘Complete printing information is contained in a “refrigerator/

freezer label design guide” …’ is deleted.

’

(2) Annex II is amended as follows:

(a) point 4 is replaced by the following:

‘4. The energy efficiency class of the model as defined in Annex V, expressed as “Energy efficiency class … on a
scale of A++ (most efficient) to G (least efficient)”. Where this information is provided in a table this may be
expressed by other means provided it is clear that the scale is from A++ (most efficient) to G (least efficient).’

(b) point 8 is replaced by the following:

‘8. Net storage volume of frozen food storage compartment, and of chill compartment when available, in accor-
dance with standards referred to in Article 1(2) — omit for classes 1, 2 and 3. For class 3 appliances the net
volume of the “ice box”.’

(c) the following point 15 is added:

‘15. If the model is produced in order to be built-in, this should be stated.’

(d) the final Note is deleted.

(3) Annex III is amended as follows:

The final Note is deleted.

(4) In Annex V the following text is inserted after the title ‘ENERGY EFFICIENCY CLASS’:

‘PART 1: Definitions of Classes A+ and A++

An appliance shall be classified as A+ or A++, where the energy efficiency index alpha (Iα) is within the ranges speci-
fied in Table 1.

Table 1

Energy efficiency index α (Iα)

“Energy efficiency class”

30 > Iα

42 > Iα ≥ 30

Iα ≥ 42

In Table 1

where:

A++

A+

A to G (see below)

Iα ¼

AC
SCα

× 100

AC

SCα

= annual energy consumption of appliance (in accordance with Annex I, note V)
= standard annual energy consumption α of appliance

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SCα is calculated as

where:

X

MαX

Compartments

(cid:1)

Vc ×

Þ

ð

25 – Tc
20

(cid:2)

× FF × CC × BI

þ Nα þ CH

Vc is the net volume (in litres) of the compartment (in accordance with standards referred to in Article 1(2)).

Tc is the design temperature (in °C) of the compartment.

The values of Mα and Nα are given in Table 2 and the values of FF, CC, BI and CH are given in Table 3

Table 2

Type of appliance

Temperature of coldest
compartment

1

Larder Fridge

2 Refrigerator/chiller

3 Refrigerator no star

4 Refrigerator *

5 Refrigerator **

6 Refrigerator ***/

7

Fridge-freezer *(***)

8 Upright freezer

9 Chest freezer

10 Multi-door or other appliance

> – 6 °C

> – 6 °C

> – 6 °C

≤ – 6 °C *

≤ – 12 °C **

≤ – 18 °C ***/*(***)

≤ – 18 °C ***/*(***)

≤ – 18 °C *(***)

≤ – 18 °C *(***)

Mα

0,233

0,233

0,233

0,643

0,450

0,777

0,777

0,539

0,472

(1)

Nα

245

245

245

191

245

303

303

315

286

(1)

(1) For these appliances, the temperature and star rating of the compartment with the lowest temperature will determine the values

of M and N. Appliances with – 18 °C *(***) compartments shall be considered as fridge-freezers *(***).

Table 3

Correction factor

Value

Condition

1,2

1

1,2

1,1

1

1,2

1

For “frost-free” (ventilated) frozen food compartments

Otherwise

For “tropical” appliances

For “subtropical” appliances

Otherwise

For built-in appliances (1) of under 58 cm in width.

Otherwise

FF (frost-free)

CC (climate class)

BI (built-in)

CH (chill
ment)

compart-

50 Kwh/y

For appliances with a chill compartment of at least 15 litres

0

Otherwise

(1) An appliance is “built-in” only if it is designed exclusively for installation within a kitchen cavity with a need of furniture

finishing, and tested as such.

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Official Journal of the European Union

9.7.2003

If an appliance is not A+ or A++, it shall be classified in accordance with Part 2.

PART 2: Definitions of Classes A to G

….’