While a new energy labelling scheme will apply to refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines and TVs in the European Union from 1 March (see EUROPE 12211/11), a group of more than 20 European NGOs, co-led by ECOS and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), called on the EU, on Friday 26 February, to speed up the introduction of labels for more products.
“To reach our climate ambitions, the European Commission must now move up a gear and introduce rescaled energy labels for all high energy-consuming products”, in order to “enable consumers to make the right choices", said ECOS member, Mélissa Zill,.
NGOs point in particular to the delays in revising the labels of hoovers, laptops, heaters and air conditioners.
“The products should also be ranked according to their level of repairability”, said EEB member Jean-Pierre Schweitzer, mentioning information and communication technologies and electronic products which too often tend “to break, be replaced and to discarded”. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)