The European Commission presented an omnibus simplification package on energy-related products on Wednesday 24 June. The aim is to amend the rules on the labelling of tyre products (Regulation 2020/740) and energy-related products (Regulation 2017/1369), such as dishwashers, air conditioners and smartphones. The amendment does not relate to the ecodesign framework, which was revised in 2024.
This amendment to the labelling rules is intended to generate savings of €125 million per year over the next 10 years for businesses and market surveillance authorities. The other objective is to improve compliance with the labelling of energy-related products and tyres, which are currently “undermined by a lack of clarity regarding the responsibility of intermediaries”, a representative of the European Commission said.
In addition, this amendment should enable consumers to obtain information on the products they buy, and specifically on their energy efficiency and durability, even where the purchase is made through an intermediary, for example a heating installer.
The proposed measures. The European Commission’s legislative proposal includes a relaxation of the labelling rules, with the possibility of digitalising labels, clarification of the role of intermediaries (who will have to include energy labelling in their quotations) and simplification of declaration procedures for manufacturers when labelling is changed.
Other measures are planned to clarify the legal mandate of representatives of manufacturers from third countries in the EU and to optimise the EPREL database, in which more than 2 million energy-related products are listed; this is in order to avoid possible duplication with the forthcoming digital passport (through the Ecodesign Regulation). From this point on, only a single declaration will be required for equivalent information.
QR codes for digitalisation. The European Commission proposal will make it possible to access this information through a digital label in the form of a QR code affixed to certain products, which will then redirect directly to the EPREL database. For a tumble dryer, for example, the energy class is indicated (from A to G), as are the energy efficiency index, the product’s energy consumption, as well as the noise level, the technology used and the dimensions. To sell a product in the EU, suppliers are required to register their product in this database.
During an impact assessment by the Directorate-General for Energy, carried out in August 2025, only 10% of consumers said they had visited the EPREL database using the QR code that was affixed to products. In terms of distributors, only one third use it actively.
Changes in tyre labelling. A new procedure for revising tyre labelling is being proposed in order to harmonise labels and clarify the information to be provided to market surveillance authorities. In addition, car dealers will no longer be required to display information relating to tyre efficiency.
Read the Commission proposal for amendment: https://aeur.eu/f/mjd (Original version in French by Nadège Delépine)