Brussels, 10/09/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday, the European Commission adopted a draft Directive on the eco-design of energy-consuming products, such as electrical and electronic devices or heating equipment. Eco-design aims to improve the environmental performance of products throughout their life-cycle by systematic integration of environmental aspects in product design. Coherent EU-wide rules for eco-design will ensure that disparities among national regulations do not become obstacles to intra-EU trade. The proposal does not introduce directly binding requirements for specific products, but does define conditions and criteria for setting requirements regarding environmentally relevant product characteristics (such as energy consumption) and allows them to be improved quickly and efficiently. Products that fulfil the requirements will be given an EU eco-label.