Wider scope and use of Eco-design directive, Eco-label scheme and Eco-management scheme approved by Parliament Committee
Monday, 23 February 2009 17:04 | 
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Eco-design directive
Members of the environment Committee backed Commission proposals to extend the scope of the existing Eco-design directive by a comprehensive majority on 17 February (45 in favour,4 against, 3 abstentions). They narrowly rejected a report (27 against, 24 in favour) by Liberal MEP Magor Imre Csibi however, which sought to include all products with an impact on energy except for transport in the revised directive.
For the time being only energy-using products fall under the legislation, which sets energy design requirements on producers, but MEPs have now asked the Commission to increase the scope of the directive to ‘non-energy related products’, which have a ‘significant potential for reducing their environmental impacts throughout their whole life-cycle’. Products such as water-using devices and windows would now have to conform to the eco-design measures, but by rejecting Mr Csibi’s recommendations food and clothes will not be subjected to the same standards.
Speaking after the vote the Hungarian MEP explained that while the decision to widen the scope of the Eco-design directive was ‘a first step forward to a more ambitious approach on sustainable product policy at EU level’ this was ‘not enough’ and that ultimately eco-design rules would have to apply to all products.
Eco-label directive
Commission proposals to strengthen the eco-labelling rules were also approved by the environment Committee, when they voted to adopt Italian MEP Salvatore Tatarella’s report.
The current EU ‘flower’ eco-label scheme awards products which achieve high ecological quality and chemical safety standards with an ‘eco-label’ and applies to around 3,000 products, including products, shoes and detergents.
A significant amendment sees MEPs proposing measures to make the voluntary Eco-label system for environmentally-friendly products less costly and bureaucratic.
In addition it will now be extended to award products that aim to reduce animal testing, but will not provide labels for processed food and dangerous chemicals. A further outcome of the report sees the parliamentary Committee recommending that the Commission and Member States provide the financial support for awareness-raising campaigns, while these authorities should also ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises have better access to the flower label.
EMAS (Eco-management and audit scheme)
UK MEP Linda McAvan’s report on EMAS, approved by the environment Committee last week as well, proposes to simplify the process. MEPs backed the proposed move to make the scheme, which identifies, monitors, measures and reports on environmental impact of organisations, easier to carry out, reasoning that this should help to attract new participants to the concept.
All the changes on the Eco-label and Eco-design directive and those regarding EMAS, will now be discussed in plenary in Strasbourg over the coming months. The report on the eco-label proposals will undergo first reading at the Parliament, either during the March environment Council meeting, or at the European Council summit in April, where the other two reports will be discussed as well.
The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) has praised the outcome of the votes saying that ‘The Ecodesign Directive will help kick-start the phase out of environmentally damaging products, such as inefficient light bulbs, at no additional cost for European citizens, while the Ecolabel will continue promoting and rewarding environmental excellence’.
Members of the environment Committee backed Commission proposals to extend the scope of the existing Eco-design directive by a comprehensive majority on 17 February (45 in favour,4 against, 3 abstentions). They narrowly rejected a report (27 against, 24 in favour) by Liberal MEP Magor Imre Csibi however, which sought to include all products with an impact on energy except for transport in the revised directive.
For the time being only energy-using products fall under the legislation, which sets energy design requirements on producers, but MEPs have now asked the Commission to increase the scope of the directive to ‘non-energy related products’, which have a ‘significant potential for reducing their environmental impacts throughout their whole life-cycle’. Products such as water-using devices and windows would now have to conform to the eco-design measures, but by rejecting Mr Csibi’s recommendations food and clothes will not be subjected to the same standards.
Speaking after the vote the Hungarian MEP explained that while the decision to widen the scope of the Eco-design directive was ‘a first step forward to a more ambitious approach on sustainable product policy at EU level’ this was ‘not enough’ and that ultimately eco-design rules would have to apply to all products.
Eco-label directive
Commission proposals to strengthen the eco-labelling rules were also approved by the environment Committee, when they voted to adopt Italian MEP Salvatore Tatarella’s report.
The current EU ‘flower’ eco-label scheme awards products which achieve high ecological quality and chemical safety standards with an ‘eco-label’ and applies to around 3,000 products, including products, shoes and detergents.
A significant amendment sees MEPs proposing measures to make the voluntary Eco-label system for environmentally-friendly products less costly and bureaucratic.
In addition it will now be extended to award products that aim to reduce animal testing, but will not provide labels for processed food and dangerous chemicals. A further outcome of the report sees the parliamentary Committee recommending that the Commission and Member States provide the financial support for awareness-raising campaigns, while these authorities should also ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises have better access to the flower label.
EMAS (Eco-management and audit scheme)
UK MEP Linda McAvan’s report on EMAS, approved by the environment Committee last week as well, proposes to simplify the process. MEPs backed the proposed move to make the scheme, which identifies, monitors, measures and reports on environmental impact of organisations, easier to carry out, reasoning that this should help to attract new participants to the concept.
All the changes on the Eco-label and Eco-design directive and those regarding EMAS, will now be discussed in plenary in Strasbourg over the coming months. The report on the eco-label proposals will undergo first reading at the Parliament, either during the March environment Council meeting, or at the European Council summit in April, where the other two reports will be discussed as well.
The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) has praised the outcome of the votes saying that ‘The Ecodesign Directive will help kick-start the phase out of environmentally damaging products, such as inefficient light bulbs, at no additional cost for European citizens, while the Ecolabel will continue promoting and rewarding environmental excellence’.
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