consumer
Products in the EU should become more durable
A sign with the previous energy efficiency classes is in Munich in a wholesale store for electrical goods. Photo: Peter Kneffel/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Almost all goods in the EU should meet certain standards in the future. Critics see it as Brussels’ obsession with regulation, while supporters see it as an opportunity for more environmental and climate protection. Consumers should benefit from this.
Clothing, mobile phones, backpacks, furniture: the European Commission wants almost all products in the EU to be more durable and easier to repair. Both consumers and the environment should benefit from this, as can be seen from the proposals presented on Wednesday. The federal government welcomed the project.
On the way to climate neutrality
“We want sustainable products to become the norm on the European market,” said Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans. Specifically, the EU Commission should be able to set minimum standards with a view to durability, energy consumption or repair requirements for almost all goods in the EU internal market. Exceptions are only provided for food, feed and pharmaceuticals. This should also help to make the EU climate-neutral by 2050. The European consumer association Beuc described the proposals as a milestone. Measures to improve the energy efficiency of appliances have already brought significant savings to consumers.
The plans at a glance:
Clothing: It should become more durable, recyclable and sustainable. “Every second a truckload of textiles ends up in landfills or incinerators,” Timmermans said. Mandatory minimum values for the proportion of recycled materials are planned. Clothing should also be able to be worn longer, for example by being able to repair it more easily. Measures to prevent the release of environmentally harmful microplastics are also on the agenda. “Clothing in particular is often not produced sustainably and at the expense of the environment or human rights,” said Christiane Rohleder (Greens), State Secretary responsible for consumers.
Electronics: Consumers should benefit from replaceable batteries, easier repairs and longer guaranteed software updates. “A smartphone shouldn’t lose its functionality just because the battery is getting weaker,” says Timmermans. Rather than updates weakening smartphones and driving consumers to buy a new phone, updates should strengthen phones. Specifications for recycling shares and requirements are also conceivable.
Budget: Existing rules could be tightened here. For many devices such as washing machines, refrigerators or lamps, there are already transparency requirements for energy consumption – so-called ecodesign rules. On a scale from A to G, it must be indicated how efficient the product is. Now there could be additional requirements for the longevity of the products. If a dishwasher is defective, it should be easy to replace the broken part, it said. There are also strict requirements for stoves, air conditioners and other heating and cooling equipment.
Prices: The Commission says that, at first glance, increased production costs as a result of the requirements could be passed on to customers. In the long term, however, money is saved because less energy is used and goods last longer. The directive also states that there must be no “significant negative impact on the affordability of the relevant products for consumers”.
Transparency: Vague product information such as “green” and “environmentally friendly” should be banned if they are not proven. Consumers should be informed if the shelf life of a product is limited, for example because a device’s software limits its functionality at a certain point in time. Also, no statement should be made about the environmental compatibility of a product if it actually only affects a certain part of it. Customers should also be informed about how and whether devices can be repaired and how long they are guaranteed to last.
What to tackle first
A preliminary assessment by the Commission showed that textiles, furniture, mattresses, tires, paints, lubricants, as well as iron, steel and aluminum have great potential for improvement. According to EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius, the first specifications for textiles could be drawn up by 2023 or 2024.
In addition to waste, a lot of energy should also be saved. According to the Brussels authorities, by 2030 almost as much less energy could be needed as the EU is currently gaining from imports of Russian gas. Existing environmental regulations have already resulted in regulated products consuming ten percent less energy.
How the economy reacts
The Chamber of Industry and Commerce assumes that German companies will be burdened. If the proposal is implemented, there will be a considerable need for adjustment in many sectors. DIHK General Manager Achim Dercks also emphasized that some companies support the approach at EU level because it creates the same conditions.
The CSU MEP Markus Ferber warned against disproportionate intervention in the market economy. Green Anna Cavazzini, on the other hand, sees new market opportunities for innovative companies in the proposal.
The European Parliament and the EU states now have to deal with the proposals. So there might still be changes.