THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 on the EU Ecolabel(1) , and in particular Article 8(2) thereof,
After consulting the European Union Ecolabelling Board,
Whereas:
(1) Under Regulation (EC) No 66/2010, the EU Ecolabel may be awarded to those products with a reduced environmental impact during their entire life cycle.
(2) Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 provides that specific EU Ecolabel criteria are to be established according to product groups.
(3) Commission Decision 2009/300/EC(2) established criteria and related assessment and verification requirements for the product group ‘televisions’. The period of validity of those criteria and requirements has been extended to 31 December 2020 by Commission Decision (EU) 2019/1134(3).
(4) In order to better reflect best practice in the market for this product group and to take account of innovations introduced in the intervening period, it is appropriate to establish a new set of criteria for ‘televisions’.
(5) The EU Ecolabel Fitness check Report(4) of 30 June 2017, reviewing the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 66/2010, concluded on the need to develop a more strategic approach for the EU Ecolabel, also including the bundling of closely related product groups where appropriate.
(6) In line with those conclusions and after consulting the European Union Ecolabelling Board, it is appropriate to revise the criteria for the product group ‘televisions’, including the expansion of its scope to external computer displays and signage displays which are covered by Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/2021(5) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2013(6). In order to reflect that expansion of its scope it is also appropriate to modify the product group name to ‘Electronic Displays’.
(7) The New Circular Economy Action Plan for a cleaner and more competitive Europe(7) adopted on 11 March 2020 stipulates that the durability, recyclability and recycled content requirements will be more systematically included in the EU Ecolabel criteria.
(8) The revised EU Ecolabel criteria for electronic displays aim, in particular, at promoting products that are energy efficient, repairable, easy to dismantle (in order to facilitate the recovery of resources from recycling at the end of their useful life), have a minimum recycled content and which may only contain a limited amount of hazardous substances.
(9) The new criteria and related assessment and verification requirements for the product group should remain valid until 31 December 2028, taking into account the innovation cycle for that product group.
(10) For reasons of legal certainty, Decision 2009/300/EC should be repealed.
(11) A transitional period should be allowed for producers whose products have been awarded the EU Ecolabel for televisions on the basis of the criteria set out in Decision 2009/300/EC, so that they have sufficient time to adapt their products to comply with the new criteria and requirements. For a limited period after adoption of this Decision, producers should also be allowed to submit applications based either on the criteria established by Decision 2009/300/EC or on the new criteria stablished by this Decision. EU Ecolabel licences awarded in accordance with the criteria set out in the old Decision should be allowed to be used for 12 months from the date of adoption of this Decision.
(12) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established by Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No 66/2010,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Regulation (EC) 66/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 on the EU Ecolabel (OJ L 27, 30.1.2010, p. 1).
Commission Decision 2009/300/EC of 12 March 2009 establishing the revised ecological criteria for the award of the Community Eco-label to televisions (OJ L 82, 28.3.2009, p. 3).
Commission Decision (EU) 2019/1134 of 1 July 2019 amending Decision 2009/300/EC and Decision (EU) 2015/2099, as regards the period of validity of the ecological criteria for the award of the EU Ecolabel to certain products, and of the related assessment and verification requirements (OJ L 179, 3.7.2019, p. 25).
Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the review of implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) and the Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 of the Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 on the EU Ecolabel (COM(2017) 355).
Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/2021 of 1 October 2019 laying down ecodesign requirements for electronic displays pursuant to Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, amending Commission Regulation (EC) No 1275/2008 and repealing Commission Regulation (EC) No 642/2009 (OJ L 315, 5.12.2019, p. 241).
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2013 of 11 March 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to energy labelling of electronic displays and repealing Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1062/2010 (OJ L 315, 5.12.2019, p. 1).
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a cleaner and more competitive Europe (COM(2020) 98 final).