Commission Regulation (EU) No 547/2012Show full title

Commission Regulation (EU) No 547/2012

of 25 June 2012

implementing Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to ecodesign requirements for water pumps

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-related products(1), and in particular Article 15(1) thereof,

After consulting the Ecodesign Consultation Forum,

Whereas:

(1) Under Directive 2009/125/EC, ecodesign requirements are to be set by the Commission for energy-related products representing significant volumes of sales and trade, having a significant environmental impact and presenting significant potential for improvement in terms of their environmental impact without entailing excessive costs.

(2) Article 16(2) of Directive 2009/125/EC provides that, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 19(3) and the criteria set out in Article 15(2), and after consulting the Consultation Forum, the Commission shall, as appropriate, introduce implementing measures for products used in electric motor systems, such as water pumps.

(3) Water pumps forming parts of electric motor systems are essential in various pumping processes. There is a total cost-effective potential for improving the energy efficiency of these pumping systems by approximately 20 % to 30 %. Even though the main savings can be achieved by motors, one of the factors contributing to such improvements is the use of energy-efficient pumps. Consequently, water pumps are a priority product for which ecodesign requirements should be established.

(4) Electric motor systems include a number of energy-related products, such as motors, drives, pumps or fans. Water pumps are one of these products. Minimum requirements are established for motors in a separate measure, Commission Regulation (EC) No 640/2009(2). Consequently, the present Regulation only sets minimum requirements for the hydraulic performance of water pumps without the motor.

(5) Many pumps are integrated in other products without being separately placed on the market. To achieve the full cost-effective energy-saving potential, water pumps integrated in other products should also be subject to the provisions of this Regulation.

(6) The Commission has carried out a preparatory study to analyse the technical, environmental and economic aspects of water pumps. The study has been developed together with stakeholders and interested parties from the Union and third countries, and the results have been made publicly available.

(7) The preparatory study shows that water pumps are placed on the European Union market in large quantities. Their energy consumption in the use phase is the most significant environmental aspect of all life-cycle phases, with their annual electricity consumption amounting to 109 TWh in 2005, corresponding to 50 Mt in CO₂ emissions. In the absence of measures to limit this consumption, it is predicted that energy consumption will increase to 136 TWh in 2020. It has been concluded that use-phase electricity consumption can be improved significantly.

(8) The preparatory study shows that electricity consumption in the use phase is the only significant ecodesign parameter related to product design as referred to in Annex I, Part 1, to Directive 2009/125/EC.

(9) Improvements in electricity consumption in the use phase of water pumps should be achieved by applying existing non-proprietary cost-effective technologies that can reduce the total combined costs of purchase and operation.

(10) Ecodesign requirements should harmonise power consumption requirements for water pumps throughout the European Union, thus contributing to the functioning of the internal market and to the improvement of the environmental performance of these products.

(11) An appropriate timeframe should be provided for manufacturers to redesign products. The timeframe should be such as to avoid negative impacts on the functionalities of water pumps and to take into account cost impacts for manufacturers, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises, while ensuring timely achievement of the objectives of this Regulation.

(12) Power consumption should be determined using reliable, accurate and reproducible measurement methods, which take into account the recognised state-of-the-art including, where available, harmonised standards adopted by the European standardisation bodies, as listed in Annex I to Directive 98/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 June 1998 laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations and of rules on Information Society services(3).

(13) This Regulation should increase the market penetration of technologies that improve the life-cycle environmental impact of water pumps, leading to estimated energy savings of 3,3 TWh by 2020, compared to the situation where no measures are taken.

(14) In accordance with Article 8(2) of Directive 2009/125/EC, this Regulation should specify the applicable conformity assessment procedures.

(15) In order to facilitate compliance checks, manufacturers should provide information in the technical documentation referred to in Annexes IV and V to Directive 2009/125/EC.

(16) In order to further limit the environmental impact of water pumps, manufacturers should provide relevant information on disassembly, recycling or disposal at end-of-life.

(17) Benchmarks for currently available technologies with high energy efficiency should be identified. This will help to ensure the wide availability and easy accessibility of information, in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises, which will further facilitate the integration of the best available technologies for reducing energy consumption.

(18) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established by Article 19(1) of Directive 2009/125/EC,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

(1)

OJ L 285, 31.10.2009, p. 10.

(2)

OJ L 191, 23.7.2009, p. 26.

(3)

OJ L 204, 21.7.1998, p. 37.