Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, hosted an implementation dialogue on energy efficient product legislation yesterday (14 October) in Brussels.

The EU rules on energy-efficient products cover about half of the EU’s final energy consumption. They apply to a range of home appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and TVs as well as industrial components - by setting minimum performance requirements for products placed on the EU market, they aim to reduce the energy use associated with these products. The EU energy label, visualising the energy performance of a product, plays a vital role in guiding buyers toward more energy-efficient products. These measures ultimately help reduce consumers' energy bills, our dependency on energy imports and our emissions. 

However, as stated in the Draghi Report, insufficient national market surveillance and, as a result, poor enforcement (and potentially compliance) are continuously cited as a shortcoming in the implementation of EU energy efficient product legislation. 

It is therefore important to monitor how the legislation and its enforcement are working in practice, identify existing challenges, and explore opportunities for simplification and digitalisation.

By discussing these issues with a wide range of high-level stakeholders representing manufacturers, retailers, market surveillance, NGOs and other interested parties, the implementation dialogue aimed to contribute to the energy policy debate on strengthening the EU Single Market. It also responded to President von der Leyen’s call to hold in-depth discussions with relevant stakeholders on the implementation of EU legislation on the ground.

Dan Jørgensen, Commissioner for Energy and Housing, said:

'Energy efficient products are a true game changer. They help us to cut emissions. They boost our competitiveness by creating a level playing field for businesses and spurring innovation. And they generate savings. European households can save on average up to €290 per year on their energy bills. But we need to make sure our rules are not putting unnecessary burden on our companies. This is what this implementation dialogue is about: see how our legislation works in practice and whether rules can be simplified without compromising our policy goals.'

Background

Energy efficiency delivers a triple win: it cuts energy costs, strengthens Europe’s energy security, and accelerates the decarbonisation of our energy system. It is the most cost-effective and socially inclusive strategy to meet the EU’s 2030 and 2050 climate goals. The EcoDesign Directive (2009/125) (replaced since 2024 by the EcoDesign Sustainable Products Regulation), the Energy Labelling Regulation (2017/1369) and EU Tyre Labelling Regulation (2020/740) are 3 pieces of EU legislation that have been delivering on those objectives for many years. 

In 2023, energy efficient product regulation (covering around 30 product groups) was estimated to have saved the EU average household around €287 per year of direct user expenditure compared to a scenario without measures. This figure is projected to increase to €473 per year in 2030 due to stock turn-over. 

Ecodesign and Energy Labelling regulations are directly applicable in the EU, including to products from third countries entering the EU Single Market. The measures improve the design and life-cycle costs of new products sold. In addition, since these policies phase in gradually, allowing manufacturers time to adapt, they involve minimal sunk costs and deliver their effects when existing products are replaced with new ones that meet the new requirements.

Products that require an energy label also need to be registered in the European Product Database for Energy Labelling, EPREL. EPREL serves as a centralised database for product information, efficiency ratings and generates the EU energy label.

Today’s event was the second Implementation Dialogue that Commissioner Jørgensen has hosted in 2025, after an earlier one on  permitting in the clean energy transition. Implementation dialogues’ main purpose is to strengthen and boost European competitiveness by seeking feedback from stakeholders to facilitate the implementation of EU policies and the simplification of EU rules and spending programs. 

Related links

• Implementation dialogue on energy efficient product legislation
• EC photos on the AV portal

Details

Publication date

15 October 2025

Author

Directorate-General for Energy