Download Better Products - EESC European Economic and Social Committee

EU SCP/SIP Action Plan
Regulatory update and insight
European Economic and Social Committee Hearing, 10 December 2008,
Bettina Lorz
DG Environment, European Commission
Broad Challenges

Towards an energy and resource efficient economy

Reduce environmental stress in a growing economy

Changing patterns of consumption

Transfer environmental challenges into
economic opportunities
Natural resources
SCP: Better Products
Natural
Resources
Design
Reuse,
Recycling,
Recovery
Manufacturing/
Product
SCP: Leaner
Production
Waste &
Recycling
Legislation
Collection
Distribution
Use
SCP: Consumption
ETAP: Eco-innovation
Action Plan on Sustainable Consumption and
Production / Sustainable Industrial Policy
• A package adopted by the Commission 16 July 2008
• Council conclusions adopted 4 December 2008
-
Better Products
-
Smarter Consumption
-
Leaner Production
-
Action at global level
Better Products and Smarter
Consumption
Building on Integrated Product
Policy
“Building on environmental life-cycle thinking”
 Advocating life-cycle thinking for products
 Continuous improvement of products
 Working with the market: economic incentives, standards,
labelling, public procurement, voluntary agreements …
 Stakeholder involvement
SCP/SIP – Action Plan: Integrating instruments
Better products:

Exclude “bad” performance

Promote “good” Performance

Continuous Improvement
Key Legislation:

Ecodesign

Energy Labelling

Ecolabel
‘Better products’:
Proposal for a recast of the Ecodesign
Directive – in Co-decision
From energy-using to energy-related products (in
future: all products?)
Implementing measures:
- Minimum requirements
- Benchmarks of environmental performance
- Periodic update of requirements and benchmarks
Effective Labelling
Proposal for a revised Energy Labelling Directive: in co-decision

mandatory

energy-related products
Proposal for a revised Ecolabel Regulation: in co-decision

voluntary

‘Front runner’ label (top 10%)

Broad scope
Incentives
Performance levels identified under revised Energy
Labelling Directive will also set basis:

for Member State’s incentives

for mandatory Public Procurement
Green Public Procurement:
Communication and Council conclusions
(voluntary actions)
16% of EU GDP
•
Provide Guidance
•
Set Common Criteria
•
Indicative Targets
Data and methods on products
 Consistent and reliable data required: Life-cycle
data and methodologies, Product data centre ...
 Sharing of data under different instruments
 Harmonised standards ?
Eco-label
Voluntary
10
Labelling
Directive
EU GPP
« Label of excellence »
9
A+++
8
A++
7
A+
6
A
5
B
Ecodesign:
Voluntary benchmarks
Compulsory minimum
requirements
Incentives
Stimulate market
for better
products ensuring
adequate
competition
EU GPP
Ecodesign
Exclusion from markets
4
C
3
D
2
G
1
Product Category
Not procure
below
benchmark
Working with Retailers
Retail Forum

Promote sustainable products

Reduce environmental footprint of retail sector

Green supply chains

Share best practice
not an exclusive club: Wider participation encouraged
Leaner Production
Leaner Production
Promote Resource Efficiency and
Eco-innovation

Tools to monitor and benchmark; towards targets

Environmental Technology Verification Scheme: proposal
end 2008/start 2009
Enhance the environmental potential of
industry

Revised EMAS Regulation: proposal in co-decision

Industrial policy for environmental industries: study
obstacles

Support SMEs: implementation
Global dimension
Towards Global Markets for Sustainable Products
Promote good practice - SCP Action Plan as input
to UN Marrakech10YPFP of actions
Promote international trade in environmentally
friendly goods and services
Promote sectoral approaches in international climate
negotiations
Overview
Council conclusions

SCP Action Plan

GPP Communication
In co-decision:




Recast of Ecodesign Directive
Recast of Energy Labelling Directive
Proposal for a revised Ecolabel Regulation
Proposal for a revised EMAS Regulation
Later in 2009:

Environmental Technology Verification Scheme

Retailer Forum
Review of Actions: 2012
 Extended Ecodesign & Labelling directives ?
European Commission
DG Environment
Sustainable Consumption and
Production Unit
Thank you
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/escp_en.htm