New ecodesign and energy labelling compliance support facility for suppliers and retailers

Topic description

Objective:

Ecodesign and energy labelling for energy-related products enjoy widespread support by suppliers, retailers, consumers and citizens, but non-compliance with the requirements is a significant and growing concern (e.g. over 70% of products failing to meet the information requirements). Lack of awareness, knowledge or detailed understanding of the legislative provisions by economic operators is one of the likely main reasons, rather than bad will. The objective of this action is to increase visibility to operators of (existing) resources available to help them comply through increased outreach and proactive involvement by relevant stakeholders (as specified below).

To address this, the proposed action(s) should establish a facility combining both reactive and proactive assistance to economic operators through targeted and timely information to increase their awareness, knowledge and understanding of the concerned Regulations. The precise nature of the action is very much left up to the project proposals to define, though attention should be also given to reaching small and medium size suppliers and retailers (e.g., those not engaged in trade associations and/or located in remote areas), for example on regulatory changes concerning new or rescaled energy labels. Actions should cover at least the following and have both a reactive and proactive nature:

• Raise the capacity of manufacturers and, in particular, retailers on future rescaled, new labels or other important topics through targeted and timely communication and training campaigns, taking into account and, when possible, building upon the experience of previous, related H2020 projects.
• Use or adapt existing technical guidance and promotional material or create new ones as appropriate. The facility should not invent or take responsibility for interpretations or other guidance, but rather help users find what exists (and refer to the competent national authorities, including market surveillance authorities or the Commission on questions where no answers or guidance exists).
• Disseminate knowledge about available guidance/resources through the appropriate channels (websites, emails, webinars, participation in conferences, sectoral trade fairs, mailings, industry associations, specialised networks etc.), including on EPREL, with a view to raising retailers’ awareness on its existence and stimulating their potential role as multipliers.
• Set-up a help-line service to address enquiries from economic operators (which are often too specific to be dealt with effectively by the Commission’s Europe Direct service). Questions for which no authoritative or clear answers exist yet may simply be acknowledged as such and “escalated” to the authorities.

To ensure adequacy of the information provided, beneficiaries will proactively liaise with the Commission or the competent national authorities, including national market surveillance authorities, where appropriate.

All relevant stakeholders (e.g. European and national level organisations) necessary for the successful implementation of the action should be involved, including at least:

• European organisations representing relevant economic operators in different sectors (e.g. associations of suppliers, associations of retailers), with a minimum of 5 partners covering together through their membership at least 2/3 of the EU Member States.
• European organisations representing relevant actors in the public or non-profit sector, with a minimum of 2 partners representing consumer, environmental NGO or Market Surveillance Authorities’ organisations, covering together through their membership at least 2/3 of the EU Member States.

Access to (networks of) experts with technical knowledge on the concerned products, regulations and standards as well as the wider legal framework will be necessary. The facility would need to be sufficiently resourced to provide swift follow-up to operators using the help-line service. Expertise in communication and outreach are also needed.

The proposed actions are invited to build on experiences and lessons learned in other relevant projects and programmes.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of up to EUR 2.5 million would allow the specific objectives to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Proposals may be submitted by a single applicant or by applicants from a single eligible country.

Proposals should result in increased understanding of and compliance with EU ecodesign and energy labelling legislation by economic operators.

Proposals should quantify their impacts using the indicators listed below, where relevant, as well as other project-specific performance indicators:

• Number of economic operators engaged and informed by actions aiming at improving their understanding of new legislative acts (e.g. new or rescaled labels), at least 5 000 per million Euro of EU funding.
• Primary energy savings triggered by the project (in GWh/year).
• Renewable energy generation triggered by the project (in GWh/year).
• Investments in sustainable energy renovation triggered by the project (cumulative, in million Euro).

These impacts should be demonstrated during the project and within 5 years after the project lifetime.