Brussels – Providing a comprehensive overview of the entire product life cycle and improving transparency and accessibility through digital tools. This is what the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) made clear to the European Commission regarding the new energy labelling scheme. In an opinion adopted during the September plenary session, the EESC emphasised that the new system proposed by the Commission must cover the entire product life cycle – from purchase to repair and resale – and make use of digital tools to improve transparency and accessibility. According to the EESC, a new proposal from the European Commission should therefore include so-called “post-purchase information”, making data from the European Product Register for Energy Labelling (EPREL) available. Specifically, the EPREL database should include information on battery cycles, reparability and water consumption. Furthermore, energy labels must be immediately visible in search results and online shopping baskets.
A member of the Committee, Hernández Colomer, stated that “product data is crucial not only when making a purchasing decision, but also for repairs, maintenance, the supply of spare parts and resale markets.” For this reason, “the EPREL database must serve as a life-cycle database providing accurate, downloadable, and up-to-date information identifying the responsible economic operator.” In the European Union, if you manufacture, import, or sell products such as household appliances or tyres, you are required to comply with European legislation on energy labelling. There are therefore classifications that use a colour-coded system to indicate a product’s energy efficiency. Labels must be displayed prominently on products at points of sale, including online retailers.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
