European Parliament Plenary Vote on the ESPR Adopts Strong Market Surveillance Obligations
Today, the European Parliament adopted its position on the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) proposal with a large majority and voted for a strong section on the enforcement of rules and market surveillance.
The plenary vote marks an important step for this key file which aims to make sustainable products the norm.
LightingEurope welcomes the Parliament’s approach to opt for maximum harmonization, to prevent fragmentation of the EU internal market, to enable economic operators to provide product instructions in digital format and to ensure that the Digital Product Passport will be interoperable with existing databases such as EPREL to avoid duplication of efforts.
The Parliament also took the important decision to maintain the strong section on the enforcement of rules and market surveillance, adding a new Member State obligation that ensures that sufficient resources for such activities are made available.
However, the plenary vote remains a missed opportunity to correct some of the shortcomings in the original European Commission’s proposal. The proposed provisions on Substances of Concern are extremely burdensome, requiring manufacturers to track thousands of substances through international supply chains. Unfortunately, these obligations risk remaining mostly non-implemented and unchecked by market surveillance authorities due to a structural lack of adequate enforcement activities.
The vote also failed to ensure that there is always a liable economic operator in the EU for products sold online which are non-compliant with the rules set by the ESPR.
Recently, also the EU Council agreed its approach on the file. Now that both the European Parliament and the Council have set their positions, inter-institutional negotiations, so-called trilogues, will start with the aim of agreeing on a common text.
“We regret that the European Parliament introduces new obligations for products, for example, the tracking of thousands of substances, that are very difficult to check. We are also concerned that at the same time, the EU Council proposes very weak rules on enforcement, e.g., deleting the Commission’s proposal on having a minimum number of checks on products,” says Elena Scaroni, Secretary General.
“Now, in view of the trilogues, we want to be optimistic. The Parliament and the Council can agree on the more pragmatic approach of the Council on Substances of Concern together with the reinforced enforcement rules proposed by the Parliament. We trust that the negotiators from the Parliament, MEP Ms. Alessandra Moretti with the shadow rapporteurs and the Spanish Presidency will find the right balance with the support of the European Commission.” she added.
Once agreed, the new ESPR rules will also set the framework for the 2024/2025 review of the current eco-design rules for control gears and light sources. LightingEurope places its technical expertise at the disposal of the EU institutions to help shape these future measures.
Find LightingEurope's recommendations for the ESPR file at the link here
Contact:
Elena Scaroni, Secretary General, elena.scaroni@lightingeurope.org
Sophia Ehmke, Senior Policy Officer, sophia.ehmke@lightingeurope.org
About LightingEurope
LightingEurope is the voice of the lighting industry, based in Brussels and representing 31 companies and national associations. Together these members account for over 1,000 European companies, a majority of which are small or medium-sized. They represent a total European workforce of over 100,000 people and an annual turnover exceeding 20 billion euro. LightingEurope is committed to promoting efficient lighting that benefits human comfort, safety and well-being, and the environment. LightingEurope advocates a positive business and regulatory environment to foster fair competition and growth for the European lighting industry. More information is available at www.lightingeurope.org.
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