The regulations are implementation measures under the EU ecodesign directive (see EurActiv LinksDossier), which allows the Commission to set minimum efficiency standards for energy-using products.
The EU executive estimates that the new measures will save about 190 TWh annually by 2020, equalling the combined yearly electricity consumption of Sweden and Austria.
"This package is a milestone on the road to achieving our energy efficiency, climate change and economic recovery objectives," said Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs.
The new specifications will only let the most efficient televisions and refrigerating appliances onto the market. According to the Commisission, this will save energy customers 30 TWh of electricity each year by 2020.
New rules for industrial motors make it illegal to bring inefficient products to the market as of 2011. Large motors will have to be highly efficient from 2015, with all other motors following in 2017. Alternatively, they may be equipped with "variable speed drivers," which adjust output to actual needs so that the appliance does not run at full capacity all the time.
The specifications for water circulators, found in boilers and heating systems, will shift the market towards "intelligent" products that adjust to the heating system's needs, the EU executive stated.
Green organisations welcomed the new legislation, but argued that it did not go far enough to fully tap into the savings potential. When the new standards were discussed in March, green NGOs teamed up in calling for standards beyond those that the industry is already prepared to deliver voluntarily (EurActiv 12/03/09).
Environmentalists argue that stricter standards could deliver 20% more energy savings, urging the Commission to show more ambition in preparing standards for boilers and air-conditioners.
Nine eco-design regulations have been adopted so far.
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