Energy labels

EU energy labels were introduced by the EU in 1994 to provide a clear indication of the energy efficiency of products at the point of purchase. The aim is to save electricity consumption, thus reducing costs for the consumer and reducing gas emissions.

Directive 2009/125/EC establishes a framework for setting eco-design requirements for energy-related products. This Directive is key in promoting energy efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of products.

Directive 2012/27/EU amended the 2009 legislation to further promote energy efficiency*. It requires national authorities to do the following:
  • Establish an indicative national energy efficiency target.
  • Approve a long-term strategy to renovate residential and commercial buildings.
  • Renovate, from 1 January 2014, 3 % of the total floor area of government-owned buildings.
  • Introduce energy efficiency obligation schemes to achieve an annual 1.5 % energy saving* by final customers between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2020.
  • Submit large enterprises to an independent energy audit from 2016.
  • Ensure customers are billed on their actual consumption at least once a year.
  • Inform the Commission, by 31 December 2015, of the potential for efficient co-generation* and district heating and cooling*.


Starting from 2021, the EU adopts new labeling which, according to estimates, should lead to annual savings of 38 TWh by 2030, equivalent to the annual consumption of electricity in Hungary.

As for consumers, this means an average saving of up to € 285 per year on their domestic energy bill. Furthermore, energy efficiency measures creates near € 63 billion in extra revenue for European companies.

To make this possible, the EU has put in place regulations and directives, in particular for energy labeling and eco-design of products.

Energy labelling tools

These energy label templates (InDesign) can be used to create and print high resolution energy labels for all product groups. 
The energy label generator is a complementary tool for creating a tailor-made energy label (e.g. for printing or for on-line publication), deriving from the regulations adopted before 2016. 
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Eco-friendly design

Regarding eco-friendly design, the European Commission has adopted Regulations for 10 product. For 8 of these categories are revisions and updates. These 10 categories are:
  • washing machines and washer dryers
  • dishwasher
  • electronic displays
  • domestic refrigerators
  • light sources
  • refrigerators with direct sales function
  • external power supplies
  • electric engines
  • power transformers
  • welding equipment.

Ecodesign legislation is complementary to energy labeling: it sets minimum requirements on aspects such as standby energy consumption, repairability, availability of spare parts and facilitates dismantling and recycling when the product comes to an end life cycle, thus contributing to the implementation of the circular economy.

Overall, this new set of measures is expected to result in an additional energy saving of 94 TWh per year by 2030, which is higher than the annual electricity consumption of Belgium and Luxembourg.

New Ecodesign in 2023


​On 30 March 2022, the Commission proposed a new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation for more environmentally sustainable and circular products. It was published together with the Ecodesign and energy labelling working plan 2022-2024, which covers new energy-related products and updates and increases the ambition for products that are already regulated, as a transitionary measure until the new regulation enters into force.

The Regulation is repealing the Directive 2009/125/EC.

On 5 December 2023, the Council and the Parliament have reached a provisional political agreement on the proposed regulation. A vote of the Parliament and Council will follow.

The ecodesign regulation would be applicable to almost all categories of products (i.e. dishwashers, televisions, windows, car chargers, etc). It establishes a harmonised framework for setting of requirements for specific product groups to make them not only energy and resource-efficient (as it was the case in the existing 2009 directive) but also more durable, reliable, reusable, upgradable, reparable, recyclable and easier to maintain. The Commission will be able to propose new requirements by delegated acts when new kinds of products or technologies call for it.
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The regulation also aims at facilitating the movement of such products in the Single Market.  A new "Digital Product Passport" will provide information about products' environmental sustainability. It will help consumers and businesses to make informed choices when purchasing products and help public authorities to better perform checks and controls. The proposal also establishes provisions regarding transparency and prevention of destruction of unsold consumer products.