Contact: Sylvia Maurer (BEUC), Tania Vandenberghe (ANEC)
Date: 05/05/2009
Reference: PR 026/2009 - ANEC-PR-2009-PRL-013

The European Parliament is due to vote tomorrow on two Motions for a Resolution concerning the
new layout of the well-known A-G Energy Label for TVs and refrigerating appliances. The new layout
originally proposed by the Commission was adopted at the end of March by Member States’
representatives in the Commission’s regulatory committee. It foresees that the top category of the
layout – the A category – will change over time and be named A -20%, A -40% etc. For BEUC, the
European Consumers’ Organisation, and ANEC, the European Consumer Voice in Standardisation,
this new layout is unacceptable: it will undermine all the efforts made over the past 15 years to
encourage consumers to buy more energy efficient TVs and refrigerating appliances whilst ruining all
consumer confidence in the Energy Label.
ANEC and BEUC therefore welcomed the vote of the Industry, Research and Energy Committee
(ITRE) on 21 April which rejected the proposed new layout of the Energy Label for both TVs and
refrigerating appliances. BEUC and ANEC now call on the European Parliament to follow the ITRE
vote. This rejection would force the Commission to come up with a more user friendly new layout
which is clearly understood by all consumers. ANEC and BEUC are confident that this rejection would
also be beneficial for the future Energy Label for other product categories as the information would
remain simple for all products on the market.
“We cannot accept such a change in the Energy Label layout, especially without it being at least
subject to a consumer perception survey. The current label has proved extremely successful with
consumers and has driven the market towards more energy efficient products. It is therefore crucial
that the Parliament uses its full scrutiny power tomorrow by adopting the two Motions for a
Resolution and making it clear the current layout proposal is not acceptable, whatever product group
it is for. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” stated Monique Goyens, BEUC Director General.
Stephen Russell, ANEC Secretary-General, noted “It is essential that the layout of the Energy Label
is kept simple in order for consumers to understand it easily – after all, it is intended to inform
consumers and not serve industry interests. We therefore urge Members of the European Parliament
to reject the proposed new layout for televisions and refrigerating appliances.”

B E U C - Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs - The European Consumers’ Organisation
rue d’Arlon 80 B-1040 Bruxelles, Tél: (+32-2) 789 24 01, Fax: (+32-2) 740.28.02
press@beuc.eu - www.beuc.eu
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A N E C - The European Consumer Voice in Standardisation
Av. de Tervueren 32, box 27 , B-1040 Bruxelles, Tél.: (+32-2) 743.24.70, Fax: (+32-2)706.54.30
anec@anec.eu - www.anec.eu