Frankfurt am Main, May 6, 2013 – To close gaps in the Eco-Design Directive regarding energy-efficient drives, the European Commission plans to strengthen the Commission Regulation (640/2009) with regard to Eco-Design requirements for electric motors with a transitional period of only 20 days. So far, motors that are intended for the use in heights above 1,000 m (above sea-level) or a surrounding temperature of over 40° C or under minus 15° C are exempted from the Eco-Design Directive. According to plans of the EU, the limit values shall be cut down on a height of 4,000 m, 60° C and minus 30° C.

"The intended publication of the legislative amendment in the Official Journal in October 2013 is practically without any transitional period", says head of Electric Drives Systems Sector of the ZVEI Automation Division, Gunther Koschnick. "Such a fast implementation is quite impossible. We are talking about the drastic tightening of the technical specifications leading to changes in construction." He warns that these legislative amendments could endanger particularly mechanical engineering companies if all of a sudden they are not allowed to install the current motor type any longer. The ZVEI, together with the European association CEMEP (Comité Européen de Constructeurs de Machines Electriques et d'Electronique de Puissance), therefore have long been calling for a sufficient transitional period until the regulation becomes effective.

The Motor Regulation shall lead to more energy efficiency within industry. The ZVEI estimates that in the area of drives the annual savings potential for electrical energy alone in Germany adds up to 38 billion kilowatt hours per year. This is where the ZVEI sees the biggest savings potential in general. Koschnick points out: "We expressly support the EU target to limit the derogations in order to contribute to energy efficiency. However, the commission clearly oversteps the mark. We ask for a more realistic transitional period."

Press contact: F. Rainer Bechtold, phone +49 69 6302-255