July 27, 2007—The European Parliament has adopted a new ENERGY STAR regulation that requires Member States to apply demanding energy efficiency criteria in the public procurement of office equipment.
This marks the first time that the Council, the European Parliament, and the Commission have agreed to make energy efficiency criteria binding in public procurement, notes the EU. ENERGY STAR is part of the EU’s strategy to better manage energy demand, contribute to energy supply security, and mitigate climate change.
The regulation requires EU institutions and central government authorities in Member States to use energy efficiency criteria that are no less demanding than the ones defined in the ENERGY STAR program, when purchasing office equipment.
The new regulation is expected to push the demand for energy-efficient equipment and increase its market penetration. The EU notes that equipment has frequently been purchased without considering the electricity costs for using it, even though an energy-efficient model is ultimately much cheaper when both purchase price and costs for electricity use are taken into consideration. Experience from other countries such as the US shows that public procurement is a powerful tool to push energy efficiency, adds the EU.
More information on the EU ENERGY STAR program is available online.
