Voluntary agreements on printers

Subject: Voluntary agreements on printers

Many reports have identified printers as an extremely wasteful product category. Additionally, a Prospective Registry Of MultiPlex Testing (PROMPT) study has shown that printers are the products most often reported by consumers when taking the purchase price, importance, repair/guarantee options and expected life cycle into account. More than 80 % of printers break in the first three years. Voluntary agreements with producers have not produced any results.

Is the Commission planing to propose regulatory measures addressing the durability and reparability of printers and cartridges?

Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius on behalf of the European Commission (9 August 2021)

The new Circular Economy Action Plan of 2020 (1) announced that printers and consumables such as cartridges will be covered by the upcoming Ecodesign Working Plan (2), unless the sector reaches an ambitious voluntary agreement within a six-month timeframe.

The Ecodesign Directive (3) includes a possibility for such self-regulation through voluntary agreements as an alternative to implementing measures. On behalf of the manufacturers of printers as well as other types of imaging equipment, a voluntary agreement was shared with the Commission within the stipulated timeframe. The level of ambition and the impacts of the proposed voluntary agreement are currently being evaluated by the Commission following the requirements for such self-regulation measures, as set out by the Ecodesign Directive. Provisions related to reparability, durability and other aspects related to the circular design of imaging equipment are being taken into account in this regard.

Based on this evaluation, the Commission will determine whether the voluntary agreement is sufficiently ambitious and whether an implementing measure for imaging equipment would be needed instead.

⋅1∙ https://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/

⋅2∙ https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12852-Energy-efficiency-and-circular-economy-ecodesign-and-energy-labelling-working-

plan-2020-2024_en

⋅3∙ Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for

energy-related products, OJ L 285, 31.10.2009, p. 10‐35.