The Study

The overall objectives of the study are summarised as follows:

• Conduct a Review study including a technical analysis and a preparatory study as regards ecodesign and energy labelling requirements;
• Conduct an Evaluation of existing regulations;
• Prepare a supporting study for the Impact Assessment for (a) potential regulatory measures;
• Provide technical support to the Commission Services.

The Review study will include:

• A technical analysis comprising points listed in Article 8 of both (EU) 2019/2022 and (EU) 2019/2017 as well as new points identified based of the evolution of the state-of-the-art;
• A preparatory study, analysing the technical, economic, environmental, market and societal aspects of household dishwashers.
• It shall establish the problems and problem drivers to be addressed by the intervention. It shall also develop possible design options that have the potential to improve the environmental performance of the product category in scope in view of the potential revision of existing requirements and the introduction of new ESPR requirements, including a digital product passport (if appropriate given that an Energy Labelling already exists), the tracking of substances of concern and mandatory public procurement criteria (if appropriate).

This review study aims to provide a basis on which the Commission can update the current regulations within the ESPR framework. It will consider the introduction of new ecodesign requirements, potentially green public procurement (GPP) criteria, label criteria and/or a Digital Product Passport for the product group. The applicability of these instruments will be considered in parallel to ensure maximum synergy and complementarity.

The ESPR framework allows a wide range of requirements to be set, including on the following product aspects:

• product durability and reliability;
• product reusability;
• product upgradability, reparability, maintenance and refurbishment;
• the presence of substances of concern in products;
• product energy and resource efficiency;
• recycled content in products;
• product remanufacturing and recycling;
• products’ carbon and environmental footprints;
• products’ expected generation of waste materials.

The project team will carry out research in line with the proposed Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, following the structure prescribed by the latest Review of the Methodology for Ecodesign ofEnergy-related Products (MEErP) and the revised EcoReport tool.

The MEErP consists of seven tasks:

• Task 1 – Scope (definitions, standards and legislation);
• Task 2 – Markets (volumes and prices);
• Task 3 – Users (product demand side);
• Task 4 – Technologies (product supply side, includes both Best Available Technology and Best Not-Yet Available Technology);
• Task 5 – Environment & Economics (Base case LCA & LCA);
• Task 6 – Design options;
• Task 7 – Scenarios (Policy, scenario, impact and sensitivity analysis).

Furthermore, the Commission (via JRC) is currently developing additional methodologies (e.g. on substances of concern) to cover all aspects of the holistic ESPR framework. The study team will take into consideration the new methodologies, to the extent that they are available.

• Household Dishwashers (review of Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/2022 and Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/2017), see http://ecodesign-dishwashers.eu/.
• Industrial and commercial laundry appliances are covered by a separate ongoing ESPR preparatory study, see https://ecodesign-commlaundryappliances.eu.
• Professional Dishwashersare covered by a separate ongoing ESPR preparatory study, see https://ecodesign-commdishwashers.eu.
• Ecodesign preparatory study for product measures on materials and recycled content, including 5 mini Ecodesign studies, one of them on Household Washing Machines and Household Washer-Dryers, see https://www.ecodesignmaterials.eu/.

• European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Villanueva, A., Alborzi, F., Graulich, K. et al., Ecodesign and energy label for household dishwashers – Preparatory study – Final report, Publications Office, 2017, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/024232 .
• European Commission, Directorate-General for Environment, Elsen, M., Giesen, R., Study on consumer understanding of draft energy labels for household washing machines, household washer-dryers and household dishwashers – Final report, Publications Office, 2019, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2779/390012.
• European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Moons, H., Boyano, A., Rüdenauer, I. et al., Follow-up of the preparatory study for ecodesign and energy label for household dishwashers – Final report, Publications Office, 2017, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/0768