Omnibus on energy products labelling

Key points

The EESC:

• recommends that the proposal extend beyond pre-contractual data to cover post-purchase information, integrating EPREL into the product lifecycle via the future Digital Product Passport; considers that the EPREL database structure should be updated to showcase operational data such as battery cycles, repairability and water usage; stresses that relevant information must remain free and accessible without registration for as long as the product is usable, even after the model has been withdrawn or the supplier has ceased its activities, so that consumers, repairers and technicians can still service and repair the product;
• insists that digital tools such as QR codes or nested views must never obscure essential data; stresses that energy labels must remain immediately visible in search results, comparison tools and shopping carts, supported by intuitive online energy-rating filters, and that QR codes should offer multilingual details and replace traditional barcodes to enhance company and product traceability;
• advocates modernising market surveillance by providing national authorities with digital control tools, specialised training, shared technologies and tighter integration with product safety reporting, in order to prevent Single Market fragmentation; considers that the Commission's evaluation reports should move from a four-year to a two-year cycle and be launched sooner, since a four-year timeline is too slow to assess a digital-first reform; stresses that digital infrastructure alone is insufficient and that effective enforcement requires stable funding, technical expertise and an adequate number of trained inspectors;
• emphasises the need to prevent digital exclusion among vulnerable groups through digital literacy campaigns in rural or low-income areas, combined with accessible layouts for people with disabilities, such as easy-to-read text, Braille, larger fonts and distinct visual icons, so that digitalisation of the label does not become a barrier to information.