Strasbourg from above

Last week, I learnt that the EU sets limits on the amount of power equipment can use when it is in stand by mode and off mode. These limits were introduced through Regulation 1275/2008. This regulation was implemented under Directive 2005/32/EC.

I have since learnt that Directive 2005/32/EC has been repealed, and replaced by Directive 2009/125/EC. Both of these directives aim to reduce the energy consumption and environmental impact of a range of products. The new directive expands the scope of the old directive to include a wider range of products.

The regulation on stand by power consumption was based on the old directive. But, the old directive has been replaced. Is the original regulation still in force?

After much searching, I have not been able to find a definitive answer. But, here are my thoughts.

Directive 2009/125/EC states that references to the repealed directive will be construed as references to the new directive. This suggests to me that the regulation on stand by power consumption will continue, but now refer to the new directive instead the old one.

On a practical note, the new directive aims to achieve the same goals as the old directive, but covers a wider range of products. The regulations implemented under the old directive go some way to achieving those goals for specific groups of products. It seems counterproductive for the new directive to undo those regulations.

Is Regulation 1275/2008 on stand by power consumption still effective under the new directive? I’m not sure, but if I had to guess, I would say yes.

Building detail, Strasbourg

Last week, I set out to learn what EU policies were in place on computer energy consumption. I was disappointed when all I found was the EU Energy Star programme.

This week, I decided to escape the confines of the Europa pages, and see what Google could turn up for me. I ultimately ended up back on the Europa web site, but with far more interesting results.

I discovered the EU Ecodesign concept. Ecodesign seems to be a name the EU has applied to a collection of initiatives and legislation that aim to reduce the energy consumption and environmental impact of a range of products.

The overall framework for the Ecodesign principles was established by EU Directive 2005/32/EC. While the directive provides a foundation for Ecodesign, the details of how Ecodesign applies to specific products are contained in separate regulations.

I decided to look at Regulation 1275/2008 which sets out the requirements for stand by mode and off mode of household electrical and electronic equipment. The list of equipment it applies to covers most of the things you have plugged in to power sockets in your home, including computers.

The regulation sets limits for the energy consumed by equipment when it is in stand by mode and off mode. As far as I can tell, the limits apply to equipment that is sold in the EU. The requirements will be phased in over 4 years, starting in December 2008.

Here is a summary of the requirements.

1 year after the regulation is in force (December 2009):

• Power consumption in off mode must be 1 Watt or less;
• Power consumption in stand by mode which allows reactivation must be 1 Watt or less;
• Power consumption in stand by mode which allows reactivation and displays information (such as a clock) must be 2 Watts or less.

4 years after the regulation is in force (December 2012):

• Power consumption in off mode must be 0.5 Watts or less;
• Power consumption in stand by mode which allows reactivation must be 0.5 Watts or less;
• Power consumption in stand by mode which allows reactivation and displays information (such as a clock) must be 1 Watt or less.

The regulation also provides that equipment that is connected to mains power must have a stand by or off mode, and must also have a power management function which automatically switches the device into stand by mode or off mode when it is not being actively used.

Houses by the river, Strasbourg

I started on the Europa Policy Areas page, and went to the Energy section. The overview on the Energy Policy page suggests that EU energy policy primarily focuses on where energy comes from. Energy efficiency is mentioned, but seems to be a smaller area of the overall EU energy policy.

Under the Legislation tab, I found a link about Energy Efficiency, and from there a link to Energy Efficiency of Office Equipment. This took me to a page about the Energy Star programme.

You have probably seen the Energy Star stickers around. From a user’s perspective, Energy Star is a labelling programme. If office equipment meets certain specifications for energy use, they can display the Energy Star label.

I followed the link to the EU Energy Star page for more information. I had a look around, but did not come away with much. The content felt mostly like marketing, with some notable statistics thrown in.

Here are a few facts from the Consumers page and the Statistics page:

• The annual energy usage for a new home computer and printer can range from 40kWh-400kWh.
• An energy efficient computer and printer can save 150-200 Euros in electricity costs over its lifetime (5-6 years).
• Home office equipment accounts for approximately 9% of the average household electricity bill.
• Office equipment accounts for approximately 11% of electricity usage in the tertiary sector.

I am not quite sure what the tertiary sector is. The statistics are separated into residential, tertiary, and industry. So, I think the tertiary sector means office-based businesses.

I get the impression that there must be more to EU policy on computer energy consumption than the Energy Star programme. I went back to the Europa Energy Efficiency page to see if there were any other links that looked promising, but none stood out. Perhaps it is tucked away in another area of the broader EU energy policy.

I decided to start with the Europa website. Europa, I discovered, is the official EU website. It took a lot of clicking around, but I found what I wanted eventually, and I know a lot more about the EU than I did yesterday.

The European Union's main web site - europa.eu

The Europa front page has links to all sorts of interesting information. There are links to policy areas, consumer information, media, and official documents and legislation. Right at the top there is a Basic Information section. That looked like the place for me to start.

The Basic Information page was not what I was expecting. I expected the usual ‘about us’ page which would give me a bit of an overview and point me in the right direction for more information about how EU policies are created.

Instead, the Basic Information page had links to charts and graphs, slide presentations, and lessons. There was a link to EU fact sheets, which seemed like the best option. Sadly, the link took me to a notice saying the page no longer existed before redirecting me to a different web site, the European Parliament site.

On the European Parliament page, I noticed a section on the EU and its Institutions, which I though might help answer my questions. It turned out to be a list of recent articles and news items.

Having hit a dead end, I went back to the Europa Basic Information page. I clicked on the Panorama of the EU question and answer guide. I had avoided this link the first time because I generally don’t like the question and answer format.

The Panorama page was not your usual question and answer page. It read more like a corporate mission statement. Not particularly helpful. By this stage I was wondering, in frustration, why they didn’t have a summary that tells me what the EU actually does?

However, I did find my first useful snippet of information. There are 3 main EU institutions:

1. European Parliament, which represents the people of Europe;
2. Council of the European Union, which represents national governments;
3. European Commission, which represents the common EU interest.

I wondered what they meant by the common EU interest. I assumed it was most likely their foreign affairs and trade section. I was soon to find out this assumption was wrong.

As I was about the leave the Panorama page, I noticed some more links off to the side. One of them was What do we do? Maybe that would have the information I was looking for.

The What do we do? page seemed to cover the EU’s key policy areas, but nothing about where the policy originates.

As an aside, I was interested to notice that environment and climate change each seem to be separate policy areas. I’ll keep them in mind to explore another day.

I was still no closer to answering my questions about where EU policies come from. There was another link off to the side titled How are we organised? It seemed worth a try, and I was rewarded with a first page that actually looked promising.

The How are we organised? page had a summary of nine EU institutions, including the three important ones I found earlier. And, finally, there were the answers to my questions about where EU policy comes from and how it is implemented.

The European Parliament has shared responsibility for passing European laws, based on proposals put forward by the European Commission. The European Parliament is elected by the people every five years.

The European Parliament shares responsibility for passing EU laws with the Council of the European Union. The Council of the European Union is comprised of ministers from the national governments of EU countries. They are responsible for EU foreign policy, security policy, defence policy, and justice and freedom issues.

Within the Council of the European Union, overall EU policy is set by the prime ministers and presidents of the EU countries.

The European Commission is responsible for drafting proposed EU laws, which are presented to the European Parliament and Council to be passed. They are also responsible for implementing EU policies, using EU funds, and enforcing EU laws.

It appears that EU policy originates in the Council of the European Union. The laws then need to be passed by the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament.

This process is roughly similar to the process in Australia, where new laws have to be passed by both houses of parliament.

Finally, EU policy and laws are all administered, implemented, and enforced by the European Commission, effectively the EU’s civil service.

European Parliament, Strasbourg

I was born in Australia and Graham was born in the United Kingdom. Over the last few years we have noticed a common trend with policy decisions and focus from our home countries. When a topic appears in one parliament, it soon appears in its foreign counterpart. Neither country mentions the other, but the overlap is uncanny.

DssW is an English limited company. The company is subject to English company law, and ultimately EU law. So EU legislation has a direct effect on our business and customers.

Coming from Australia, I know little about the EU and how it works. Australia can feel a long way from the rest of the world.

The EU seems to lead the way in many areas, including energy and environment policy, which is where my particular interest lies. I would like to find out where these policies come from. Specifically, who and what creates EU policy? And once created, how do the policies get put into practice within EU countries?

These are broad questions, and I don’t expect to find answers immediately. I will start by seeing what Europa has to offer. Europa appears to be the EU’s main web site. I’ve stumbled upon Europa in the past, and it seems to be a good starting point.