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After successful ATLETE I we move on to ATLETE II
ATLETE II will build upon experience and procedures developed in ATLETE I, adapting them to washing-machines, the second most important appliance installed in European households and validated through field studies.
ATLETE II will carry out for the first time in the EU, laboratory testing of a product under the new Energy Labeling regulations by also applying a new measurement method.
The aim of ATLETE II is to work closely with Market Surveillance Authorities, sharing and discussing test results and experience gained through the project. This exercise will help Member States control the correct labelling/eco-design implementation measures.
Through ATLETE II the project team will seek to confirm that compliance verification testing for market surveillance can be done in a systematic, effective and cost-efficient way, thus setting another cornerstone in facilitating market transformation and helping to ensure the highest benefit for consumers, manufacturers and the environment.
Key stakeholders in this project include Energy Agencies and MSA, manufacturers, retailers, university experts, consumer groups and NGOs, the media and general public. Progress and results will be widely disseminated via this website, papers, a final report, conferences and press releases following the progress of the project.
Eleven partners from seven different European countries will work together in order to accomplish the following:
- identify examples of effective enforcement of existing labelling/eco-design legislation and national market surveillance;
- address the issue of the feasibility and affordability of verification compliance testing for Energy labeling and Eco-design requirements;
- upgrade and share an effective and transparent procedure for the verification of the manufacturers' labelling/eco-design declaration including a methodology for the selection of laboratories and appliance models;
- provide the European Commission and Member States with results of pan-European testing on a large number of the second most important household appliance: the washing machine;
- inform national Market Surveillance Authorities in case of non-compliance, as well as compliance, of each tested product model;
- give concrete support to EU and National Authorities for an effective energy labelling and eco-design implementation;
- raise National Authorities' awareness of the effectiveness of the energy labelling/eco-design on national energy efficiency.
Project duration: 30 months
Start date: 01 May 2012
Total Budget: € 1.591.093
Total EC financial contribution: € 1.193.316
ATLETE I is concluded
The Final Results Oriented report containing a comprehensive overview on the project methodology and main outcomes is downloadable here
Using a formal tested methodology, ATLETE project set out to demonstrate that market surveillance activities for household appliance energy labelling are essential, technically possible and cost effective. By testing 80 randomly selected refrigerating appliances ATLETE project has for the first time conducted a European-wide market surveillance on a EU policy measure.
The final test results show that 80% of appliances subjected to testing and for which testing has been concluded complied with the energy efficiency class declaration and the two related key parameters: energy consumption and storage volume.
But when all five parameters are taken into consideration 57% of them do not comply with at least one of the tested parameters. (See the final results summary)
All test results and test reports for each individual model are publicly available on this website and have been shared with the EU Member State Market Surveillance Authorities, media, experts and stakeholders.
The project had a very concrete result on a number of models tested. In 25 specific examples, the manufacturers accepted the results of Step I (first model tested) and agreed to make specific remedy actions, such as the correction of the label declarations and/or of the technical fiche, the improvement of the product's documentation and user manual, as well as the printed and web catalogues. In some cases the production of the model was discontinued. In a specific case, due to the ATLETE test result findings, a manufacturer has discovered - and then solved - a problem having occurred in the production of batch of products, another example of improvement includes a product update also for the succeeding model range, if the original model was not distributed anymore after the publication of the test results.
The project results and reaction from manufacturers indicate that similar activities are needed, and that improvement in label compliance is possible (see the "ATLETE results" page for more information and data).
