The EU energy label for products has been a key driver supporting innovation and market development for energy efficient products for more than 20 years. The label stimulated innovation by manufacturers and demand for energy efficient products by consumers and professional buyers. However the current label concept involving A+++ to D efficiency classes has become cumbersome and less effective and the EU therefore has decided to reinvent the original A-G class concept combined with future rescaling of classes based on technology and market development. The transition process until the new label is fully established and effectively used requires effective guidance and support of stakeholders ensuring correct implementation by suppliers and retailers as well as full understanding, high acceptance and efficient use of the new label by consumers and professional buyers. The LABEL 2020 project is designed as a comprehensive action supporting this transition process in a most effective way by supporting + consumers and professional buyers by means of effective information campaigns, services and tools. Services shall motivate and support buyers in the consideration and use of the new labels for their purchasing decision. Transparency of the label rescaling process shall be effectively supported. + retailers in the correct, efficient and effective implementation of the new label at the point of sale and in online shops including training for sales persons and supportive tools for the label promotion. + suppliers in the provision of correct labels and product information, to convince them to consider the label as an important tool for promotion of efficient products and to motivate them towards further innovation for energy efficient appliances. + policy makers, public administrators and multipliers in the use and promotion of the new label within national programs and schemes (e.g. green procurement, incentives). + development and exchange of best practice from campaigns.

This proposal proposes a substantial project of a pan-EU market surveillance action to achieve impacts in line with the aims and objectives of the Horizon 2020 ― Work Programme 2018-2020 Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy. The project, if approved, will be the most comprehensive and complex product market surveillance exercise ever undertaken in the EU’s energy efficiency and Ecodesign sector, building on and reinforcing the successes and momentum of the predecessor programmes: Energy Efficiency Compliant Products (ECOPLIANT, EEPLIANT2014 and EEPLIANT2), Market Surveillance Project for TYRES 2015 (MSTyr15). The proposed activities are structured around the needs and priorities identified by the memberships of the Energy Labelling and Eco-design ADCOs. These, without surprise, closely match the requirements set in the Call with ref. no. H2020-IBA-SC3-energy-2018, Exchange of information and best practices, development of common methods, protocols, checklists or IT tools (e.g. web crawlers), execution of joint surveillance activities, strengthening the collaboration with customs authorities, communication, establishment of centres of excellence for product testing, support the development of the Energy Labelling products registration database, input into standardisation, addressing challenging issues like defeat devices, software updates, plausibility testing, support for international alignment of test standards are all covered. The methodology to be used for addressing those requirements will include the delivery of a programme structure consisting of a matrix of activities both horizontal (method development and capacity improvement) and vertical (product inspection and testing). This will result in building further expertise, developing and adopting common best practices and protocols by the Member State Authorities (MSAs). Altogether, Energy Efficiency Compliant Products 3 (EEPLIANT3) is expected to substantially enhance the impacts and the overall effectiveness and efficiency of market surveillance across the European Union (EU). The core objective of this proposal is to continue the transformation of the effectiveness and efficiency of the market surveillance work undertaken across the European Union (EU) in the field of the Energy Labelling Regulation 2017/1369 and the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125. This will be achieved through the coordination of the monitoring, verification and enforcement activities of 24 MSAs and 5 other organisations across the Single Market plus Turkey and through further enhancing their knowledge, skills and experience of doing this type of work. Key to this effort will be the development of strategic IT tools that overlap with every WP in the project and that aim to go beyond business as usual. These tools will help MSAs achieve greater results with the same level of resources, a necessity in light of the doubling of Ecodesign and energy labelling requirements over the past six years without equivalent increases in financing. Furthermore, the project will seek to enhance the visibility and outreach of market surveillance activities by engaging with key stakeholders ― the ADCOs, the EU trade associations of the suppliers of the products to be inspected and consumer organisations. As a result, stakeholders will continue to build confidence in the increasing effectiveness of market surveillance in the EU/EEA. The project directly addresses all the requirements identified in the Call. The Scope calls for strengthening the enforcement of these two pieces of legislation and specifically asks for supporting the monitoring, verification and enforcement activities of MSAs. The main activity described in this proposal is the market surveillance of specific product sectors and the (further) development of tools – including innovative IT-tools – and methodologies in support of the MSAs. This work is to be undertaken by the responsible enforcement authorities in the Member States (MS) in liaison