From January 1, 2019, the implementation of the regulations governing the requirements of eco design for several groups of household appliances begins:
- refrigerators (refrigerators and freezers),
- air conditioners,
- washing machines,
- drying machines,
- dishwashers,
- oriented and LED bulbs,
- set-top boxes and
- electrical power supply.
The Ministry of Economy passed the aforementioned regulations a year ago, and their implementation will mean the gradual elimination of certain less efficient technologies from the Montenegrin market, in line with the EU practice.
For certain groups of devices, the Ministry of Economy has had intensive communication with importers and distributors, but also with inspection bodies, and through a series of meetings and workshops worked on their information and preparation for the obligations arising from these regulations.
In addition, from January 1, 2019, the second phase of the regulations governing the requirements of eco design for non-directional household bulbs starts to apply, which means banning the sale of classical bulbs with an incandescent bulb of 75 W or greater.
Technical requirements for eco-design for conventional bulbs are applied in phases. This means that the ban on the placing on the market of conventional bulbs with an incandescent power of 60 W will begin to increase from 1 July 2019, and from 1 January 2020, it will not be allowed to place on the market all classical incandescent light bulbs other than those based on a new, more energy-efficient technology.
The application of these regulations means banning the placing on the market of products that do not meet the prescribed requirements of eco design, but not the sale of those who have already been marketed before the date of application of the rules. In this way, distributors are allowed to sell stocks of devices that they imported until January 1, 2019.
The establishment of a legal framework governing the introduction of eco design and energy efficiency labeling (energy class devices) of the product is supported by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). All relevant regulations adopted in the previous period can be downloaded on the website of the Ministry of Economy.
MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
OFFICE FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE