Introductory text

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Articles 194 and 207, in conjunction with point (a) of Article 218(6) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Having regard to the consent of the European Parliament,

Whereas:

On 12 July 2011 the Council authorised the Commission to negotiate an Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the European Union on the coordination of energy-efficiency labelling programmes for office equipment (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Agreement’).

In line with the authorisation of the Council, the Energy Working Group of the Council was consulted and assisted the Commission in the negotiations.

The negotiations have been concluded and the Agreement was initialled on 29 November 2011.

The appropriate internal Union procedures should be established to ensure the proper functioning of the Agreement.

Office equipment will account for a growing share of energy consumption in the future as new applications and functionalities appear. In order to meet the Union objective of saving 20 % of its energy consumption compared to projections for 2020, as endorsed at the Spring 2007 European Council, the energy performance of office equipment has to be further optimised.

Since office equipment is a fast evolving market, it is essential to frequently reassess the potential for maximising energy savings and environmental benefits by stimulating the supply of, and demand for, energy-efficient products. It is therefore necessary to empower the Commission, assisted by a Union advisory board composed of national representatives and of all interested parties, to regularly reassess and upgrade the Common Specifications of office equipment set out in the Agreement.

Given that manufacturers participating in the EU Energy Star programme are mostly small and medium-sized enterprises, product registration in the Union should continue to be unburdensome and based on self-certification. This should be coupled with stronger enforcement of the EU Energy Star programme by the Commission in cooperation with Member States.

The Technical Commission established by the Agreement should be responsible for reviewing the implementation of the Agreement.

Pursuant to the Agreement, the United States of America and the Union are each to designate a management entity responsible for implementation of the Agreement. To that effect the Union should designate the Commission as a management entity,

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