Workshop for Bureaux of Standards Bay Garden, St. Lucia EASTERN CARIBBEAN ENERGY LABELING PROJECT Christoph Menke Consultant CREDP/GIZ ECELP WHICH APPROACH WOULD COUNTRIES CHOSE IN OECS FOR STANDARDIZATION AND LABELLING

We need to discuss which way to go?  Products come in from Latin America with labels from Argentina and EU and USA.  See next table: Refrigerators in St. Lucia Key Question:  Shall we follow one of the big LA countries or EU or USA or?  Is COPANT able to establish a regional standard (test protocol / Norm with MEPS) on which base then countries can issue their labels? THE FRAMEWORK FOR OECS

OVERVIEW ON FRIDGES CURRENTLY SOLD IN ST LUCIA COUNTRY OF ORIGINA MEXICO ITALY USA UK GERMANY CHINA LABELS FROM: EU USA (ENERGY GUIDE) ARGENTINA

 Currently in LAC countries many different national labels based on different standards are used.  Into the OECS countries appliances with any kind of label or even without any label are imported and sold. Assumption:  The OECS countries are too small to issue national standards and require that all imported items are tested according to their national standards.  If there is no national standard with testing, then does it make sense to issue a national label. Correct?  The OECS countries need to take over a regional or international widely known standard as a base to issue their national labels. BACKGROUND OF THE SITUATION - 1

 Most appliances in the OECS countries are coming from Latin- American countries, some from the US and EU and some from Asia. All with different labels!  Some products are coming in without any label!  COPANT is the regional standard organisation that has started to issue regional standards  But only when COPANT standard are up-to date and are widely adopted in the Region, then they can have an impact on market development/transformation of household appliances towards more efficient ones.  Only when the COPANT standards are widely recognized by many countries in LAC as a base for issuing the national labels, then the manufacturers will be interested to get their products tested based on COPANT standards as well in addition to EU and/or US standards. BACKGROUND – ROLE OF COPANT

 So far it is not clear if countries in LAC are using COPANT standards to issue their national labels  St. Lucia is currently adopting the COPANT standard  Currently the EU has a regular updating of its standards (directives) for household appliances to transform markets;  It seems that COPANT is following the EU directives approach only after some time, e.g. for refrigerators it is the norm from 2005(?)  The US has the energy star system and the Energy Guide system, which are different and are not used to issue comparative national labels based on A-G concept from EU and COPANT easily.  Mexico and Central American countries follow this concept. BACKGROUND – 3: EU OR US?

Which way shall OECS follow?  Latin America: Brazil/Chile/Argentina (EU approach) for:  Lab-test protocol (ISO, IEC, etc.)  Standards based on Min. Energy Performance Stand.  Issuing categorical comparative labels, like EU  Or Mexican, Central American approach (US) for:  Lab-test protocol (ANSI-ASHRAE, US)  Standards based on Min. Energy Performance Stand.  Issuing us labels based on Energy Guide, like the US  Or wait on COPANT to issue regional standards NEXT STEPS – WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DISCUSS/DECIDE?

 Mexico, Central America follow US concept  Have different test protocol, different standard, different label  Are based on Mexican and/or US conditions  LA countries, follow EU concept, but standards would in best case be based on e.g. Brazilian conditions (Minimum of life cycle costs for Brazil)  and may not be applicable for Caribbean conditions  Therefore categories of labels may not fit for OECS situation to transform the market here CHALLENGE WITH ANY LAC APPROACH

 Do we want to do our own economic market analysis to set e correct the categories for labels to achieve the Minimum life cycle costs?  Or do we want to use some label from an other country or Region (EU)?  Do we have the resources to do this “trimming” of standards regularly for major appliances?  Because if not, then we shall just take over some standard and label and follow their way  Is COPANT a solution?  But is it recognized by countries and manufacturer? OWN MARKET RESEARCH FOR LABEL SETTING?

 On which base(standards) are countries in LAC are issuing their national EE labels, e.g. Brazil, Mexico, Chile?  Are the national standards based on COPANT standards?  COPANT: The principle of COPANT is that all countries members shall adopt COPANT standard as basis for national standards, but this is not always the case, and our members could maintain their National Standards.  The COPANT standards are based on international standards ISO and IEC, consequently are aligned with ISO and IEC.  Beside, COPANT is looking to reduce the elaboration of regional standards and to motivate our members to actively participate in the international standardization process and to adopt international standards. ARE COPANT STANDARD USED ANYWHERE? QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - COPANT

 Are any Latin American countries using standards according to COPANT standards?  COPANT: Yes, by recommendation of COPANT’s Board of Directors (?)  Are they using the COPANT standard e.g. for refrigerators (dated 2006)  COPANT: During the last meeting of the COPANT TC 151 Electrotechnic and SmartGrid and TC 152 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies, held in Buenos Aires, on November 2012, the coordinators recommended all COPANT members to adopt the COPANT harmonized standards as basis for their national standards.  “please take into consideration that the technical work of both technical committees is to identify the deviations regionally or nationally of the IEC standard, and pointed it in the COPANT Standard” QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - COPANT

 Or do the countries use their own standards? Do they have a common standard that can be applied in the OECS as well?  COPANT: We do not have information about this.  At COPANT General Assembly to be held in Saint Lucia, on April 2013, we will have the opportunity to discuss with all Caribbean countries and, in special the participants of OECS, how to adopt COPANT standards as basis of their national standards, and more specially to motivate them to actively participate on COPANT Technical work. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - COPANT

 How well-known is COPANT in the Region?  Are manufacturers/ suppliers already get the certification according to COPANT standards in addition to the EU/US one? E.g. For refrigerators?(NORMA COPANT )  COPANT: Each country adopts certification based on its own national standards.  We know that the national standards are based on ISO and IEC standards.  There is no certification with COPANT Standard, normally is with an international or national standard. IS COPANT STANDARD RECOGNIZED? QUESTIONS FOR COPANT

Assumption:  So far LAC countries are members of COPANT but still develop their own national standards..  Key Question: Is their a chance/expectation that this will change in the near future?  COPANT: We are not looking for a regional certification, but for an harmonization of the conformity assessment criteria in line with international standards, and harmonization of standards where there is no International Standards, or where they don’t fill the needs in the Region. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - COPANT

 What does COPANT plan in regard to issuing EE standards for household appliances in the future?  For what kind of appliances does COPANT plan to issue standards?  COPANT: Refrigerators, freezers and combined household appliances; Air conditioners type “window” and type "split"; Tubular, circular and compact fluorescent lamps; Electrical three-phase induction motors; Ballasts for discharge lamps; Washing clothes machines for household use; Fixed electrical appliances for instantaneous water heating; Electrical boiler water heaters for domestic use; Solar heaters; Standby of electronic appliance; Electrical pumps; Boiler gas water heaters; Gas cooking appliances – stoves and ovens; Instantaneous gas water heaters; Electrical monophasic motors; Energy Efficiency of building; LED lamps.  Does COPANT have a timeline until when the standards will be issued?  COPANT: The timelines will be established according the list above. FUTURE PLANS OF COPANT? QUESTIONS FOR COPANT

 Does COPANT want to use EU directives as guidance for their standards?  COPANT : Yes, it will be considered during COPANT harmonization processes.  How quickly do they plan to adopt EU directives? (E.G. the current refrigerator standard is quite old compared to the current EU directive.)  COPANT : It depends on item B above.  Does COPANT plan, that the standards issued by COPANT will be the base for national labelling programmes in all member countries?  COPANT: Yes, it is the recommendation on item 1C above.  Is that realistic, seeing, that Brazil and Mexico do have already their own national standard and labelling system established?  COPANT: Yes, the experiences of Brazil and Mexico, as well from Argentina, are being considered on COPANT’s discussions.  What is the plan to achieve a regional synchronisation for standards?  COPANT At several meetings of TC 152, we will highlight the need of adopting the harmonized COPANT standards as basis for national standards.  The issue of regional standards will be synchronized with IEC and ISO standards. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - COPANT

 “In Barbados, the BNSI is expecting to publish its first energy labeling standard, entitled,  Labeling – Energy labeling of household appliances and products  which will require and or mandate that an energy label be affixed to every household appliance at the point of sale.  Their standard is flexible to allow for the use of recognized energy labels from other countries and regions such as the EU, South America and the US to name a few.  Additionally, Barbados has designed its own energy label based on the US Federal Trade Commission Energy Guide.”  Is this concept appropriate and does it serve the purpose? B’DOS CONCEPT: IS THAT A SOLUTION FOR A FIRST STEP?

 “If the product or its packaging contains any energy efficiency label by manufacturer, this label shall be displayed at the point of sale;  for the following product groups only such products that carry energy efficiency labels, which have been awarded according to official specifications and whose conformity is certified by accredited test laboratories, may be imported and/or sold:  refrigerators, freezers, refrigerator-freezer-combinations, air conditioning systems, washing machines, tumble dryers, washer-dryers, televisions, computer monitors and illuminates;”  Is that way appropriate? DOMINICA CONSUMER PROTECTION APPROACH:

 Do we have in OECS enough “man power and money” to set own standards and labels and update them regularly?  Will COPANT be the regional leader and their standards are recognized and used in LAC one day?  Or can we mandate to have only one standard from one LA or EU or US accepted here? (would be easy for consumers)  Or do we go for “Quick and Easy” – Any recognized label is accepted.. (would be more difficult for consumer) but products would get better anyway worldwide because of the EU/US standards  And then we do just cross checking and a lot of consumer awareness through random testing of appliances and PR work SUMMARY FOR THE DISCUSSION

For more information please contact: Christoph Menke, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION