Why This Simplification Initiative Matters for Businesses

Energy labels are one of the most visible product compliance tools in the EU market. They influence purchasing decisions, support transparency and allow products to be compared more easily.

For companies, however, energy labelling compliance can involve multiple operational steps:

• Identifying whether a product is in scope
• Applying the correct product-specific regulation
• Testing and calculating performance values
• Preparing the product information sheet
• Creating and displaying the energy label correctly
• Registering models in EPREL
• Maintaining technical documentation
• Supplying dealers and retailers with the correct label and product data
• Ensuring online and offline promotional materials show the required information
• Responding to market surveillance authority requests

When these steps are handled manually or across disconnected systems, the risk of error increases. A missing label, outdated product sheet, incorrect EPREL data field, unreadable QR code or inconsistent marketing claim can create compliance exposure.

The Commission’s simplification initiative therefore matters because it may influence how businesses manage these obligations in the future. Companies that already have structured product compliance systems will be better placed to adapt quickly.

Who Should Pay Attention?

This topic is relevant to any business involved in placing, selling, distributing or supporting energy-related products on the EU market.

Priority teams include:

The topic is particularly important for companies selling appliances, lighting products, electronic displays, heating and cooling products, tyres, refrigeration products, washing machines, dishwashers and other regulated energy-related products.

Practical Guideline 1: Map Your Product Scope Before the Rules Change

The first step is to understand which products in your portfolio are affected by energy labelling, tyre labelling, ecodesign or related product sustainability requirements.

A practical scope review should answer:

• Which products are placed on the EU market?
• Which products are only sold outside the EU?
• Which product groups are covered by energy labelling?
• Which product groups are covered by ecodesign only?
• Which products require EPREL registration?
• Which products are sold online, offline or through distributors?
• Which products are private label, imported or manufactured by third parties?
• Which legal role does your company play: manufacturer, importer, authorised representative, distributor, dealer or supplier?

This role assessment is critical. A company may have different obligations depending on whether it manufactures the product, imports it into the EU, sells it under its own brand, distributes it, or displays it to customers.

Practical action: Build a product compliance matrix that connects each product family to its EU market status, regulatory scope, responsible legal entity, applicable requirements and evidence owner.

Practical Guideline 2: Review Energy Label and Product Information Workflows

Energy labels are not just graphic assets. They are regulated compliance outputs based on product data, test results, technical documentation and EPREL registration information.

Companies should review how energy label data is created, approved, distributed and updated.

Key questions include:

• Who creates the energy label?
• Is the label generated from verified product data?
• Is the product information sheet aligned with the EPREL registration?
• Are dealers receiving the correct label and product information sheet?
• Are online sales channels displaying the correct label near the price or product information?
• Are printed labels supplied in the correct format?
• Are QR codes readable and linked to the correct model information?
• Are old labels removed when product data changes?
• Are marketing teams using the correct energy class and range?

The Commission is exploring how label supply and display can be simplified. However, until any legal changes are adopted and applicable, companies should continue to comply with the current requirements.

Practical action: Run a label audit across product packaging, websites, marketplaces, catalogues, technical datasheets and retailer materials.

Practical Guideline 3: Treat EPREL as a Compliance Control Point

EPREL is central to EU energy labelling compliance. It is not only a public product information tool; it also supports market surveillance by storing compliance-related information and technical documentation.

Companies should treat EPREL as a controlled compliance system, not as a final administrative upload.

A strong EPREL process should include:

Because EPREL contains a very large number of product models, regulators and market surveillance authorities are likely to continue using it as a key source of compliance data. Businesses should therefore make sure that EPREL information is accurate, current and supported by evidence.

Practical action: Create an EPREL governance procedure covering account ownership, model creation, data review, evidence upload, change control and periodic checks.

Practical Guideline 4: Prepare for Digital-First Compliance

The Commission’s simplification initiative includes exploring how EPREL can be used more effectively. This fits a wider EU direction toward digital product information, traceability and more structured compliance data.

Companies should expect product compliance to become increasingly digital. This does not only mean replacing paper documents with PDF files. It means creating connected data flows between:

• Product master data
• Supplier declarations
• Testing evidence
• Technical documentation
• Labels and product information sheets
• EPREL registrations
• Digital Product Passport readiness
• Marketability assessments
• Customer and authority responses

A fragmented compliance setup creates duplicated work. For example, the same product value may appear in an internal spreadsheet, a laboratory report, an EPREL field, a product information sheet, a website listing and a retailer catalogue. If one of these sources is updated and the others are not, the company may create inconsistent public information.

Practical action: Identify high-risk data fields that appear in multiple systems and define one approved source of truth for each field.

Practical Guideline 5: Align Energy Product Compliance With ESPR Readiness

The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation is part of the broader EU move toward more sustainable, circular and data-driven product compliance. Although the Commission’s simplification initiative focuses on energy and tyre labelling rules, businesses should not review these rules in isolation.

Energy performance, resource efficiency, durability, repairability, recyclability, spare parts availability, substance information and digital product data are increasingly connected.

This means companies should avoid building separate compliance processes for every regulation. Instead, they should create an integrated product compliance framework that can support multiple requirements.

A future-ready framework should include:

• Product-level regulatory applicability
• Supplier-level data collection
• Material and component traceability where relevant
• Technical evidence management
• Change monitoring
• Approval workflows
• Data validation controls
• Audit-ready documentation
• Market surveillance response readiness
• Digital Product Passport preparation

Practical action: Use the current simplification period to assess whether your energy label compliance data can also support future ESPR and Digital Product Passport requirements.

Practical Guideline 6: Strengthen Dealer, Distributor and Marketplace Controls

Energy label compliance does not stop with the manufacturer or importer. Dealers, distributors and retailers also play an important role in making sure that labels and product information are visible and accurate when products are offered to customers.

This is especially important for online sales channels, where label display requirements can be missed during website updates, marketplace uploads or product content syndication.

Businesses should review whether dealers and sales partners receive:

• Correct energy labels
• Product information sheets
• EPREL model registration numbers
• Updated product data after changes
• Clear instructions for online and offline display
• Correct class arrows and energy class ranges where required
• Guidance for promotional materials and visual advertisements

Practical action: Include energy label display obligations in distributor onboarding, retailer data packs and marketplace content checklists.

Practical Guideline 7: Build an Evidence-Ready Technical File

Simplification does not remove the need for proof. Market surveillance authorities may still request technical documentation, test evidence and explanations showing that the product complies with applicable rules.

A strong technical file should be easy to retrieve, internally approved and linked to the correct product model.

Typical evidence may include:

The best compliance files are not created at the end of a product launch. They are built during product development, sourcing, testing and market entry.

Practical action: Define a minimum evidence checklist for each regulated product group and require completion before EU market release.

Practical Guideline 8: Monitor the EU Omnibus Proposal and Prepare an Impact Review

The Commission’s simplification work is part of a wider “omnibus” approach to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens while preserving the effectiveness of existing legislation. Once proposals are published, companies should be ready to assess what changes in practice.

Your impact review should cover:

• Which legal acts are amended
• Which product groups are affected
• Whether label display rules change
• Whether EPREL registration or data requirements change
• Whether tyre labelling obligations change
• Whether transitional periods apply
• Whether existing models need updates
• Whether dealer communication processes need revision
• Whether internal procedures, templates or IT systems must be updated

Practical action: Assign responsibility now for monitoring the proposal, reviewing legal changes and converting them into practical internal tasks.

Practical Compliance Checklist for Companies

Use the checklist below to assess readiness.

Common Compliance Mistakes to Avoid

Energy product compliance errors are often caused by weak process control rather than lack of regulatory awareness.

Common mistakes include:

• Treating EPREL registration as a one-time upload
• Using label files that are not linked to the latest product data
• Allowing marketing teams to use energy claims without compliance approval
• Forgetting online display requirements
• Failing to update dealers after product changes
• Keeping technical documentation in disconnected folders
• Not verifying supplier or importer responsibilities
• Assuming simplification means reduced enforcement
• Managing compliance through spreadsheets without ownership or version control
• Preparing documentation only after a market surveillance request

A practical compliance system should prevent these issues before products reach the market.

What Businesses Should Do Now

Even though the Commission’s call for evidence has closed, companies can still take meaningful action.

Recommended next steps:

1- Run a product scope assessment
Identify which products are covered by energy labelling, tyre labelling, ecodesign or related product sustainability requirements.

2- Audit current EPREL records
Check whether model registrations, product data, public information and technical documentation are complete and accurate.

3- Review label display across channels
Test packaging, catalogues, websites, marketplaces and dealer materials.

4- Create a controlled evidence library
Link test reports, labels, product sheets, declarations and EPREL records to the correct product model.

5- Prepare for legal change monitoring
Assign an owner to follow the upcoming simplification proposal and convert legal updates into internal tasks.

6- Integrate with wider sustainability compliance
Align energy product data with ESPR, Digital Product Passport and broader product compliance strategies.

7- Reduce manual workflows
Replace fragmented spreadsheets and email-based evidence collection with structured, traceable and auditable compliance processes.

How ComplyMarket Can Support Energy Product Compliance

ComplyMarket helps companies turn complex product compliance obligations into structured, manageable and audit-ready workflows.

For companies affected by EU energy product rules, ComplyMarket can support by helping teams:

• Identify applicable product compliance requirements by product, market and role
• Build a controlled regulatory library for energy labelling, tyre labelling, ecodesign and related sustainability rules
• Manage compliance evidence such as labels, product information sheets, declarations, test reports and technical documentation
• Track missing, expired or incomplete evidence before it becomes a market access risk
• Improve supplier data collection and documentation workflows
• Support product-level traceability for compliance and sustainability requirements
• Monitor regulatory changes and prepare for upcoming EU simplification measures
• Build audit-ready documentation for internal reviews and market surveillance requests
• Prepare product data structures that support ESPR and Digital Product Passport readiness
• Reduce dependency on fragmented spreadsheets, emails and manual follow-ups

As EU product compliance becomes more digital, data-driven and connected to sustainability requirements, companies need more than isolated documents. They need a reliable compliance management system that connects product data, supplier evidence, regulatory obligations and market readiness.

ComplyMarket supports this transformation by helping businesses reduce risk, improve efficiency and maintain confidence in their EU market access strategy.