China's mechanical and electrical products are facing the third wave of green barriers in the EU, the largest export market. Since August 11, the EU EuP Directive has been officially transformed into EU member states. It is the third “green barrier†set by the European Union following the two green directives of RoHS and WEEE.
The third wave of "green exams" is more difficult to test
Prior to the EuP Directive, in 2006, the European Union had implemented two green directives, RoHS ("Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment") and WEEE ("Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive"). They were once the focus of domestic industry attention. Experts believe that the third instruction EuP instruction is much more difficult to deal with than the first two instructions.
From the full name of the EuP Directive, we can see the component of this "green barrier"--"Energy-Efficient Product Ecology Design Framework Directive", Jiang Jianping, an engineer of Zhejiang Standardization Institute, said that in addition to transport vehicles carrying passengers, All energy products are the products it covers.
At the heart of the EuP Directive is the eco-design philosophy, which makes it the most comprehensive directive for environmental protection, and it has become the epitome of environmental protection directives introduced by the European Union over the years. Jiang Jianping said that WEEE focuses on the disposal of wastes for electrical and electronic products. The RoHS directive bans six hazardous substances such as lead, cadmium and mercury. The EuP Directive requires products to be packaged at the beginning of design, from design, raw material selection, manufacturing and packaging. Transportation, installation and maintenance until the waste of environmental problems in this "lifetime".
Ecological design also requires a large amount of qualitative and quantitative analysis. A few days ago, I came to Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, for a Zhejiang company to guide the EuP directive, and the German PE International Consulting Group expert Dr. Constance Herman gave an example of a small printed circuit board: copper wire used more electricity to waste copper. If it is less, the board resistance will increase and power will be wasted. How to achieve the two evils is light, you need to use quantitative analysis to choose the best amount of copper.
The EuP directive also has the suspicion of setting trade barriers, and this barrier is more subtle. Jiang Jianping said that developing countries with relatively backward technology and relatively short funds are difficult to meet their standard requirements. The EuP Directive is a framework directive that determines the general principles, and the specific implementation details are divided into categories and tailored to different products. Therefore, the EU can first formulate implementation measures for imported products that are more competitive and have a greater impact on local industries, and improve technical standards. Moreover, it is much faster and easier to develop implementation rules for existing directives than to reassign new instructions.
The EuP Directive also leaves a “back door†for EU companies. If the company is a participating member of the EU “Eco Management and Audit Scheme†or its products are EU ecolabels, such companies and products can be recognized. However, it is difficult for non-EU companies to participate in this program, which allows EU companies and products to seize the opportunity of the EuP Directive.
The "time difference" left by the instruction cannot be ignored.
Jiang Jianping told reporters that the wide range of requirements and high requirements of EuP can be described as unprecedented, which will seriously affect the development of China's electrical and electronic industry and related industries and export of products.
About one-quarter of the electromechanical products exported by Zhejiang Province in 2006, which is exported by electromechanical export province, to the EU. Zhejiang Province's response to technical trade barrier information service platform issued the first yellow warning information for 2007 for the EuP Directive.
However, the imposing EuP command left a "time difference". Jiang Jianping said that because it belongs to the framework directive, there is no ecological design requirement for specific products. The EU will also introduce the EuP directive supporting measures for specific products. Heating and hot water equipment, electronic motor systems, home and commercial lighting system equipment, home appliances, office power products, personal electronics, ventilation and air conditioning systems will be the first products to implement the EuP Directive.
Zhu Tao, an engineer of the Technical Progress and Equipment Division of the Zhejiang Economic and Trade Commission, told reporters that because the EuP directive has no specific rules, they mainly strengthen the propaganda of the company, but many companies feel that it does not have the same grip as the first two instructions, so I feel that the problem is not big, but when the specific rules are introduced, the response will be very tense.
Jiang Jianping reminded that the EuP directive requires products to be accompanied by CE (European Uniform) certification mark. Many domestic electromechanical enterprises have previously done CE certification. However, after the EuP directive comes into effect, CE certification will inevitably introduce ecological design and other related content. The new CE certification will cost more. He estimates that companies that have completed CE certification before the order takes effect will not be able to do so once and for all, and the EU may require a new CE certification that complies with the EuP Directive.
According to reports, the penalty has been determined in the EuP Directive. Member States should take corresponding measures to meet the requirements of their products according to their own circumstances. Otherwise, the local government may request that the products be withdrawn from the market, or even directly prohibit the listing.
Domestic companies have different attitudes
China Superman Group in Yongkang City, Zhejiang Province is the world's fourth largest manufacturer of electric shavers. Jin Tianhong, vice president of technology for the group, said that they have set up an EuP command response team. Currently, they mainly study countermeasures in design and strive to achieve energy-saving and environmentally friendly ecological design. "The EuP directive will inevitably increase the production cost of the product, but we are more concerned about the latter than the EU market share. And the developed countries such as the United States and Japan will also introduce similar rules, we must prepare early."
In Dongyang City, Hengdian Group Lianyi Motor Co., Ltd. learned the EuP order message in 2005, and the RoHS response team consisting of multiple departments of the company immediately rose to the EuP response team. The R&D center hired experts from Shanghai universities to jointly tackle the problem and improve the ecological design level. The procurement department is responsible for establishing a green procurement system, while the production department is striving to promote clean production and reduce energy consumption. Cui Tonglei, assistant to the company's intellectual property department, said: "This is both a challenge and an opportunity. If we do the various responses to the EuP Directive, we will get more EU orders."
However, in most cases, the response attitude of most small and medium-sized mechanical and electrical enterprises is slightly negative. Hu Xiao, head of the Standardization Section of the Quality Supervision Bureau of Yongkang City, said that they had held a corporate symposium on the RoHS directive, and planned to invite forty or fifty companies. As a result, only a dozen companies attended. Now the EuP instructions are hard to get their attention. “Private companies pay attention to efficiency, but they often don’t have the awareness of technical barriers in advance. They often go to the government to ask for help.â€
Jiang Jianping believes that the EuP Directive introduces an eco-design concept that requires products to be environmentally friendly at every stage. While this will increase manufacturing and design costs, it will also increase the cost of managing employees, accessing information, and adjusting production processes. This is a revolution in design principles that has never been seen before. But it will reduce the energy cost of the product's entire life cycle and promote the sustainable development of society.
Chairman of the Superman Group Yingzheng believes that technical trade barriers are a test of enterprise management level, scientific research strength and human and material resources. If a company has the financial ability and ability, it must be positively responded to, and it must see its impact on the enterprise. It is also necessary to see its effect on the promotion of enterprises, especially in promoting the survival of the fittest in the industry and reducing malicious competition.
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