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Updates from the EU MarketWatch campaign
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Welcome to the first MarketWatch update, introducing a new European campaign to verify the energy efficiency of everyday consumer goods. If you have a professional interest in product efficiency, read on. To continue receiving MarketWatch updates, be sure to sign up here.

Is an A label really an A?

Energy labels and Ecodesign should deliver better products that help consumers save energy, money and help protect the environment. Unfortunately, some manufacturers and retailers are not following the rules. MarketWatch will identify non-compliant products and problematic retailers that are pushing up our energy bills and undermining environmental targets. Working closely with national authorities and other campaign groups, we will bring unique pressure to bear.


A lot at stake

An estimated 100TWh a year is being wasted across Europe by ovens, dishwashers, televisions and other products not matching their energy efficiency claims. MarketWatch aims to complement work being done by national authorities by helping to pinpoint suspicious products and trends. Learn more.

Taking a closer look

Right now national MarketWatch partners are conducting physical shop visits and vetting online stores to check compliance. We will make over 600 physical and online checks. Learn more.

Working with others 

We aim to provide national authorities with reliable data and trends they can use. We are generating tools for other civil society groups to break through the technical nature of ecodesign and energy labels, build relationships to ensure the results are acted on and raising media awareness to pressure wayward firms. Learn more.

Who runs MarketWatch? 

Sixteen civil society organisations from across Europe have come together to form MarketWatch under the guidance of the UK Energy Savings Trust. Learn more.

National updates

While others are doing Christmas shopping, the Danish Consumer Council and the Danish Ecological Council started market surveillance activities yesterday, as part of the Market Watch project, by checking products in an electronics store in Copenhagen. Several hundred products were checked for non-compliance and, even though the shop had obviously done a lot to label correctly, there was still a lot of products failing to comply with energy label and ecodesign regulations.
Shop selection has been made for Italy and inspections got underway at the weekend. We continue trying to establish positive cooperation with Italy's market monitoring authority.
Ten shops have been selected in the Czech Republic, mainly large supermarkets where use of labels is thought to be used to a lesser degree. If substantial lack of information is found, firms will be contacted. We are also collecting catalogues and product ads, where energy class details should be present.
Starting Friday, and ongoing over the next six weeks, our German partners VZBV and BUND will be visiting kitchen studios and electronic retailers in five federal states, starting in Berlin. Furniture showrooms have a weak track history when examined in other projects, but will German showrooms be different? We'll find out. Meanwhile, VZBV has opened discussion with five market surveillance authorities in order to ensure our results are acted on.
Shop inspections will begin for France in January, the same month contact is anticipated with market surveillance authorities.
Our UK partner, the Energy Saving Trust, has introduced MarketWatch to a wide UK consumer and industry audience, outlining the project's aims and actions. We’re looking to create a strong public awareness of the project in the UK and get as many stakeholders involved as possible to ensure the positive change that MarketWatch has set out to achieve. We’ll start checking energy labels in stores and online in January and have already opened up links with our market surveillance authority.

Campaign updates


Civil society and market surveilance


A report detailing the known market surveillance activities of civil society organisations in 11 European countries.
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The sole responsibility for the content of this newsletter lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EACI nor the European Commission are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

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