Ecodesign - How to Unfold the Potential Synergy between the EuP, WEEE and RoHS Directives

The amount, complexity and variety of products introduced to the European
market are increasing and products are more than ever traded globally. This development challenges the approach to regulate and stimulate the innovation of cleaner products. The EU has responded by introducing Integrated Product Policy (IPP). The approach aims at promoting measures to reduce the environmental impacts of products. Since the IPP approach was introduced around 2000, several instruments have been implemented; the RoHS, WEEE and the EuP Directive as well as the European ecolabel and the Energy labelling Directive. The focus of this paper is the potential synergy between the three
normative, so-called eco-design directives, and to what extent the EU has accomplished to integrate eco-design in the different directives and voluntary instruments.