The Voluntary Agreement for Imaging Equipment: assessment of admissibility criteria for self-regulation

Self-regulatory initiatives under the Ecodesign Directive, including voluntary agreements offered as unilateral commitments by industry, can enable quick progress due to rapid and cost-effective implementation, and allows for flexible and appropriate adaptations to technological options and market sensitivities. These initiatives need to fulfil the admissibility criteria of the Ecodesign Directive such as openness of participation, added value, representativeness, quantified and staged objectives, involvement of civil society, monitoring and reporting, cost-effectiveness of administering a self-regulatory initiative and sustainability. In April 2021, a new Voluntary Agreement (VA) was proposed for Imaging equipment. This report is the final science for policy report supporting the European Commission assessment of admissibility of the Voluntary Agreement for Imaging Equipment against the admissibility criteria of the Ecodesign Directive. In order to produce this assessment JRC has carried out an extensive literature review and stakeholder consultation, collecting feedback from a variety of relevant stakeholders in this sector. Based on these elements collected, it was concluded that the VA proposal is not likely to deliver the policy objectives faster or in a less costly manner than mandatory requirements under the Ecodesign Directive.