Cerame-Unie supports the outcome of the Consultation Forum which was held on 16 May concluding that no eco-design requirements for industrial furnaces should be developed, as laid out in this position paper. 

The ceramic industry has always insisted that the eco-design regulation is not the appropriate tool to improve the performance (in an integrated way) of custom designed industrial ovens and furnaces, in particular for the following reasons: (i) custom designed industrial furnaces and kilns do not fall under the scope of the Eco-Design Directive, (ii) industrial furnaces and ovens are already sufficiently covered by other, more appropriate, legislation and (iii) industrial furnaces and ovens require a case-by-case approach.

This view was supported by the Forum. The ongoing impact assessment will be finalised over summer after which DG Enterprise will hand it over for consideration to other DGs.