In order to reduce CO2 emissions, waste of energy and the threshold for environmental impact, the EU provides rules for eco-design of power supplies for electric and electronic devices.
In accordance with the provisions of the Directive on energy-using products (2005/32/EC) the European Commission has issued today on the European OJ the regulation of the electricity consumption without load and average performance of external power supplies which will take effect within 21 days even if the characters of eco-design will be implemented over two phases in order to enable manufacturers to redesign the equipment.
Moreover, the Commission has drawn up a preparatory study that examines the technical, environmental and economic specifications of the external power supply. Studies show that the electricity consumption of external power supplies and - consequently - the greenhouse effect.

The Community target was set at a 20% decrease of consumption by 2020. The annual consumption of energy during the cycle of life - which is the most important environmental issue - and the annual consumption of electricity for losses in energy conversion and consumption without load amounts to 17 TWh, equivalent to 6.8 Mt of emissions of CO2.The European study shows that in the absence of specific measures, consumption would rise to 31 TWh in 2020.
Instead, thanks to the use of appropriate technology - as stated in in the European preparatory study - it will save energy and electricity during the entire life cycle in the amount of 118 PJ, respectively, and 9 TWh by 2020, compared to a unchanged scenario.
So according to the EU, eco-design specifications  should harmonize in an active way the requirements for the consumption of electricity consumed (no load) with the average rendering for external power supplies, throughout the EU, thus contributing to the efficiency of the internal market and improving the environmental performance of these products.
Of course the eco-design requirements should not have a negative impact on the functionality of the product or adverse consequences to health, safety or the environment.
However, the integration of environmental aspects into the product from the design  is both connected to the developments of Community integrated product policy (especially for the integration of life cycle), and economic dimensions , social and environmental sustainability of products that consume energy.
So, eco-design means the integration of environmental aspects into product design to improve environmental performance throughout its entire life cycle that goes from the consumption of materials for building up the disposal of the product.