Case T‑544/13 RENV

Dyson Ltd

v

European Commission

(Directive 2010/30/EU — Indication by labelling and standard product information of the consumption of energy and other resources by energy-related products — Commission delegated regulation supplementing the directive — Energy labelling of vacuum cleaners — Essential element of an enabling act)

Summary — Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber), 8 November 2018

1.      EU institutions — Exercise of powers — Power conferred on the Commission to adopt delegated acts — Obligation not to modify essential elements of the basic legislative act — Requirement to provide consumers with information reflecting the vacuum cleaners’ energy consumption constituting an essential element of Directive 2010/30 — Need to provide, in the delegated act, for a method of calculation making it possible to measure energy performance in actual conditions of use

(Art. 290 TFEU; Commission Regulation No 665/2013, Art. 5; European Parliament and Council Directive 2010/30, Recital 5 and Art. 5(b))

2.      Actions for annulment — Subject matter — Partial annulment — Condition — Severability of the contested provisions — Requirement not met

(Art. 263 TFEU)

1.      The Commission is obliged, in order not to disregard an essential element of Directive 2010/30, on the indication by labelling and standard product information of the consumption of energy and other resources by energy-related products, to adopt in Delegated Regulation No 665/2013, supplementing Directive 2010/30 with regard to energy labelling of vacuum cleaners, a method of calculation which makes it possible to measure the energy performance of vacuum cleaners in conditions as close as possible to actual conditions of use, requiring the vacuum cleaner’s receptacle to be filled to a certain level, having regard nevertheless to the requirements concerning the scientific validity of the results obtained and the accuracy of the information supplied to consumers, as mentioned in particular in recital 5 and Article 5(b) of that directive.

Consequently, in order for the method adopted by the Commission to accord with the essential elements of Directive 2010/30, two cumulative conditions must be met. First, in order to measure the energy performance of vacuum cleaners in conditions as close as possible to actual conditions of use, a vacuum cleaner’s receptacle must be filled to a certain level. Secondly, the method adopted must satisfy certain requirements concerning the scientific validity of the results obtained and the accuracy of the information supplied to consumers.

(see paras 68-71)

2.      See the text of the decision.

(see paras 78-82)