A draft Implementing Measure was published in October 2007 and DEFRA has indicated that the final measures are likely to be approved as an EC Regulation in July 2008 with a view to adoption in 2009. It sets progressively stricter limits for standby and off-mode power consumption of all household and office electrical equipment which will be phased in over a three year period. In addition it requires equipment to have a power management function that automatically transitions to a lower power standby or off-modes. The strategic briefing discusses a range of EcoDesign options for designers to consider, including hard-off switching, primary power supply efficiency at low load, secondary or autarkic power supplies, and lower power consumption circuitry for standby functions.

The European Commission is currently preparing a working document on how Battery Chargers and External Power Supplies will be regulated under the EuP Directive. This will be reviewed in early 2008 and is likely to be approved at the end of this year. Based on an analysis of Least Life Cycle Cost for the industry to implement, the preparatory study indicated that the following measures should be considered: replacing linear power supplies by more efficient switched-mode power supplies, and improving the efficiency and power factor correction for switched-mode power supplies. Design options discussed in the strategic briefing include reducing rectification losses by using Schottky diodes or synchronous rectification, reducing switching losses by using resonant technology, reducing circuit and component losses, and using passive or active power factor correction.

The preparatory study for how Personal Computers and Computer Monitors will be regulated under the EuP Directive was published in August 2007. The study analysed a wide range of potential EcoDesign requirements and assessed which of these would represent the Least Life Cycle Cost for the industry to implement. Based on this analysis the study proposed a number of EcoDesign requirements for consideration as mandatory requirements from 2009:

• power consumption limits for sleep and off-modes
• requirements for power supply efficiency
• power management systems with settings enabled at the time of delivery

The study also proposed that product information should be displayed on the outer surface of the product and in the product manual in a highly visible place. This information would include power consumption in different modes, whether the equipment contains any of the RoHS restricted substances, and a web address that consumers can visit to obtain further information on the product's energy consumption, environmental impacts and end-of-life treatment. By requiring manufacturers to provide detailed information to consumers the intention is to stimulate them to further improve the power consumption and environmental performance of their products, beyond the mandatory requirements.

The preparatory study for how Imaging Equipment will be regulated under the EuP Directive was published in December 2007. The study proposed that the scope of future EuP EcoDesign requirements should be limited to Office Imaging Equipment which includes printers, copiers, facsimile machines, document scanners and multifunction devices which incorporate a printing function in combination with a scanning/copying function and/or a facsimile function. The study proposed a number of EcoDesign requirements for consideration in the areas of:

• Default delay time settings for ready modes and transition to standby
• Power consumption limits for networked standby and off-mode
• Harmonisation of duplex unit and substance emission requirements
• Off-mode power management systems with settings enabled at the time of delivery

The study proposed a number of exemptions or modifications which may be required for these requirements. The study also proposed that energy-related product data should be published in the user manual.