Washing machines and washer-dryers: EN 60456:2016/A12:2023 replaces A11:2020 as the harmonised standard for energy labelling and ecodesign — the reference detergent can no longer contain sodium perborate, listed in Annex XIV to REACH and not allowed on the market after 27 May 2023
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/72, published on 17 January 2025 and in force from the day of publication, amends Decision (EU) 2021/936: in Annexes I (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2014 on energy labelling) and II (Regulation (EU) 2019/2023 on ecodesign) it deletes the row with EN 60456:2016 as amended by A11:2020 and adds row 1a with EN 60456:2016 “Clothes washing machines for household use — Methods for measuring the performance” as amended by EN 60456:2016/A12:2023.
- Why the change: standard EN 60456:2016/A11:2020 provided for a reference detergent containing sodium perborate, and this substance — under Article 56(1) and entry 48 of Annex XIV to REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 — may not be placed on the market after 27 May 2023. By Decision C(2023) 3518 of 2 June 2023 the Commission asked CENELEC to replace that detergent; CENELEC adopted amendment EN 60456:2016/A12:2023.
- What else the request covered: taking account of scientific and technical progress, editorial changes and aligning the rounding of declared figures with the changes made by Regulation (EU) 2021/341 (ecodesign) and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/340 (labelling). The Commission together with CENELEC assessed the standard against the request and found that it meets the requirements of both regulations (recitals 5 and 6).
- What the standard is for: the measurement and calculation requirements for household washing machines and washer-dryers are set in Article 4 and Annex III of Regulation 2019/2023 and in Article 3 and Annex IV of Delegated Regulation 2019/2014. A model tested according to the harmonised standard is presumed to comply with those requirements — which is why the reference goes into both annexes of Decision 2021/936, and the old one (A11:2020) has been deleted from them.
- According to the EVS record: EVS-EN 60456:2016/A12:2023 has been valid since 1 November 2023 and contains only the amendment to the base standard EVS-EN 60456:2016 (since 3 May 2016) — the record states explicitly that it is the amendment only and points to the base standard. The record links the standard to Regulations 2019/2014 (energy labelling of washing machines and washer-dryers) and 2019/2023 (ecodesign requirements), ICS classification 97.060 (laundry appliances).