Insights / ESPR (Ecodesign)
ESPR and Transformers: Does Regulation 548/2014 Still Apply?
The Ecodesign Directive was repealed. Do Regulation (EU) No 548/2014 on transformers and the motor regulation still apply?
Yes. Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR) repealed Directive 2009/125/EC from 18 July 2024, but not the regulations adopted under it: Regulation (EU) No 548/2014 on power transformers and Regulation (EU) 2019/1781 on motors and drives still bind until they are repealed or replaced (Article 79(1)(b)). 31 December 2026 is not an end date for them and not a start date for ESPR. ESPR sets requirements for a product only through a delegated act under Article 4.
What the act says
- Article 79(1): The Directive is repealed, its implementing regulations are not.
- Article 79(2): ESPR Articles 3, 40 and 66 to 71 already apply to those products.
- Article 4(4): A delegated act applies no earlier than 18 months after its entry into force, save in duly justified cases.
What to do
- Keep designing transformers to 548/2014 Tier 2.
- Watch for an ESPR delegated act for your product group.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR) (CELEX 32024R1781)
- Regulation (EU) No 548/2014 (transformers) (CELEX 32014R0548)
Last checked against the act text on 2026-10-20. For information only, not legal advice.