Commission Decision of 9 June 2011 on establishing the ecological criteria for the award of the EU Ecolabel for personal computers (notified under document C(2011) 3737) (Text with EEA relevance) (2011/337/EU)

The product group ‘personal computers’ shall comprise: desktop computers, integrated desktop computers, thin clients, displays and keyboards (as a stand alone item) as defined in Article 2.

Notebook computers, small-scale servers, workstations, gaming consoles and digital picture frames shall not be considered personal computers for the purpose of this Decision.

For the purpose of this Decision, the following definitions shall apply:

1. ‘computer’ means a device which performs logical operations and processes data, is capable of using input devices and computer displays, and includes a central processing unit (CPU) to perform operations. For the purpose of this Decision, computers shall only include stationary units, including desktop computers, integrated desktop computers and thin clients.

   If a computer, on shipment, includes a monitor, a key board or any other input device these must also comply with the criteria. Keyboards and displays can also apply as a stand alone item;

2. ‘computer display’ means a display screen and its associated electronics encased in a single housing, or within the computer housing (e.g. integrated desktop computer), that is capable of displaying output information from a computer via one or more inputs, such as a VGA, DVI, display port, and/or IEEE 1394. Examples of computer display technologies are the cathode-ray tube (CRT) and liquid crystal display (LCD);

3. ‘keyboard’ means a data input device which uses an arrangement of push-buttons, which can be used to insert discrete data into a computer;

4. ‘external power supply’ means a component contained in a separate physical enclosure external to the computer casing and designed to convert line voltage AC input from the mains to lower DC voltage(s) for the purpose of powering the computer. An external power supply must connect to the computer via a removable or hard-wired male/female electrical connection, cable, cord or other wiring;

5. ‘internal power supply’ means a component internal to the computer casing and designed to convert AC voltage from the mains to DC voltage(s) for the purpose of powering the computer components. For the purposes of this definition, an internal power supply must be contained within the computer casing but shall be separate from the main computer board. The power supply must connect to the mains through a single cable with no intermediate circuitry between the power supply and the mains power. In addition, all power connections from the power supply to the computer components, with the exception of a DC connection to a computer display in an integrated desktop computer, must be internal to the computer casing (i.e. no external cables running from the power supply to the computer or individual components). Internal DC-to-DC converters used to convert a single DC voltage from an external power supply into multiple voltages for use by the computer are not considered internal power supplies;

6. ‘desktop computer’ means a computer where the main unit is intended to be located in a permanent location, often on a desk or on the floor. Desktops are not designed for portability and utilise an external computer display, keyboard, and mouse. Desktops are designed for a broad range of home and office applications;

7. ‘integrated desktop computer’ means a desktop system in which the computer and computer display function as a single unit which receives its AC power through a single cable. Integrated desktop computers come in one of two possible forms: (1) a system where the computer display and computer are physically combined into a single unit; or (2) a system packaged as a single system where the computer display is separate but is connected to the main chassis by a DC power cord and both the computer and computer display are powered from a single power supply. As a subset of desktop computers, integrated desktop computers are typically designed to provide similar functionality as desktop systems;

8. ‘thin client’ means an independently powered computer that relies on a connection to remote computing resources to obtain primary functionality. Main computing (e.g. programme execution, data storage, interaction with other Internet resources, etc.) takes place using the remote computing resources. Thin clients covered by this definition are limited to devices with no rotational storage media integral to the computer. The main unit of a thin client covered by this definition must be intended for location in a permanent location (e.g. on a desk) and not for portability;

9. ‘discrete graphics processing unit (GPU)’ means a graphics processor with a local memory controller interface and a local, graphics-specific memory.

In order to be awarded the EU Ecolabel under Regulation (EC) No 66/2010, an item must fall within the product group ‘personal computers’ as defined in Article 1 of this Decision and must comply with the ecological criteria as well as the related assessment and verification requirements, set out in the Annex to this Decision.

The ecological criteria for the product group ‘personal computers’ and the related assessment and verification requirements, shall be valid until 31 December 2016.

For administrative purposes the code number assigned to the product group ‘personal computers’ shall be ‘013’.