What the regulation is
Commission Regulation (EU) 666/2013 implements the ecodesign directive for vacuum cleaners. It was adopted to reduce the energy consumed by household machines while keeping cleaning performance and durability at a useful level. It is a product regulation: a model that does not meet it cannot lawfully be placed on the EU market, whatever the safety reports say. Compliance is declared by the manufacturer or the importer who takes responsibility, and it sits alongside CE marking rather than replacing it. The safety standard, IEC/EN 60335-2-2, covers hazards; 666/2013 covers energy, performance and life.
A companion measure, Regulation (EU) 665/2013, introduced an energy label for vacuum cleaners. That regulation was annulled by a court ruling in 2018, so vacuums sold in the EU do not carry the energy label that 665/2013 described. The ecodesign requirements of 666/2013 remain in force. Importers sometimes encounter old label artwork in plant templates and should remove it from packaging unless a current rule requires it.
Scope: which machines are included
The regulation applies to mains-operated household vacuum cleaners. Three boundaries matter for sourcing. First, power type: cordless, battery-operated machines are excluded, as are robot vacuums that run on batteries. Second, the user: industrial and commercial machines are outside the household scope, as are wet and dry machines of the type the regulation does not cover, and the exact boundary should be checked against the text and the Commission guidance for borderline models. Third, the market: the regulation concerns the EU, and the same rules are mirrored in some neighbouring markets, so the importer must check the destination. Because the wording on scope is technical, the desk treats a doubtful case as a question for the importer's adviser rather than assuming either answer.
The main requirements
| Requirement | Value in general terms | What it means in design |
|---|---|---|
| Rated input power | Under 900 W | Motors are sized and rated below the cap, with airpath efficiency doing the work |
| Annual energy consumption | Under 43 kWh, from a standard test method | Efficient motor and airpath, controlled during use |
| Dust pick-up on carpet | At least 0.75 | Brush and nozzle design matter as much as the motor |
| Dust pick-up on hard floor | At least 0.98 | Seal and crevice behaviour on smooth floors |
| Motor life | At least 500 hours | Bearing quality, brush wear (brushed motors) and cooling |
| Information | Technical documentation and declared values | Datasheet figures must match the tested model |
The regulation contains further provisions on subjects such as noise and dust re-emission, and tests are carried out by methods referenced in the regulation and related standards. The values above are the headline limits; the full text should be read for the details and updates, and the plant's laboratory report should state the method used. For performance test standards in general see the suction and airflow guide.
What the 900 W cap changed
Before the regulation, a few watts in the specification sheet were a selling point, and corded household machines of 1,600 W or more were common. The cap pushed designs toward more efficient fans, better sealing and improved brush design, so that a machine under 900 W can deliver similar real cleaning. For a buyer, this changes how a specification should be read: the wattage on a European household model is an input figure and no longer a proxy for suction. The same point is explained in the vacuum watts vs suction note. Mains machines for other markets, such as North America, are not bound by the EU cap, which is why one platform often has two ratings.
Cordless and robots: outside, but not unregulated
A cordless stick escapes the power cap and the pick-up minimums of 666/2013, but it still needs the usual safety and battery work: IEC 62133-2 for the pack, UN 38.3 for transport, CE for the appliance and the charger, and RoHS and REACH for materials. A robot with Wi-Fi adds CE RED. The absence of an ecodesign regulation for a product class does not remove the need to avoid misleading claims; runtime and suction figures on packaging should come from a documented test. Related notes cover battery tests and energy efficiency and ErP rules.
Reading a laboratory report against the regulation
A report that says pass is not enough. The importer should look for the actual declared values and the conditions behind them: the rated input power measured against the label, the test floor and the method for the pick-up values, the load state used for the energy figure, and the hours and conditions of the motor life test. Motor life is the item most often delegated to a component supplier, so the plant should show how the motor test relates to the finished machine, including the filter and bin state used. If the figures sit very close to a limit, small production variation can push units over it, and the importer is entitled to ask what margin the design leaves. A plant that cannot explain the margin has probably not run the test itself.
What to ask a plant
- Is the model a mains household vacuum for the EU, and if so, does a test report show the rated input power, the annual energy figure, the dust pick-up values and the motor life test?
- Does the rating label, the datasheet and the manual use the same input power as the report?
- Which laboratory ran the tests and which method was used?
- Is the declaration of conformity prepared with the ecodesign regulation referenced, together with LVD and EMC?
- Does packaging artwork avoid the annulled energy label?
Practical sourcing consequences
Because the cap applies to input power, an EU version of a corded model usually needs a different motor from a North American or Asian version. The lead time and minimum quantity can change accordingly; reference ranges are on MOQ and lead time and are confirmed in writing for each program. If a project covers both the EU and other markets, the desk recommends separate model numbers and separate reports so that a label meant for one market never travels with stock for another. Documents are verified per project at the testing and inspection stage, and the full approvals list is in the certifications guide. Vaculent holds no certificates; partner plant documents are verified per project. Send the target market and configuration through the quote form to begin.