Dyson wins backing from EU courts in his fight against EU labelling rules

Published by

Nicky Godding

Malmesbury-based design and manufacturing company Dyson, has won support from Europe's second highest court in its fight against an EU law on energy efficiency labelling.

The General Court reversed its 2015 ruling which rejected Dyson's challenge to the law, according to Reuters. The change of opinion came after the EU Court of Justice ordered the lower tribunal to re-examine the case last year following an appeal by the company.

The energy labelling rules, valid since September 2014, are designed to prevent energy waste, reduce fuel bills and cut carbon emissions.

In 2013 Dyson challenged the regulation. In the company's view the requirements on how vacuum cleaners should be labelled failed to take into account their particular design and misled customers about the efficiency of some vacuum cleaners.

"Tests of a vacuum cleaner's energy efficiency carried out with an empty receptacle do not reflect conditions as close as possible to actual conditions of use," the General Court said.

The European Commission, which drafted the rules, can appeal the case at the ECJ but only on points of law according to Reuters.

Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe. After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts. She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.