New Regulations to Go into Effect from March 2023
As the European Commission has decided to maintain its plan to significantly strengthen the energy efficiency standards on TVs, Korea's exports of 8K TVs to Europe are highly likely to be blocked.
According to the 8K Association and media reports, the EU Commission has no intention of revising a planned change to the strengthened EU regulations on TV power consumption. The new EU power consumption regulations are set to go into effect in its 27 member states from March 2023. The power consumption limits on 8K TVs and micro-LED TVs are set so low that these products cannot be sold in the EU unless TV makers take action to meet the new rules.
Under the previous regulations introduced in 2019, there was no Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) for 8K TVs and MicroLED TVs. But the new regulations set the EEI for 8K TVs and MicroLED TVs at 0.9, the same as that for HD TVs and UHD-4K TVs.
8K TVs consume much more electric power than 4K TVs because they offer a four times clearer resolution by doubling horizontal and vertical pixels. Not only all 8K TVs currently being produced by TV makers, but some high-performance 4K TVs do not meet the EEI set for them this time.
According to the 8K Association, the new EU regulations stipulate that the Commission should “review this Regulation in the light of technological progress and present the results of this review, including, if appropriate, a draft revision proposal, to the Consultation Forum no later than Dec. 25, 2022.” However, the Commission said that it had no intention of reviewing the planned change.
Europe is the largest market for premium TVs such as OLED TVs and 8K TVs. According to market research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), 8K TV shipments in Western Europe in 2021 totaled 114,000 units, accounting for 31 percent of the world 8K TV market.
The TV industry predicts that if the regulations go into effect as planned, TV makers will seek various ways to meet the new rules.