On 20 October 2026, Kyiv hosted a practical seminar focused on identifying instantaneous gas water heaters — domestic gas water heaters that fail to comply with the applicable ecodesign requirements. The event was attended by representatives of the territorial offices of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection (SSUFSCP) from all regions of Ukraine and the city of Kyiv, as well as representatives of the European Business Association and business community.
DEGA PARTNERS, acting as legal counsel to the European Business Association’s Household Appliances Committee, participated in the training. The key speaker at the seminar was Vitaliy Kovalenko, Senior Lawyer at DEGA PARTNERS, who presented the legal and practical aspects of assessing gas water heaters for compliance with the requirements of the applicable technical regulations.
The seminar continued the work aimed at strengthening the practical skills of market surveillance inspectors, initiated through a series of previous regional training sessions on non-energy-efficient gas boilers held in 2025. This time, the focus was on the specific characteristics of gas water heaters, as well as the requirements applicable to their energy efficiency, environmental performance and energy labelling.
As part of the training, the participants considered:
Particular attention was paid to distinguishing between the absence of mandatory consumer information and the failure to provide, or incompleteness of, technical documentation. This approach enables more accurate identification of the nature of non-compliances and provides a sounder basis for decisions taken by market surveillance authorities.
During the practical part of the seminar, the participants also discussed market surveillance in relation to gas boilers whose customs clearance had been suspended following product control, as well as the identification of non-compliances during the distribution of such products.
The exchange of experience between inspectors, business representatives and lawyers contributes to the development of consistent approaches to product inspections and the proper documentation of violations. For DEGA PARTNERS, participation in such events is a continuation of its work aimed at ensuring compliance with technical regulation requirements, protecting consumer rights and promoting fair competition in the Ukrainian market.
Following the event, the SSUFSCP employees were provided with methodological materials on identifying gas water heaters that fail to comply with ecodesign requirements, as well as on describing violations of the requirements of the applicable technical regulations.
Currently, more than 30 ecodesign technical regulations have been approved in Ukraine for various types of energy-related products, including vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, computers, refrigerators, washing machines and tumble dryers, dishwashers, fans, household ovens, hobs and cooker hoods, light sources, pumps, electric motors and other products. Each of these technical regulations has its own specific application requirements.