The European Union has initiated a number of initiatives to improve
resource efficiency in Europe. The Ecodesign Directive is one of the policy
instruments that could aid the transition towards a more resource efficient
economy. This paper examines the potential benefits and disadvantages in
applying the Directive for this purpose, and reflects on the potential to apply
certain types of standards. The research builds on literature studies and
interviews. A main conclusion is that some types of legal requirements are
more feasible than others, and that the type of product and user patterns are
of high importance when legal requirements are assessed.