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Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is a significant legislative initiative by the European Union (EU) aimed at enhancing the environmental sustainability of products throughout their entire life cycle. Adopted on June 13, 2024, as Regulation 2024/1781, the ESPR replaces Directive 2009/125/EC and is a central component of the EU's Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan.
Key Objectives of ESPR:
1/ Broadening Product Scope: Unlike its predecessor, which focused mainly on energy-related products, the ESPR extends its reach to nearly all physical goods in the EU market, excluding only a few categories like food and medical products. This expansion ensures a comprehensive approach to product sustainability across various industries. 2/ Establishing Ecodesign Requirements: The regulation sets a framework for ecodesign, encouraging manufacturers to create products that minimize environmental impact throughout their life cycle. This includes aspects such as durability, repairability, recyclability, and energy efficiency. 3/ Introducing the Digital Product Passport (DPP): A notable feature of the ESPR is the creation of a digital product passport, which provides detailed information on a product's environmental sustainability. Accessible via data carriers like QR codes or URLs, the DPP offers insights into a product's durability, repairability, recycled content, and availability of spare parts, aiding consumers in making informed purchasing decisions. 4/ Prohibiting Destruction of Unsold Goods: To combat waste, the ESPR introduces measures against the destruction of unsold consumer products. Starting July 19, 2026, large companies will be prohibited from destroying unsold textiles and footwear, with medium-sized companies following four years later. Small and micro-sized enterprises are exempt from this ban.
Industries and categories: A preliminary assessment by the EC has identified that product categories such as textiles, furniture, mattresses, tyres, detergents, paints, lubricants, as well as intermediate products like iron, steel and aluminium, have high environmental impact and potential for improvement, and may thus be prioritised in the first workplan. To take into account individual characteristics and specificities of products, rules will be set product by product. However, where sufficient commonalities across certain products exist (such as electronic appliances or textiles), rules covering groups of products may be set.
As mentioned above, these rules will apply equally to all products placed or put into service on the EU market, regardless of their origin - produced in the EU or imported.
Expected Impact: The ESPR is anticipated to play a pivotal role in the EU's sustainability efforts. The European Commission estimates that by 2030, the regulation could save 132 million tonnes of primary energy, equivalent to approximately 150 billion cubic meters of natural gas, nearly matching the EU's previous imports of Russian gas.
In summary, the ESPR represents a comprehensive strategy to promote sustainable product design, enhance consumer awareness, and facilitate the EU's transition towards a circular economy.
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Regulation (EU) 2024/1781
- ProposedMar 30, 2023
- ApprovedMay 27, 2024
- AdoptedJun 27, 2024
- PublishedJul 17, 2024
- In ForceJul 18, 2024
- In ApplicationJul 18, 2026
According to the projected timeline published by the European Commission ("EC"), by late 2024 or early 2025, the first meeting of the Ecodesign Forum will take place. By March 2025, the first ESPR working plan will be adopted.
Thereafter, the first ESPR measures, including those for textiles and steel, will be adopted in 2026, with the first product requirements starting to apply in 2027 or 2028.
The ESPR does not set out specific measures but rather establishes a framework for their later implementation. The requirements for each product or product group will be laid down in a second stage through delegated acts under Art. 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which will be adopted by the EC after consultation with Member States. It is expected that up to 18 new delegated acts will be developed and adopted between 2024 and 2027, which will also further specify the concerned product groups.
April 19, 2025: Deadline for the Commission to adopt and publish the first ESPR working plan, which will cover a period of at least three years. This working plan will include a prioritized list of product groups for which the Commission intends to adopt delegated acts setting ecodesign requirements, including:
-> Iron and steel
-> Aluminum
-> Textiles, in particular garments and footwear
-> Furniture, including mattresses
-> Tires
-> Detergents
-> Paints
-> Lubricants
-> Chemicals
-> Energy-related products for which Ecodesign requirements will be set for the first time or for which existing measures were adopted under the Ecodesign Directive will be reviewed under the ESPR
Information and communication technology products
-> Electronics
July 19, 2025: The first delegated act setting Ecodesign requirements may enter into force. The Commission is also required to adopt an implementing act setting out the details and format for the disclosure of information on discarded unsold consumer products.
July 19, 2026: The prohibition on destroying unsold consumer products listed in Annex VII of the ESPR goes into effect. This prohibition does not apply to micro and small enterprises. The Commission is required to set up a digital registry to store unique product identifiers.
Within four years of the date of entry into force of the implementing act setting the specifications for interconnection: The interconnection between the digital product passport registry and the EU Customs Single Window Certificates Exchange System must be operational.
July 19, 2028: The Commission is required to publish the first report containing information on market surveillance activities related to the ESPR, including the number of checks performed, the levels of non-compliance identified, and the penalties imposed.
December 31, 2028 — January 1, 2030: The Commission is required to adopt delegated acts setting ecodesign requirements for cement if certain requirements are not met under the Construction Products Regulation.
July 19, 2030: Medium-sized enterprises must begin reporting on the discarding of unsold consumer products.The Commission is required to complete an evaluation of the ESPR and its impact on the environmental sustainability of products and the functioning of the internal market, and to present a report to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the Committee of the Regions.
December 31, 2030: Deadline for amending implementing measures adopted under Article 15 of the Ecodesign Directive to address technical issues.
Eight years after the ESPR enters into force: A formal evaluation of the ESPR will be undertaken to determine what aspects are functioning well and what aspects require improvement. This evaluation will consider product-specific review studies and likely lead to further amendments and updates to the regulation.
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