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.

🔗 EP, EC, Lexology

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