Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR)

The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, usually abbreviated ESPR, entered into force in July 2024 and replaces the previous Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC, which was limited to energy-related products. The ESPR extends its scope to nearly all physical products placed on the EU market, with the exception of certain product groups such as food or medicines.

The regulation itself initially only sets the framework; concrete ecodesign requirements on aspects such as durability, repairability, recyclability, recycled content, and resource and energy efficiency are being established gradually through product-specific delegated acts. The 2025-2030 working plan, adopted in April 2025, names priority product groups for the first delegated acts, including textiles and apparel, furniture, mattresses, tires, and steel and iron including aluminum.

A key, cross-product element of the ESPR is the Digital Product Passport, which will become mandatory for the product groups covered by delegated acts; the corresponding EU registry is due to be in place by July 19, 2026. From the same date, the ESPR also bans large companies from destroying unsold consumer goods in the clothing and footwear categories.

Since the concrete requirements will only take effect gradually through 2030, manufacturing companies across almost all sectors will be affected in the medium term. Early engagement with lifecycle data and product design is advisable to prepare for upcoming delegated acts. The ESPR thus complements other building blocks of European circular economy policy such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).