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Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation

Making sustainable products the norm in the EU

Overview

Objectives

The ESPR aims to significantly improve the sustainability of products placed on the EU market by improving their circularity, energy performance, recyclability and durability. 

It will also play a central role in developing a strong, well-functioning single market for sustainable products in the EU.

By doing so, a significant step will be taken towards better protecting our planet, fostering more sustainable business models and strengthening the overall competitiveness and resilience of the EU economy.

The ESPR replaces the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC and establishes a framework for setting ecodesign requirements on specific product groups. It extends the Ecodesign Directive in two ways.

Firstly, while the latter applies only to energy-related products, the ESPR extends this scope to cover virtually all physical products. Only a few exemptions apply, for example, for food and feed, and medicinal products. Secondly, the ESPR reinforces the range of ecodesign requirements that can be set for products, which can comprise requirements relating to durability, circularity and the overall reduction of the environmental and climate footprint of products, amongst many others.

This will strengthen the Single Market by avoiding diverging legislation in each Member State and create economic opportunities for innovation and job creation, notably in remanufacturing, maintenance, recycling and repair.

Law

The ESPR enables the setting of performance and information rules – known as ‘ecodesign requirements’ – for almost all categories of physical goods, including:-

  • Improving product durability, reusability, upgradability and reparability
  • Enhancing the possibility of product maintenance and refurbishment
  • Making products more energy and resource-efficient
  • Addressing the presence of substances that inhibit circularity
  • Increasing recycled content
  • Making products easier to remanufacture and recycle
  • Setting rules on carbon and environmental footprints
  • Limiting the generation of waste
  • Improving the availability of information on product sustainability

For groups of products that share enough common characteristics, the framework allows horizontal rules to be set.

The ESPR also contains a number of other new measures:-

Implementation

The ESPR is a type of framework legislation and lays the foundation for the subsequent adoption of concrete rules, either on a product-by-product basis or horizontally - on the basis of groups of products with similar characteristics. 

The process will begin with a prioritisation exercise. In the first half of 2025, the Commission will adopt the first ESPR working plan, setting out which products will be prioritised over the coming years. Development of product rules will then start, based on inclusive planning, detailed impact assessments and regular stakeholder consultation within a dedicated Ecodesign Forum.

Apply to Ecodesign Forum

Find out more about the implementation of the ESPR here.

Timeline

Key dates related to the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation:-

  1. October/November 2024
    Establishment of Ecodesign Forum and publication of call for membership applications
  2. 18 July 2024
    New Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation enters into force
  3. 5 December 2023
    Commission welcomes provisional agreement for more sustainable, repairable and circular products
  4. 31 January 2023-12 May 2023
    Open Public Consultation (New product priorities for ESPR)
  5. 30 March 2022
    Adoption ESPR proposal (as part of Sustainable Products Initiative)
  6. 14 September 2020–22 June 2022
    Public consultation and roadmap (Sustainable Products Initiative)
  7. 11 March 2020
    Adoption New Circular Economy Action Plan
  8. 11 December 2019
    Adoption European Green Deal
Watch episode 7 of 'The Road to Green' on how we can make sure that products last longer and are more repairable.

Watch the online information session on ESPR from 22 May 2024

Slides from the online session

ESPR FAQs

Documents and links

See below for everything ESPR related.

Contact

For questions about EU environmental policy, please contact Europe Direct.