Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation
ESPR
Definition
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) — Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 — is the EU's primary product sustainability law. It replaces the old Ecodesign Directive (2009/125/EC) and extends ecodesign requirements from energy-related products to nearly all physical goods sold in the EU. ESPR is the legal basis for Digital Product Passports.
What ESPR does
ESPR creates a framework — not a fixed rulebook. It establishes the tools and powers, while product-specific requirements come via delegated acts adopted by the Commission for each product category.
The core tools ESPR introduces:
- Digital Product Passports (Articles 9–13) — mandatory for any product category subject to a delegated act
- Ecodesign requirements — covering durability, repairability, recyclability, recycled content, carbon footprint, energy efficiency, substance restrictions
- DPP Registry (Article 12) — a central EU registry operational by 19 July 2026
- Destruction of unsold goods prohibition (Articles 22–25) — bans destruction of unsold textiles and footwear for large companies from 19 July 2026
- Green public procurement — ecodesign performance as a criterion for public tenders
Product priority and timeline
ESPR operates on a rolling working plan. The 2025–2030 Working Plan (adopted April 2025) identifies priority product categories:
| Product Category | Delegated Act Target | |-----------------|---------------------| | Iron and steel | 2026 | | Textiles and apparel | 2027 | | Tyres | 2027 | | Aluminium | 2027–2028 | | Furniture | 2028 | | Mobile phones and tablets | 2030 |
Once a delegated act enters into force, companies typically have 18 months to comply.
Why it replaced the old directive
The Ecodesign Directive (2009/125/EC) only covered energy-related products and required national transposition — introducing variation between member states. ESPR is a regulation, meaning it applies directly across all 27 EU member states with no transposition. Its scope is also dramatically broader: any product can be brought into scope through a delegated act.
Related terms
- Digital Product Passport (DPP) — the data infrastructure ESPR creates
- Delegated Act — how product-specific rules are created under ESPR
- Ecodesign — the design principle ESPR enforces
- Circular Economy — the economic model ESPR supports