New EU Ecode­sign Re­gu­la­ti­on (ESPR) – Ecode­sign re­qui­re­ments for almost all phy­si­cal products

On 30 March 2022, the EU Com­mis­si­on pro­po­sed the Ecode­sign Re­gu­la­ti­on for Sus­tainable Pro­ducts (ESPR). This is part of the 2020 Cir­cu­lar Economy Action Plan.

The Council of the Eu­ro­pean Union adopted the new EU Ecode­sign for Sus­tainable Pro­ducts Re­gu­la­ti­on (ESPR) on 27 May 2024. The new re­gu­la­ti­on is de­si­gned as a frame­work and sets out cri­te­ria for new product re­gu­la­ti­ons, which are to be con­cre­ti­sed by the Com­mis­si­on through product-spe­ci­­fic regulations.

It re­places the Ecode­sign Di­rec­ti­ve 2009/125/EC, alt­hough in­di­vi­du­al pro­vi­si­ons will con­ti­nue to apply until dif­fe­rent dates. With a few ex­cep­ti­ons, such as food and animal feed, medical devices, plant and animal pro­ducts and certain ve­hic­les, the ESPR will re­gu­la­te almost all phy­si­cal pro­ducts that are placed on the market or put into ope­ra­ti­on in the EU.

The aim of the new re­gu­la­ti­on is to embed sus­taina­bi­li­ty in product design. To this end, it con­ta­ins a large number of new re­qui­re­ments, in­clu­ding those re­la­ting to the reusa­bi­li­ty, du­ra­bi­li­ty, re­pa­ra­bi­li­ty and re­cy­cla­bi­li­ty of products.

In ad­di­ti­on to new product re­gu­la­ti­ons, the new ESPR also in­tro­du­ces in­for­ma­ti­on re­qui­re­ments. Among other things, a digital product pass­port, an ecode­sign label and a re­pa­ra­bi­li­ty index will be introduced.

Images­our­ce: ge­ne­ra­ted by DALL E – New EU Ecode­sign Regulation