Legal basis · (EU) 2024/1781
The ESPR regulation: the framework behind the product passport.
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) has been in force since July 2024. It replaces the old Ecodesign Directive, will eventually cover almost all physical products in the EU single market – and introduces the Digital Product Passport as its central instrument.
- 18 July 2024Entered into force
- Framework regulationDetails per product group via delegated acts
- Working plan 4/2025Steel, aluminium, textiles, tyres, furniture, mattresses prioritised
- Directly applicableA regulation, not a directive – no national transposition needed
01 — Overview
What the ESPR regulates.
The ESPR is a framework regulation: it defines which kinds of requirements the European Commission may impose on products – the concrete requirements per product group follow in delegated acts. Its toolbox includes:
- Ecodesign requirements: durability, repairability, reusability, recycled content, energy and resource efficiency, carbon and environmental footprint.
- Information obligations: above all the Digital Product Passport with a unique identifier and data carrier on the product.
- Destruction ban: unsold consumer products may no longer simply be destroyed – for textiles and footwear the ban applies directly (for large companies from 19 July 2026, medium-sized companies follow from 2030).
- Transparency obligations covering discarded goods and supply-chain information.
Unlike the old Ecodesign Directive, the ESPR is not limited to energy-related products: it can cover almost any physical good. Exemptions include food, feed and medicinal products, among others.
02 — Implementation
How the ESPR is being switched on.
The regulation itself already applies – the product-specific obligations arrive step by step. Full schedule: obligations & deadlines.
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July 2024 ✓ in force
ESPR in force
The framework is in place: empowerment for delegated acts, the basic DPP architecture and the destruction ban are adopted.
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April 2025 ✓ in force
Working plan 2025–2030
Prioritised product groups: iron & steel, aluminium, textiles, tyres, furniture, mattresses + energy-related products.
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May–July 2026 fixed
Technical foundation takes shape
The EN standards package published (May); the EU DPP registry must be set up by 19 July 2026 – putting the infrastructure in place for all delegated acts to come.
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From 2026 expected
Delegated acts
Iron & steel expected in 2026, textiles/tyres/aluminium from 2027, furniture in 2028, mattresses in 2029 – each followed by a ~18-month transition period until the obligation applies.
ESPR sounds abstract? Let’s make it concrete.
Tell us your products – we will tell you which ESPR instruments will hit you and what you can already prepare today.
03 — Preparation
What you can already do today.
The product-specific details arrive with the delegated act – these five steps make sense regardless:
Check your portfolio against the working plan
Which of your products fall into prioritised groups – directly, or as a component in your customers’ supply chains?
Take stock of your data
Material compositions, certificates, supplier evidence: what exists, where does it live, how current is it?
Clarify identifier and batch logic
Can your ERP and PIM uniquely identify products at model, batch or item level? EN 18219 points the way.
Involve suppliers early
Anchor data requirements contractually and collect them in a structured way – this is the slowest part of every DPP project.
Prepare the systems question
Extend your PIM, connect a DPP platform, or build in-house? Evaluate the options now, decide after the delegated act.
04 — FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the ESPR.
Does the ESPR also apply to small companies?
Yes. The obligations apply to products in the EU single market regardless of company size. Support measures and some transitional relief are foreseen for SMEs – for instance around the destruction ban – but core obligations such as the product passport remain.
What is the difference between the ESPR and the old Ecodesign Directive?
Three big leaps: (1) A regulation instead of a directive – directly applicable, with no national transposition. (2) Almost all products instead of only energy-related ones. (3) New instruments: the Digital Product Passport, the destruction ban, and requirements on recycled content and repairability.
What is a delegated act?
A legal instrument through which the European Commission fleshes out the framework regulation for a specific product group – without a new legislative procedure. It defines which data your product group’s passport must contain, at which level (model/batch/item) and from when.
Do we risk duplicate obligations with the CSRD, supply chain due diligence laws & co.?
There is overlap in the underlying data (carbon, supply chain, materials) – but different addressees and formats. Well-designed product data management serves several obligations from a single source; that is precisely what our data-model approach targets.
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