The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which enters into force on 18 July 2024, will replace the current Ecodesign Directive (2009/125/EC), introducing more Ecodesign criteria for a broader range of products. It aims to make sustainable products the norm on the EU market. In this article, you will find the complete Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) overview: the history, future – and connected legislation.
The European Ecodesign Directive (Directive 2009/125/EC) sets ecological standards for the design of specific product groups in the member states of the European Union. It works alongside its “sister directive,” the Energy Labeling Regulation, which governs the energy labeling of such products—commonly seen on appliances like fridges and washing machines. The Ecodesign Directive sets design requirements for the most energy and greenhouse-gas-intensive products.
In 2021, these regulations reduced the energy consumption of the regulated products by 10% and saved consumers 120 billion euros in energy costs, with savings estimated to have doubled in 2022.
The Ecodesign Directive is based on a sustainable design approach called Ecodesign, which aims to minimize the life-cycle environmental impacts of a product through design solutions. Decisions are driven by environmental data, ideally measured with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
Starting from July 18, 2024, the ESPR will replace the Ecodesign Directive. The new regulation will continue to enforce ecological standards for product design but will also introduce broader measures, such as the ban on the destruction of unsold products, to further enhance sustainability across the European Union.
And, by 2030, potentially lead to energy savings equivalent in size to the EU’s imports of Russian gas.
The Ecodesign directive and ESPR sit in a jungle of regulations and plans – all part of the European Green Deal.
Let’s go through all the layers. This first section of terms deals with the outer layers – covering the green part in Image 1.
The EU Green Deal is a policy package to make the EU carbon neutral by 2050. Immense funds of about 1 trillion euros are available for it. Its promises range from decoupling economic growth from resource use, over nature restoration, to improved public health and well-being.
One policy in the EU Green Deal is the Circular Economy Action Plan. The circular economy action plan in turn has different policies, e.g. on empowering consumers in sustainable choices, reducing waste, and: the “sustainable products initiative”.
The Sustainable Products Initiative’s goal is to “make sustainable products the norm”. The ESPR is the main policy instrument here. The ESPR will be a regulation, thus: binding for EU member states. We’ll get to know it deeply in the next section.
The Sustainable Products Initiative is implemented further through the “EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles” and the revision of the Construction Products Regulation (Image 1). They cover more product-specific rules, while the ESPR covers environmental aspects.
Image 1. Green Deal policy framework around ESPR (green) and the ESPR’s relationship to the Ecodesign directive (blue).
Now let’s zoom in on the ESPR: It is placed in the inner layers of the European Green Deal. The blue parts in Image 1.
At the current time of writing (12/2022) the Ecodesign Directive regulates 29 product categories (see below), posing mainly energy-related criteria. However, the new ESPR wants to cover the “broadest possible range of products” with more diverse Ecodesign criteria. These criteria are aligned to the “Right to Repair”, and boost circularity, durability, reusability, upgradability, and repairability.
Next to Ecodesign criteria, the ESPR will introduce a digital product passport for all regulated products. This will be an easily accessible tag on the products that makes sustainability information instantly available to supply chain actors, regulators, and consumers alike.
To address the practice of destroying unsold consumer products, the ESPR will mandate companies to adopt measures to prevent this practice and disclose unsold product disposal data. A direct ban on unsold textile and footwear destruction applies to large companies, while smaller businesses have exemptions and medium-sized companies have a transitional period. Some other ESPRS sub-goals are visible in the blue core in Image 2 below.
The 29 product groups with Ecodesign criteria in 2024 are:
Each regulated product group in the Ecodesign Directive has it’s own “implementing act”. This is a piece of law, that makes the Ecodesign criteria mandatory. Currently, the EU is developing the implementation of acts for new product groups and revising old ones. The new acts still enter into force under the current Ecodesign directive. Once the ESPR enters into force, it will take over these acts and replace the current Ecodesign directive.
For example, the newest implementing act on mobile phones and tablets, adopted in June 2023 and applied from June 2025, requires durable design, longer-lasting batteries, and (prolonged) availability of software updates and spare parts. Compared to previous energy-focused acts, this act demonstrates how the EU is implementing the Right-to-Repair in the ESPR.
The Ecodesign Directive and the Energy Labelling Regulation are “sister directives”. They are often mentioned and worked on together.
Product groups with energy labeling requirements also have an Ecodesign ruling (except tires). But not every product group with Ecodesign ruling needs/ is suitable for energy labeling.
This is how the EU puts it:
As of December 2023, energy labeling applied to 14 of the earlier-mentioned product groups, and to tires (which do not have Ecodesign criteria).
Image 2: The ESPR and its goals in the circular economy package. Source: European Commission
As of July 18, 2024, the ESPR will officially be in force. With the regulation now adopted, general measures such as the ban on the destruction of unsold products will take effect. Additionally, new implementing acts will be directly executed under the ESPR.
Also, the newest Ecodesign and Energy Labeling Work Plan will be adopted. The provisional agreement from December 4, 2023, established iron, steel, aluminum, textiles (notably garments and footwear), furniture, tires, detergents, paints, lubricants, and chemicals as priority products for the 2024-2027 working plan.
The highlights of the working plan 2022-24 were:
*Priority products in working plan 2022-2024, section 4.4: low-temperature emitters, professional laundry machines, and dishwashers, universal external power supplies, and electric vehicle chargers.
The ESPR will pose Ecodesign criteria for as many products as possible. However, in the next few years, it will be implemented for only a limited range of energy-intense products. Our tip: find out if your products are among them!
The environmental impact of the whole life product cycle is a prominent theme in the EU’s environmental regulations. The talk is of a “whole life cycle approach to product regulation” in the ESPR proposal. LCA is currently only prescribed in the EU’s Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method – which falls outside of the ESPR. The Commission mentions that most stakeholders support the implementation of LCA for impact assessment within the ESPR, although its own LCA methodology, the PEF, is currently not fit for the purpose.
As we know, Ecodesign is all about reducing product impacts. Therefore, it’s incredibly likely that the environmental data required by the ESPR will be LCA data. You can already prepare and take steps towards complying with the new Ecodesign regulation by measuring the environmental footprint of your product with LCA. While there are many options for LCA software, several of them are complex and costly. Ecochain Mobius is the LCA software built for the business user, which can help you in your Ecodesign journey by providing quantitative insights into the environmental impacts of various design choices.
Learn more about MobiusEU communication on making sustainable products the norm
ESPR proposal
Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Working Plan 2022-2024
Q&A: ESPR under the Sustainable products initiative
EU Green Deal’s policy framework – on Circular Economy and Ecodesign
Rescaling of energy labels
Ecodesign and energy labeling rules for product groups- overview
Ecodesign and energy labeling harmonized standards (only some product groups)
Ecodesign – Overview for 2023 – Ecochain
I'm Researcher & writer at Ecochain. During my studies in Global Sustainability Science, LCA really captured my interest. It continues to fascinate me in my current Master in Energy Science, where I also conduct LCAs myself. I love researching & writing (and learning more!) about these crucial topics now for Ecochain's Knowledge Blog.
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