Advancing Sustainability through the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR)

The European Union is taking significant strides toward sustainability with the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). The first Ecodesign Forum, held in Brussels on 19-20 February 2025, marks a pivotal moment in implementing this comprehensive framework aimed at enhancing product sustainability, reducing energy consumption, and promoting a circular economy.

What is the Ecodesign Forum?

The Ecodesign Forum is a consultative group bringing together nearly 130 experts from EU Member States, industry, NGOs, and academia. It facilitates transparent and participatory discussions on the ESPR and energy labelling regulations, ensuring inclusive stakeholder engagement. Members were selected based on expertise and representativeness covering priority product groups.

Objectives and Scope of the ESPR

The ESPR targets:

• Strengthening the EU single market by harmonizing product rules.
• Boosting industrial competitiveness through innovation.
• Reducing environmental impacts by improving product design standards.
• Promoting circular economy principles to reduce waste.
• Encouraging conscious consumer choices through better environmental information.

By removing regulatory barriers across Member States, the ESPR aims to create a level playing field benefiting businesses and consumers across Europe.

Priority Areas and Upcoming Measures

The Forum is currently debating the first Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Working Plan, expected to be adopted by April 2025. Key priority product categories identified include:

• Textiles (apparel)
• Furniture
• Steel and aluminium
• Tyres
• Energy-related products from previous plans

Horizontal measures focus on:

• Repairability (including scoring systems)
• Recyclability
• Increasing recycled content in electric and electronic equipment

Additionally, the Forum is preparing regulations to limit the destruction of unsold consumer products, particularly apparel and footwear, supporting sustainability and transparency in economic operators’ practices.

Future Regulatory Steps

By July 2025, the Commission aims to adopt delegated and implementing acts addressing unsold product destruction, reinforcing the ESPR prohibition with clear conditions.

The ESPR will introduce harmonized performance and information requirements for impactful products, developed through comprehensive impact assessments and stakeholder consultations to ensure proportionality, especially for SMEs.

There are also discussions to implement mandatory Green Public Procurement criteria to enhance market demand for sustainable products.

Leadership Perspectives

European Commissioner Jessika Roswall emphasizes the ESPR as a commitment not just to regulation but to innovation, sustainability, and economic growth. She highlights the importance of harmonized rules and transparency to pave the way for a circular economy benefiting both the environment and industry.

Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné underscores the Forum’s role in uniting stakeholders to deliver ambitious, practical measures that reduce waste and improve resource efficiency, driving real progress for businesses, consumers, and the environment.

Further Information and Engagement

The ESPR’s development remains an open, evolving process with ongoing opportunities for stakeholder involvement. Key resources include the EUR-Lex ESPR page, the Register of Commission Expert Groups, and the official ESPR website.

For readers interested in the future of sustainable product design, the Ecodesign Forum represents a critical platform shaping Europe’s green transition with inclusive, science-based policies aimed at reducing environmental impacts and fostering sustainable consumption.

Design Delight Studio curates high-impact, authoritative insights into sustainable and organic product trends, helping conscious consumers and innovative brands stay ahead in a fast-evolving green economy.