Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR)

A major shift under the European Green Deal is that circular-economy delivery increasingly starts at the product level rather than only at the waste stage. The EU’s key instrument in this area is the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR),¹ adopted in July 2024, which establishes a framework to make sustainable products the standard by 2030. The ESPR replaces the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC² and establishes a framework for setting eco-design requirements on specific product groups. It extends the Ecodesign Directive in two ways:

Firstly, while the ecodesign applies only to energy-related products, the ESPR extends this scope to cover virtually all physical products. Secondly, it reinforces the range of eco-design requirements relating to durability, circularity and the overall reduction of the environmental and climate footprint of products, amongst many others. This will strengthen the Single Market by avoiding divergent legislation across Member States and create economic opportunities for innovation and job creation, notably in remanufacturing, maintenance, recycling, and repair.

A particularly important product stream is Electrical and electronic equipment, which remains one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the EU. To address this, the EU launched the Circular Electronics Initiative³, announced under the second Circular Economy Action Plan⁴. This initiative helps implement a system for the circular management of Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment/products (WEEE), ensuring they are designed for durability, upgradability, reuse, and recycling.

Public awareness campaigns and platforms connecting consumers with repair services and refurbished goods further illustrate the EU’s efforts to engage individuals in the transition. In 2024, the EU adopted legislation empowering consumers for the green transition , strengthening protection against unfair practices and improving sustainability information at the point of purchase. Public awareness initiatives such as the right to repair (Directive on repair of goods)⁵ and the Digital Product Passport are good examples that enhance transparency by providing information on materials, environmental impact, and disposal options. Tools such as the EU Ecolabel⁶ and Green Public Procurement (GPP)⁷ criteria also promote sustainable purchasing and market demand.

Furthermore, the second Circular Economy Action Plan⁸ identifies several areas where digital transformation plays a key role in enabling the circular economy. As such, the EU is promoting the use of digital technologies for tracking, tracing and mapping of resources. One such initiative is the European data space for smart circular applications,⁸ which will provide the architecture and governance system to drive applications and services such as product passports, resource mapping and consumer information.