The Federal Environment Agency has announced that the new Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for sustainable products (ESPR) entered into force on 18 July 2024 as a central component of the European Green Deal (trade-e-bility reported: Ecodesign Regulation coming). It replaces the EU Ecodesign Directive and provides a framework for minimum environmental requirements for products for the European market and is intended to save a lot of energy. The focus will be extended to new environmental aspects and almost all products, so that more raw materials can be saved in future.
The scope of application has been extended from previously energy-consuming or energy-related products (e.g. light bulbs, refrigerators, washing machines, tumble dryers) to almost all types of products placed on the EU market.
The first new product groups for which minimum ecological requirements are to be examined are textiles and shoes, furniture, iron, steel and aluminium, detergents and cleaning agents and chemicals. If necessary, implementing regulations for the respective product groups will then be published by the EU Commission.
There are only exceptions to the regulation for a few product areas (e.g. vehicles and products in the area of security and defence). Online trade and imported goods are also included in the scope of application.
The new requirements cover the entire life cycle of a product and are intended to strengthen the circular economy and product lifespan, including durability, reusability, upgradability and reparability, maximum levels of substances of concern, resource efficiency, recycled content, reprocessing and recycling, as well as information requirements such as labelling of the CO2 and environmental footprint. The introduction of digital product passports, customised to the respective product group, is intended to make this information fully or partially accessible to the stakeholders in the product life cycle (consumers, industry and authorities).
Energy consumption labelling will continue to be used to communicate the environmental characteristics of products to consumers. It will be supplemented by information or indices, e.g. on reparability, functional durability and CO2 footprint.
In future, ecodesign criteria will also apply to the award of public contracts in order topromote the procurement of more sustainable products. This aspect alone demonstrates the importance of ecodesign for sellers and producers.
No time to follow further developments in the field of ecodesign in detail? trade-e-bility keeps you up to date with the Legal Monitoring Service. This means you only receive the information that is relevant to you and your product. And we help you with the implementation.
The trade-e-bility consulting team will be happy to advise you on +49/40/750687-300 or beratung@trade-e-bility.de about solutions that you can use to ensure your sales success in the area of eco-design.
