ESPR
Definition
Regulation (EU) 2024/1781, the European Union framework regulation that sets out how ecodesign requirements, including the Digital Product Passport, may be imposed on products placed on the EU market. It entered into force in July 2024 and applies through subsequent delegated acts.
Expanded Explanation
Replaces and widens the earlier Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC, which covered energy related products only. The regulation extends the ecodesign approach to almost all physical goods and adds the legal basis for the Digital Product Passport.
The regulation is deliberately structured in two levels. The framework level defines the vocabulary, the categories of requirement that may be imposed, the passport concept, market surveillance expectations and the rules on destruction of unsold consumer goods. The second level, made up of delegated acts, states what actually applies to a specific product group, from what date and with what data.
The European Commission published a working plan for 2025 to 2030 identifying the first priority product groups, which include textiles and apparel, furniture, iron and steel, aluminium and tyres, alongside horizontal measures such as repairability and recycled content.
Why It Matters
Planning errors usually come from misreading the regulation’s structure. Because the framework is in force, some organisations conclude that passport obligations already apply to them; others conclude that nothing applies until their delegated act is adopted and therefore do nothing. Both positions are wrong in practice. The framework fixes the shape of the future obligation, so identifier strategy, supplier data collection and retention can be built now, while the delegated act fixes the exact data fields and dates later.
Common Misconceptions
It is a regulation, so it applies directly in all Member States without national transposition. The instrument it replaces, Directive 2009/125/EC, was a directive, which is a common source of confusion in older guidance.
It is also not limited to European companies. Any organisation that places a covered product on the EU market is in scope, regardless of where it manufactures.
Related Terms
Related Knowledge Base Articles
Related Articles
- Delegated Act
- Authorised Representative
- Conformity Assessment
- Corrective Action
- Digital Product Passport
- Economic Operator
- EU Declaration of Conformity
- Harmonised Standard
See Also
References
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1781, Official Journal of the European Union: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1781/oj
- European Commission, ESPR working plan 2025 to 2030: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0187
- European Commission, Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation policy pages: https://commission.europa.eu/energy-climate-change-environment/standards-tools-and-labels/products-labelling-rules-and-requirements/ecodesign-sustainable-products-regulation_en
About This Article
tieback Knowledge is a continuously maintained reference library covering Digital Product Passports, product traceability, product compliance and related regulations. Articles are reviewed regularly as legislation, standards and implementation guidance evolve.