Published: May 2025
Estimated reading time: 8 min
On April 16, 2025, the European Commission released the most comprehensive policy vision to date for a more sustainable, circular economy in Europe: the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products and Energy Labelling Working Plan (2025–2030). This ambitious framework is more than a regulatory mandate—it's a strategic blueprint for transforming how products are designed, sold, reused, and recycled across the EU and beyond.
If you're a manufacturer, exporter, sustainability consultant, or policymaker, this plan will shape your reality. It defines which products will be regulated, how sustainability data must be disclosed, and how the EU will enforce compliance through mechanisms like Digital Product Passports (DPP) and green public procurement.
Table of Contents
- Introduction: What is the ESPR?
- Which Products Are Prioritized?
- Key Tools: DPP and Eco-Labelling
- Carried-Over Regulations
- Global Impact and Trade Considerations
- Green Public Procurement and Market Surveillance
- Next in Line: Products Under Study
- Implementation Timeline (2025–2030)
- Conclusion: The EU’s Circular Economy in Motion
Introduction: What is the ESPR?
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is the EU's landmark legislation to make sustainable products the standard across all sectors. It replaces the older Ecodesign Directive and expands far beyond energy efficiency. Now, it also includes rules for repairability, recycled content, durability, and recyclability.
Combined with the Energy Labelling Framework Regulation (ELFR), ESPR will create consistent rules across all 27 EU Member States. Its mission is to:
- Cut greenhouse gas emissions and resource waste
- Enable longer product lifespans and second-life use
- Increase transparency through digital information tools
- Encourage innovation, especially among SMEs
- Align global trade with EU sustainability values
For companies operating in the EU, this means one thing: compliance will soon require traceability, transparency, and circularity by design.
Which Products Are Prioritized?
The ESPR Working Plan focuses on product groups with the highest environmental impact and strongest improvement potential. These categories are being prioritized for new or updated ecodesign requirements.
Final Products
Textiles & Apparel
- Focus: durability, recyclability, design for disassembly
- Tied to EU rules on textile labelling and EPR
- DPPs must disclose fiber type, chemical treatments, recyclability, and repair options
Furniture
- Focus: modular construction, sustainable materials, waste reduction
- Essential for green public procurement compliance and B2B purchasing standards
- Passports should highlight material origin, fixability, and expected lifespan
Tyres
- Focus: recyclability, end-of-life recovery, microplastic mitigation
- Building on the Tyre Labelling Regulation, with new rules for traceable material content
- DPPs will enable better waste tracking and recovery targets
Mattresses
- Focus: design for dismantling, lifespan extension, low-toxicity materials
- DPPs will track foam types, recycling paths, and modularity features
Intermediate Products
Iron & Steel
- Central to industrial decarbonization; will require carbon intensity disclosures
- Measures support the EU's Green Steel Label and align with ETS and CBAM
- DPPs will need to contain data on emissions, recycled content, and traceability
Aluminium
- High recycling potential and strategic supply value
- Expected to carry DPPs that reflect lifecycle CO₂ emissions, secondary content, and energy source used in production
- Reinforces compliance with circular economy principles for industrial materials
Key Tools: DPP and Eco-Labelling
Digital Product Passport (DPP)
The Digital Product Passport will become the foundation of transparency and compliance under ESPR. It will:
- Be mandatory for all regulated products (unless already covered by EPREL)
- Include details about raw materials, product structure, repair options, and carbon footprint
- Follow open, non-proprietary standards
- Serve producers, recyclers, consumers, retailers, and regulators
At Fluxy.One, we’re enabling brands to future-proof their data infrastructure with DPP-ready architectures that simplify compliance and enable product-level storytelling.
Energy Labelling and Consumer Information
- Energy labels will remain mandatory for all relevant product groups
- Labels will become more dynamic, connected via QR codes to EPREL
- Additional ESPR labels (like durability scores or recyclability ratings) may appear depending on product category
Carried-Over Regulations
Sixteen existing energy-related product categories will transition from the old Ecodesign Directive to ESPR. These include:
- Household appliances (washing machines, dishwashers, dryers)
- Lighting and power supplies
- Mobile phones and tablets
- Electric vehicle charging equipment
This means your existing CE compliance is not enough. Updated rules will require new documentation, sustainability declarations, and likely, integration with DPP platforms.
🌐 Global Impact and Trade Considerations
Whether you’re manufacturing in Europe or exporting to it, ESPR will apply to you.
- All goods placed on the EU market must meet ESPR requirements
- This includes full compliance with DPPs for traceability and sustainability
- The EU is engaging globally via embassies, trade platforms, and delegations to ensure fair application and awareness
Companies outside the EU will need support to build compliant product data systems, update sustainability practices, and ensure that ESPR does not become a barrier to trade, but a gateway to growth.
Green Public Procurement and Market Surveillance
Public Sector as Market Leader
The EU and its Member States will use ESPR to steer public purchasing:
- Governments can now mandate minimum sustainability requirements for tenders
- Product categories prioritized by ESPR will have a clear edge in public contracting
- Green Public Procurement will influence B2B markets across healthcare, infrastructure, education, and defense
Stronger Surveillance and Enforcement
- Market surveillance authorities will be better resourced and more coordinated
- Online platforms and e-commerce marketplaces will be monitored for non-compliant imports
- DPP and EPREL integration will enable real-time enforcement and automated checks
Next in Line: Products Under Study
The following products are not yet regulated under ESPR, but are undergoing feasibility studies for inclusion in the 2028 mid-term review:
- Footwear
- Detergents, Paints, Lubricants
- Chemicals, Polymers, and Plastics
Early compliance exploration is recommended for manufacturers in these sectors. Adopting a Digital Product Passport approach before regulation hits gives a competitive advantage.
🗓 ESPR Compliance Timeline (2025–2030)
2026
- Dishwashers (Household): Built-in & freestanding
- Iron & Steel: Raw/intermediate materials (e.g., rebar, beams)
- Professional Kitchen/Laundry Equipment: Commercial dishwashers, washers, dryers
- Washing Machines & Washer-Dryers: Household & combo units
2026–2030
- Local Space Heaters: Electric, gas, wood/pellet, paraffin heaters
2027
- Aluminium: Profiles, castings, components
- Textiles & Apparel: Clothing, fabrics, accessories
- Tyres: Passenger & commercial vehicle tyres
2028
- Fridges & Freezers: Domestic use
- Fridges with Sales Function: Commercial/refrigerated display units
- Furniture: Wooden, upholstered, office furniture
2029
- Light Sources & Control Gears: Bulbs, LEDs, drivers, control units
- Mattresses: Foam, spring, hybrid
2030
- Mobile Phones & Tablets: Smartphones, tablets, e-readers
- Standby / Off-mode Devices: TVs, routers, printers, smart plugs, chargers
- Tumble Dryers: Household dryers
Conclusion: The EU’s Circular Economy in Motion
The ESPR Working Plan is not just another regulation. It’s a shift in how products are defined, how value is created, and how companies must operate in the EU and globally. From raw materials to recycled components, from product conception to post-consumer life—everything must now be designed for sustainability, circularity, and transparency.
At Fluxy.One, we help manufacturers, importers, and retailers become ESPR-ready with smart, automated systems that make Digital Product Passport integration simple, scalable, and strategic.
🔗 Get in touch today to future-proof your product data and become a leader in sustainable innovation.
🌐 Be visible. Be compliant. Be sustainable.
Ecodesign for Sustainable Products and Energy Labelling Working Plan 2025-2030
