European Commission unveils plan to boost circular, efficient products

Adopted in July 2024, ESPR aims at improving the sustainability of products placed on the EU market by increasing their circularity, energy performance, recyclability and durability, while improving the single market and strengthening the competitiveness and resilience of the EU economy.

The plan offers a list of products that should be prioritised to introduce eco-design requirements and energy labelling over the next five years.

This will foster sustainable, repairable, circular and energy efficient products across Europe, in line with the Clean Industrial Deal and the Competitiveness Compass, an official release said.

The priority products for such requirements are steel and aluminium, textiles (with a focus on apparel), furniture, tyres and mattresses.

Harmonised product sustainability requirements at EU level will reinforce the single market, prevent barriers to trade, improve the level playing field, reduce the administrative burden, and strengthen the global competitiveness of businesses offering sustainable products, said the release.

In addition, the Commission will introduce horizontal measures to requirements on repairability for products like consumer electronics and small household appliances. This will include the introduction of a repairability score for products with the most potential, and requirements on recyclability of electrical and electronic equipment.

Future eco-design and energy labelling requirements for the selected products will cover two elements: product performance, such as minimum durability, minimum energy and resource-efficiency, availability of spare parts or minimum recycled content; and product information, including key product features like the products' carbon and environmental footprint.

Product information will mainly be made available via the digital product passport or, for products with energy labels, via the European Product Registry for Energy Labelling (EPREL).

When developing ecodesign requirements, the Commission will pay attention to the needs of small and medium enterprises, in particular micro-enterprises and small mid-cap enterprises, and will ensure that tailored support is available to them.

Eco-design and energy labelling requirements will be set via delegated acts on a product-by-product basis or for groups of similar products. This will be based on thorough preparatory studies and impact assessments.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)