Ecodesign Regulation

The Enterprise Europe Network informs:
December 11, 2023

The new Ecodesign Regulation aims to make sustainable products the new norm in the EU. The new law will build on the existing Ecodesign Directive, which has successfully improved the energy efficiency of products in the EU for almost 20 years. It will allow performance and information requirements to be progressively set for key products placed on the EU market.

The new ecodesign requirements will go beyond energy efficiency and promote the circular economy, covering, among others, the following:

• durability,
• reusability,
• retrofittability and reparability of products
• presence of chemical substances that prevent the reuse and recycling of materials
• energy and resource efficiency
• recyclate content
• CO2 and environmental footprint
• Available product information, in particular a digital product passport.

The new regulation also includes new measures to put an end to the destruction of unsold consumer products. Companies will have to take measures to prevent this practice and the two legislative bodies have introduced a direct ban on the destruction of unsold textiles and footwear products with exemptions for small companies and a transition period for medium-sized companies. In addition, large companies will have to disclose each year how many unsold consumer products they dispose of and why.

More information on the sustainability credentials of products will be made available, including through a "digital product passport" that will help consumers and businesses make more sustainable product choices.

The "passport" will be an easily accessible label on products that will provide instant access to information on the sustainability of the product. It will be useful not only for consumers, but also for customs and market surveillance authorities.

The European Parliament and the Council must now formally adopt the new regulation. Once adopted, the Regulation will enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal.

For more information, please see here .

Source: European Commission