ESPR – Digital Sustainability and Transparency for the Future of the EU

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ESPR: The Framework for Sustainable Products in the EU

ESPR (Regulation (EU) 2024/1781) is the EU’s new framework for ecodesign of sustainable products, replacing the old directive and expanding obligations for manufacturers, importers, and retailers.

Its goal is for all products on the European market to meet high standards for durability, repairability, recyclability, energy efficiency, and digital traceability.

Product requirements and sustainability

All products must be durable, repairable and recyclable.
Requirements for energy efficiency and reduced carbon footprint.
Sustainable materials and transparency on product composition.
Minimum recycled-content thresholds per product group.
Restrictions on hazardous chemicals aligned with REACH and the SVHC list.
Easy access to spare parts and repair instructions for end users.

Digital Product Passport (DPP)

Mandatory for all key categories on the delegated-act schedule: iron & steel (2026, first), aluminium and textiles (2027), furniture (2028). Electronics, tyres, mattresses and chemicals come later in the plan through 2030. The Battery Passport follows a separate Battery Regulation.
Contains structured information on composition, production, repair and end-of-life.
Accessed via QR code or other electronic carrier (NFC, RFID) — under the published CEN-CENELEC standards.
Three access tiers to the data: public, professional (B2B) and regulatory authority — built into the structure of every passport.
The passport remains available for the product's full lifecycle plus 10 years per ESPR (EN 18221); the audit trail (change history) is kept for 7 years.
Identified by GS1 GTIN and accessible via REST API for integration with business ERP/PIM systems.

Obligations for business

Manufacturers — responsible for creating, maintaining and updating the DPP for every product.
Importers — verify that a valid passport exists and ensure compliance before placing on the market.
Distributors — guarantee access to the DPP for customers and pass the data along the chain.
Online sales platforms — provide access to the DPP for every product listed on their platform.
Service providers — third parties that can maintain the DPP on behalf of the manufacturer (certification under the implementing act from 18 August 2026).
Audit and compliance — the passport remains available for the product's lifecycle plus 10 years per ESPR, while the audit trail is kept for at least 7 years and made available to regulatory authorities.
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Tools, implementation and strategic significance

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a key ESPR instrument — a standardised digital document carrying information about the product across its full lifecycle. The regulation rolls DPP out in phases — starting with iron & steel (2026 delegated act), followed by aluminium and textiles (2027), furniture (2028) and further categories through 2030. The EU DPP central registry goes live on 19 July 2026. On 27 May 2026 CEN-CENELEC published six technical standards (EN 18216–18223) that lock in the DPP technical baseline: GS1 GTIN identifiers, QR codes, REST APIs and JSON-LD data. As part of the Green Deal and the circular economy, DPP encourages sustainable production and transparency. Companies that prepare in time gain a strategic advantage and stronger consumer trust.

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What Does ESPR Mean for Business in Practice?

Not just regulation, but an entirely new framework.

ESPR brings not only new requirements but also significant benefits for business. It creates greater customer trust through transparency and access to information, improves process efficiency through digitalization and standardized data, and provides a competitive advantage for companies that prepare on time. At the same time, the regulation ensures compliance with the Green Deal and allows businesses to position themselves as leaders in sustainable practices.

What's new in 2026

The ESPR regulatory framework is making decisive moves at the start of 2026. Here are the key milestones every in-scope business needs to know:

19 July 2026 — the EU DPP central registry goes operational. It's the single registration point for digital identifiers that makes DPP technically "live".

27 May 2026 — six CEN-CENELEC standards (EN 18216, 18219, 18220, 18221, 18222, 18223) have been published, defining technical interoperability: formats, carriers, APIs, identifiers.

19 March 2026 — JRC145830 published — the official DPP data specification methodology for all ESPR delegated acts.

18 August 2026 — deadline for adoption of the implementing act on certification of DPP service providers (storage requirements, cybersecurity, access control).

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Become Part of the New Era of Transparency and Trust

With the Digital Product Passport (DPP), companies in the EU will achieve transparency, sustainability, and trust. We help you take the first step – easily, quickly, and without large investments.

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ESPR and the EU

Frequently Asked Questions

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ESPR is the new European legal framework for sustainable products. For companies, this means expanded requirements for durability, repair, recycling, and digital traceability, which will facilitate access to the European market.

The scope is very broad – practically all products on the European market. Specific rules and timelines will be determined by product category through EU delegated acts.

DPP is a “digital identity card” for the product, containing data about composition, production, repair, and recycling. For companies, this is a key tool for transparency, sustainability, and competitiveness.

The start is from February 2027 with batteries, electric vehicles, and industrial batteries over 2 kWh. Later, textiles, electronics, and construction products will follow.

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) gives companies an advantage – avoiding sanctions, building trust with customers and partners, better access to European markets, and resource optimization.

Non-compliance can lead to financial sanctions, product withdrawal from the European market, loss of supply contracts, and reputational damage.

Companies should follow the 2025–2030 work plan framework, evaluate their processes, and build systems for DPP implementation. It is best to choose a reliable partner for EU market compliance.

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