Background and aims
Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for sustainable products, amending Directive (EU) 2020/1828 and Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 and repealing Directive 2009/125/EC was published in the Official Journal of the EU on 28 June 2024 and enters into force on 18 July 2024.
It expands the scope of and replaces the current Ecodesign Directive (2009/125/EC) which applies to the energy efficiency of energy using products.
This initiative is a significant part of the European Green Deal and the Commission’s Circular Economy Package.
The main objectives of this regulation are to:
- reduce the negative life cycle environmental impacts of products
- improve the functioning of the internal market
- build on existing successful ecodesign rules
It also aims to provide more meaningful information on the environmental aspects of products for consumers via the introduction of a digital product passport.
Main features
Key features of this ESPR proposal include:
- a framework to set requirements – via delegated acts – for how products should be made
- requirements to provide information on the environmental sustainability of products – digital product passports will enable products to be tagged, identified and linked to information relevant to their circularity and sustainability
- putting a stop to the destruction of unsold consumer goods
- promoting and procuring more sustainable products
- designed to be coherent and aligned with existing and future sectoral legislation and policies (for example, the Commission’s strategy for sustainable textiles and the Construction Products Regulation)
Current position and next steps
The Departments of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and Environment, Climate and Communications are working with stakeholders to put in place appropriate institutional arrangements to implement the expanded ecodesign for sustainable products legislation in Ireland.
Public consultation
A public consultation on this proposal was undertaken in 2022 and the responses were used to inform the Irish negotiation position.
Relevant documents
Making sustainable products the norm in Europe (europa.eu)
Proposal for Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (europa.eu)
Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for sustainable products, amending Directive (EU) 2020/1828 and Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 and repealing Directive 2009/125/EC (PDF, 1.9MB)
Contact
Email: ecodesign@enterprise.gov.ie