ESPR: first product-specific ecodesign and Digital Product Passport rules (iron & steel, textiles, tyres, aluminium)
Date note: Indicative. Per the Commission's ESPR working plan 2025-2030 delegated acts are targeted for iron & steel in 2026 and textiles, tyres and aluminium in 2027; obligations typically apply ~18 months after adoption. As of August 2026 no delegated act has been adopted
What changes
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 lets the Commission set durability, repairability, recycled-content and information requirements product group by product group, each with a Digital Product Passport. The first acts (steel, then textiles, tyres, aluminium, furniture) are expected in 2026-2028 and will apply after a transition period. Since 19 July 2026 large companies may also no longer destroy unsold clothing and footwear.
Who is affected
Manufacturers, importers and brands of the first product groups, especially clothing, footwear, steel products, tyres and furniture; retailers will need to display DPP information.
Sizes: micro, small, medium, large · Sectors: Manufacturing, Retail, E-commerce, Hardware / electronics · Applies if: We make connected hardware / devices; We import goods into the EU; We sell to consumers (B2C)
What to do
Follow the ESPR working plan for your product group. Start collecting product-level data (materials, origin, recycled content, repair info) in a structured way so it can feed a DPP. Set up an unsold-goods policy and tracking – large companies must already disclose discarded unsold products.
Sources
- European Commission – Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (environment.ec.europa.eu)
- European Commission – Digital Product Passport (single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu)
- dpp-tool.com – ESPR delegated acts status by product group (dpp-tool.com)
Last verified 7 September 2026. Informational only, not legal advice.