The European Council has announced that member states have approved regulations for a new “Ecodesign” framework to set sustainability standards for nearly all products in the EU, along with a new ban on destroying unsold textiles and footwear.
This EU Council announcement marks the final major step towards adopting the new regulation, following the European Parliament’s approval of the new Ecodesign rules in April.
The new rules stem from a proposal by the European Commission in March 2022 to enhance the sustainability of a broad range of products. This includes making them more eco-friendly, circular, and energy-efficient throughout their lifecycle, replacing the 2009 Ecodesign directive, which only applied to energy-related products.
The updated regulation authorizes the Commission to set ecodesign requirements for improving the environmental sustainability of almost all product categories, excluding motor vehicles (covered by separate legislation) and products affecting defense or national security. The sustainability aspects addressed include product durability, reusability, upgradability, reparability, use of substances hindering circularity, energy and resource efficiency, recycled content, remanufacturing, recycling, and products’ carbon and environmental footprints.
The regulation also introduces a new “Digital Product Passport,” aimed at helping consumers and businesses make informed purchasing decisions by providing information about products’ environmental sustainability. It also instructs the Commission to create a public web portal where consumers can search for and compare information from product passports.
The new rules banning the destruction of unsold textiles and footwear will take effect two years after the regulation becomes law, with exemptions for small and micro companies and a six-year exemption for medium-sized companies. The regulation allows for the inclusion of additional product categories in the ban on unsold product destruction and mandates reporting on the quantities of unsold goods destroyed and the reasons for their destruction.