ESPR Compliance Software | Digital Product Passport & Ecodesign Automation | Certivo - Certivo
EU ESPR
Sustainability & Circular Economy
Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation
The EU Just Expanded Ecodesign Requirements to Nearly Every Physical Product. Can You Prove Compliance Across Your Entire Portfolio?
ESPR compliance demands product-level sustainability data—material composition, substances of concern, recycled content, durability metrics—collected from every supplier and delivered via a Digital Product Passport. Delegated acts are rolling out now. The first product-group requirements apply from 2027.
Certivo automates ESPR evidence collection from supplier sustainability declarations to DPP-ready documentation.
Regulation Overview
Jurisdiction: European Union / European Economic Area
Regulatory Body: European Commission (enforcement via national market surveillance authorities)
Regulation Number: Regulation (EU) 2024/1781
Effective Date: Entered into force July 18, 2024 (product-group requirements phased from 2027)
Official Source: Link
Key Threshold: Virtually all physical products placed on the EU market (product-group delegated acts set specific requirements)
What is ESPR?
ESPR is the EU's framework regulation for making sustainable products the norm on the European market. It replaces the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC and expands scope from energy-related products to virtually all physical goods—including components and intermediate products.
For supply chain and product compliance teams, ESPR introduces two core obligation types: performance requirements (durability, recyclability, recycled content, substance restrictions) and information requirements (Digital Product Passport, substances of concern disclosure, energy labeling). Each obligation is activated through product-group delegated acts adopted by the European Commission.
ESPR compliance requires granular product data—material composition, substances of concern, recycled content percentages, carbon footprint metrics—from suppliers across your value chain. When delegated acts are adopted, your portfolio must be assessed against new requirements within an 18-month compliance window.
Key Components / Sub-Frameworks
Obligation
- Minimum thresholds for durability, recyclability, recycled content, energy efficiency
Performance Requirements
- Quantitative/qualitative product sustainability criteria
Obligation
- Digital Product Passport, substances of concern, labeling
Information Requirements
- Mandatory product data disclosure
Obligation
- Material composition, origin, sustainability metrics, compliance evidence accessible via data carrier
Digital Product Passport (DPP) - Digital identity record for products
Obligation
- Disclosure of SoC name, location, concentration; potential performance restrictions
Substances of Concern (SoC)
- Tracking chemicals that inhibit circularity or pose risks
Obligation
- Disclosure obligations from July 2025; destruction ban from July 2026 (large enterprises)
Unsold Goods Provisions
- Ban on destruction of unsold consumer products
Obligation
- EU Declaration of Conformity and CE marking required before market placement
Conformity Assessment
- Verification of ecodesign requirement compliance
Key Compliance Requirements
Who Must Comply
- EU/EEA manufacturers of products covered by ESPR delegated acts
- Importers placing covered products on the EU market
- Distributors making covered products available in the EU
- Non-EU companies selling through EU importers or authorized representatives
- Companies assembling products from components subject to ESPR requirements
- Economic operators discarding unsold consumer products
Key Thresholds
- Product-group delegated acts: Specific ecodesign requirements activated per product category
- 18 months: Typical compliance window after delegated act adoption
- July 2026: DPP registry operational; unsold goods destruction ban (large enterprises)
- 2027–2030: Phased enforcement of product-group ecodesign and DPP requirements
Core Obligations
- Digital Product Passport
- Create DPP with material composition, sustainability data, compliance evidence per delegated act
DEADLINE: Per product-group delegated act (first expected 2027)
- Create DPP with material composition, sustainability data, compliance evidence per delegated act
- Substances of Concern Disclosure
- Disclose SoC name, concentration, location, and safe-use instructions in DPP
DEADLINE: Per product-group delegated act
- Disclose SoC name, concentration, location, and safe-use instructions in DPP
- Performance Requirements
- Meet minimum thresholds for durability, recyclability, recycled content, energy efficiency
DEADLINE: Per product-group delegated act
- Meet minimum thresholds for durability, recyclability, recycled content, energy efficiency
- Conformity Assessment
- Complete assessment and issue EU Declaration of Conformity with CE marking
DEADLINE: Before market placement
- Complete assessment and issue EU Declaration of Conformity with CE marking
- Unsold Goods Disclosure
- Disclose volume and reasons for destruction of unsold consumer products
DEADLINE: From July 19, 2025 (large enterprises)
- Disclose volume and reasons for destruction of unsold consumer products
Frequently Asked Questions
What products are covered by the EU ESPR?
ESPR covers virtually all physical products placed on the EU market, including components and intermediate products. Exemptions apply to food, feed, medicinal products, and certain vehicles already regulated by sector-specific legislation. Specific ecodesign requirements are activated through product-group delegated acts—the first Working Plan prioritizes iron, steel, aluminium, textiles, furniture, tyres, detergents, paints, lubricants, chemicals, and electronics. Certivo tracks all delegated act developments and maps them to your product portfolio.
What are the penalties for ESPR non-compliance?
EU member states are responsible for enforcement through market surveillance authorities. Non-compliant products can be removed from the EU market, and authorities can require corrective actions, recalls, or sales restrictions. Specific penalty structures are defined at the member-state level. Products without valid conformity assessment and CE marking cannot be legally placed on the EU market once delegated acts are in force.
What is the Digital Product Passport and when is it required?
The DPP is a digital record attached to each product via a QR code or data carrier, containing verified information about material composition, sustainability attributes, substances of concern, and end-of-life guidance. DPPs become mandatory per product group as delegated acts are adopted—first enforcement expected from 2027. The DPP registry will be operational by July 2026. CORA collects and structures supplier data into DPP-ready formats automatically.
How does Certivo help with ESPR supplier data collection?
Certivo launches automated campaigns to collect material composition, recycled content, substances of concern, and sustainability data from suppliers in any format and language. CORA extracts and validates the data against ESPR delegated act requirements, identifies gaps, and generates DPP-ready evidence packages. This reduces data collection timelines from months to weeks and assembly from weeks to hours.