Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) – EU Regulation 2024/1781

What Is the ESPR and What Does It Regulate?

The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR, EU Regulation 2024/1781) is a new, overarching EU legal framework for the ecological design of products. It entered into force on 18 July 2024 and replaces the former Ecodesign Directive, significantly expanding the scope of ecological product requirements.

Core objectives of the ESPR include:

• Substantially improving the environmental sustainability of products, including better circularity, durability, repairability, reusability, and recyclability.
• Reducing the environmental and climate footprint of products across their entire lifecycle.
• Establishing a harmonized internal market framework with uniform minimum requirements for products placed on the EU market.

In principle, the regulation applies to almost all physical products, with only a few exceptions (e.g. food, medicinal products, and living plants or animals).

Key Components of the ESPR

1. Ecodesign Framework for Sustainability

The ESPR establishes a framework under which the European Commission defines detailed ecological minimum requirements for specific product groups via so-called delegated acts. These requirements may address aspects such as:

• Material efficiency and resource conservation
• Repairability and upgradability
• Durability and reliability
• Recyclability and take-back processes
• Information on substances and material composition
• Energy and resource efficiency

2. Digital Product Passport (DPP)

A central element of the ESPR is the introduction of the Digital Product Passport (DPP)—a standardized, digitally accessible dataset providing product-related information throughout the entire lifecycle.

The DPP is intended to:

• Create transparency regarding materials, components, and environmental indicators
• Provide information for repair, reuse, and recycling
• Support authorities and market surveillance in inspections and conformity assessments

The legal foundations and specific content of the DPP will be further defined through delegated acts. Mandatory implementation will be introduced gradually from around 2027 onward.

Why Is the ESPR Relevant for Companies?

The ESPR introduces binding, product-related requirements—and does so early in the product lifecycle (design, manufacturing, use, and end-of-life). Companies placing products on the EU market therefore face new challenges and opportunities:

• Compliance obligations: Companies must meet ecological product requirements and implement digital product passports.
• Market access: Products that do not comply may no longer be sold in the EU.
• Data management: The ESPR requires structured, accessible product data across the entire lifecycle.

Relevance for AIRdBASE and Smart IDs

1. Conceptual Alignment Between ESPR and AIRdBASE

AIRdBASE provides a platform for the digital management of objects, documents, information, and lifecycle data—core building blocks for meeting the DPP requirements of the ESPR. This includes:

• Centralized storage and structuring of product and asset data
• Lifecycle information management covering use, maintenance, and end-of-life processes
• Digital identification via Smart IDs (QR codes) that link directly to relevant product and sustainability information

As a result, AIRdBASE functions not merely as a product information system, but as a technical foundation for DPP provision and maintenance in line with the ESPR.

2. Smart IDs as the Bridge Between Physical Products and Digital Data

Smart IDs—QR codes that provide access to product-related data, documents, and communication—are an ideal means of implementing ESPR requirements in practice:

• Fast access to DPP data on site (e.g. repair instructions, material information)
• User-friendly interface for end customers, service personnel, and authorities
• Integration into existing business processes without disruptive IT restructuring

Through Smart IDs, AIRdBASE helps customers efficiently provide legally relevant information, sustainability indicators, and product lifecycle data.

Relevance for AIRdBASE Customers

For companies that manufacture, distribute, service, or export products within the EU, the ESPR has concrete implications:

1. Mandatory Product Transparency

Manufacturers, importers, and distributors will be required to provide detailed product information in accordance with DPP standards—a process that would otherwise consume significant resources without digital structuring. AIRdBASE enables:

• Centralized data storage and synchronization
• Automated generation and updating of product and sustainability data
• Verifiable evidence for market surveillance authorities

2. Improved Sustainability Performance

The ESPR is not only about compliance, but also about competitive advantage through:

• Sustainable product design
• Improved repair, maintenance, and lifetime-extension strategies
• Transparency toward end customers

Companies that digitally support these requirements benefit from stronger market positioning, increased customer trust, and efficiency gains.

3. Efficient Value Creation Through Digital Processes

Integrating DPP-related processes into existing operations requires data models that are lifecycle-oriented, interoperable, and audit-ready. Systems such as AIRdBASE are designed to model and automate these requirements.

Conclusion

The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (EU Regulation 2024/1781) is a milestone in European sustainability legislation. It extends ecodesign requirements to nearly all product groups, establishes the mandatory use of the Digital Product Passport, and creates a unified framework to promote circular and sustainable products in the EU.

For AIRdBASE and Smart IDs, the ESPR means:

• Strong relevance for the technical implementation of regulatory requirements in product data management
• A concrete use case for Smart IDs as a user interface and data access layer
• Significant market potential, as companies require digital solutions to meet ESPR obligations

For AIRdBASE customers, the ESPR means:

• Compliance support through digital product data and lifecycle management processes
• Competitive advantages through transparent and sustainable products
• Efficiency gains through structured data, digital information provision, and integration with existing systems