The most significant legislation affecting the textile & fashion industry is the Eco Design for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), enforced by the European Union in July 2024. This regulation is set to profoundly impact how fashion brands operate and we want to make sure you are ready for it.
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation is establishing a new framework for products placed on the European Union market. For fashion and textile companies, it will progressively introduce product-specific requirements relating to ecodesign, product information and Digital Product Passports.
It is already in force, but most requirements do not apply to textile products automatically. They will become applicable through delegated acts defining the rules and implementation timelines for individual product groups.
Alongside these future product requirements, other ESPR measures are already taking effect, including the prohibition on destroying certain unsold apparel and footwear.
The ESPR is a framework regulation that allows the European Commission to establish performance and information requirements for specific product groups.
Depending on the product category, these requirements may address durability, repairability, recycled content, substances of concern, resource efficiency, recyclability and environmental footprint.
The 2025–2030 ESPR Working Plan identifies textiles, particularly apparel, among the priority product groups. The specific requirements are still being developed and will become mandatory according to the application date established in the relevant delegated act.
The ESPR establishes the common framework for Digital Product Passports. A DPP is a structured digital record connected to a physical product through a data carrier, such as a QR code, and accessible according to defined access rights.
Product-specific delegated acts will determine which textile products require a DPP, what information must be included, the applicable level of granularity and when the obligation begins to apply.
The European technical infrastructure is already taking shape through the operational EU DPP Registry and the European standards covering identifiers, data carriers, interoperability, access rights and data exchange. However, the specific DPP requirements for textiles have not yet been finalised.
The ESPR prohibits the destruction of certain unsold apparel, clothing accessories and footwear.
The prohibition applies to large enterprises from 19 July 2026 and will apply to medium-sized enterprises from 19 July 2030. Micro and small enterprises are exempt.
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/296 defines the limited circumstances in which derogations may apply, including specific cases involving safety, damage or situations in which destruction cannot reasonably be avoided.
The ESPR also introduces disclosure requirements concerning discarded unsold consumer products, requiring companies in scope to improve how these products are tracked and reported.
The ESPR will affect several parts of a fashion company, including product development, sourcing, compliance, sustainability, IT, inventory management and e-commerce.
Fashion companies will progressively need to:
The precise obligations will depend on the measures adopted for each product category. Companies should therefore distinguish between requirements already in force, such as the prohibition on destroying certain unsold products for large enterprises, and textile requirements that are still under development.
Companies can already assess where product information is stored, which data depends on suppliers and how it can be connected with individual products and collections.
The objective is to establish reliable product-data governance and repeatable supplier processes without treating preliminary data points as confirmed legal requirements.
For a practical implementation roadmap, read How to Get Ready for Digital Product Passports: Definitions and Key Dates.
The ESPR is already in force, but most product-specific requirements for textiles will become applicable after the adoption of the relevant delegated act.
Textiles and apparel are included among the priorities of the 2025–2030 ESPR Working Plan. The textile delegated act is expected in 2027, while the final application date and transition provisions will be established in the adopted measure.
For the current status of the Registry, standards and delegated acts, read Digital Product Passport Latest Updates: The Next Developments to Watch.
The ESPR will affect fashion companies through several connected measures rather than one single compliance deadline. Preparing product data, supplier responsibilities and internal processes now will make it easier to integrate the applicable requirements once they are confirmed.
Renoon helps fashion companies translate product regulations into operational data and Digital Product Passport processes.
Talk to our team about preparing your products for the ESPR.
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