Eco-design and Digital Product Passport Regulations Passed by European Parliament
Providing Consumers with Product Lifecycle Information
The European Union (EU) is introducing the Ecodesign Regulation (ESPR) and the Digital Product Passport (DPP).
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 23rd (local time) that the Ecodesign Regulation (ESPR) was passed at the European Parliament.
The ESPR was proposed by the European Commission in March 2022 and focuses on strengthening sustainability aspects such as the proportion of recycled materials, energy efficiency, and carbon footprint of all products distributed within the EU.
The Ecodesign Regulation includes the introduction of the Digital Product Passport (DPP). The DPP is a label attached to products that digitally collects and stores information on the entire lifecycle of the product, from production to distribution, consumption, and recycling. This aims to provide sustainability information about products to assist consumers in making purchasing decisions.
It is expected to come into effect after official approval by the EU Council and publication in the Official Journal. Subsequently, it will take at least one year to select target items, establish detailed regulations, and finalize the form of the DPP and the scope of information to be included.
Domestic export companies targeting the EU are expected to face increased burdens as transactions may be restricted if they fail to meet these standards.
In this regard, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated, "We will monitor the trends of the European Commission and discuss related developments and their impact on the industry at opportunities such as the Korea-EU FTA Goods Trade Committee. We plan to respond by closely communicating with domestic industries to minimize potential burdens on our companies."
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