The proposed EU regulation that will establish a framework for sustainable products will be discussed for the first time at ministerial level on Thursday 29 September from the perspective of the competitiveness of European industry.
The Czech Presidency of the EU Council has chosen to approach this key dossier of the ‘European Green Deal’, which is understood as a new growth strategy, by focusing the discussion on the aspects concerning the single market.
This future regulation was presented by the European Commission at the end of March 2022, as part of the EU’s second action plan on the circular economy for a more resource-efficient EU (see EUROPE 12922/1).
It will establish a framework for setting ecodesign and information requirements for almost all products, and provide for the creation of a European digital passport for products - the ‘product passport’. Ecodesign requirements by product group would be established by delegated acts, with regulations for each product group to follow from 2024.
The first political debate of the EU27 ministers at the Competitiveness Council (see EUROPE 13017/8) will focus on the single market and regulatory aspects of the proposal.
In a background note prepared for the ministers, the Czech Presidency of the EU Council mentions that this future regulation aims both to improve the environmental sustainability of products and to promote the better functioning of the single market and the free movement of sustainable products.
However, the note also points out that, “the potential of free movement of goods has not yet been fully exploited due to negative aspects such as inefficient use of resources, insufficient enforcement of existing requirements, unequal conditions of competition for businesses or environmental degradation caused by the life cycle of products”.
Guided by this note, ministers will be asked to answer the following questions:
1) How can the ecodesign requirements, the Digital Product Passport and other aspects introduced by the ESPR contribute, together with market surveillance, to the better functioning of the single market and the free movement of sustainable products? How can it contribute to the digital transition of the European industry and to the improvement of its competitiveness and resilience?
2) Given that the instruments that will flow from this framework regulation require coordination among all key actors - EU institutions, Member States and stakeholders - what should be the role of each party, and how should the relevant competencies be divided, to ensure effective adoption of product-specific requirements as well as the correct implementation of all the instruments specified?
This legislation has not yet been discussed by EU environment ministers.
See the Czech Presidency note: https://aeur.eu/f/35e (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)