Tomorrow, the European Parliament - under S&D leadership - is set to give its final consent to the agreement on the revised Ecodesign Regulation, which aims to make sustainable products the norm in the European Union. Compared to the current legislation, the revision expands its scope beyond energy-related products to introduce requirements on a wider range of items.
Under the new rules, the European Commission will have to set specific environmental requirements for products, including durability, reparability, environmental footprint, and the presence of harmful chemical substances. Additionally, new products on the market will be accompanied by a ‘digital product passport’ to provide further information to citizens about the environmental sustainability of the goods they buy.
At the S&D’s initiative, the European Commission will prioritise, already in the coming months, highly environmentally harmful products such as iron, steel, aluminium, textiles, furniture, tyres, detergents, paints, lubricants and chemicals. Another key achievement from the Group is the inclusion of a ban on the destruction of unsold textiles and footwear products to push the ‘fast fashion’ industry to change - a crucial provision absent from the European Commission’s initial proposal.
Alessandra Moretti, S&D MEP and European Parliament’s lead negotiator on the Ecodesign Regulation, said:
"It’s high time we break free from the outdated ‘take, make, dispose’ model that’s wreaking havoc on our planet, health, and economy. Let’s pave the way for a new era where every product is produced in a more sustainable manner, and where consumers can save energy, repair, and make smart environmental choices. A win-win situation benefiting both people’s wallets and the planet!
“By successfully including a ban on the senseless destruction of unsold textiles and footwear in the regulation, we want to contribute to a shift in the way fast fashion manufacturers produce their goods towards more social and environmental sustainability.”
