The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is the European Union’s flagship initiative to make sustainable products the norm across the EU market.
ESPR, which entered into force in July 2024, aims to improve the environmental performance of almost all physical goods sold in the EU, not just energy-related products. It establishes a comprehensive framework to define mandatory ecodesign requirements for durability, reparability, energy efficiency, resource use, and the presence of hazardous substances. One of its most transformative aspects is the introduction of the Digital Product Passport (DPP), which will ensure that detailed information on a product’s sustainability, origin, and materials is digitally accessible throughout its lifecycle.
This regulation will affect manufacturers, importers, and retailers alike, driving innovation and accountability while pushing industries toward greener design, circular business models, and reduced environmental impact. As such, ESPR is poised to be a game-changer in the shift toward a sustainable European single market.
As the EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) takes shape, TESTEX’s Head of Brand Partnerships, Lucy Murphy, explores how certifications are driving change in the textile industry.
Starting with the basics, how could certifications be relevant to ESPR? What types of certifications are we talking about?
Certifications play a foundational role in the ESPR landscape. At its core, ESPR is about ensuring products placed on the EU market meet specific environmental and circularity criteria, with certifications being the mechanism that can provide independent, credible proof of compliance.
At TESTEX, we’re one of the official institutes behind OEKO-TEX®, a suite of certifications that spans human-ecological safety (like STANDARD 100), sustainable production (STeP), and product environmental impact (MADE IN GREEN). These kinds of third-party certifications can act as ready-made tools to help brands and manufacturers demonstrate conformity with ESPR’s requirements; especially in areas like product durability, use of hazardous substances, and traceability.
So we’re talking about environmental certifications, chemical management standards, and traceability labels, essentially anything that allows us to verify and communicate sustainability performance in a standardized, trusted way.
What is your vision for the future? What do you think we will see in the delegated acts for textiles? What can we expect things to look like in Europe in 5 to 10 years?
In the next 5 to 10 years, I believe Europe’s textile sector will shift dramatically towards transparency and accountability. The delegated act for textiles under ESPR is likely to introduce detailed requirements on durability, repairability, and recycled content, as well as more robust expectations for chemical safety and digital product passports.
I hope we’ll see a harmonized ecosystem where sustainability is no longer a niche differentiator, but a legal baseline. And certifications, particularly ones like OEKO-TEX that cover chemical safety, traceability and sustainability, will serve as the infrastructure that supports this new reality.
Consumers will be able to scan a QR code on a garment and know not only what’s in it, but where it came from, how it was produced, and whether it can be safely recycled. And from a business perspective, I see greater investment in supply chain collaboration, because compliance will be impossible in silos.
How do you see ESPR influencing what is happening outside of the EU?
ESPR is already having a ripple effect far beyond Europe. For many of the brands and supply chains we work with at TESTEX, the EU is a key market, so even if a product is made in Asia or a brand is based in North America, it still needs to meet European requirements.
This regulation is setting a global precedent just like REACH did years ago. Countries and regions looking to accelerate their circular economy ambitions are watching closely. We’ve already seen jurisdictions like Canada, the US and several in Asia starting to look at how elements of ESPR (like digital product passports or durability standards) could be adapted locally.
Certification bodies like ours have a big role to play here: we help bridge that knowledge gap and provide tools that companies anywhere in the world can use to meet ESPR expectations, even before local regulation catches up.
As we look ahead to the delegated act for the textiles sector, do you have any insights on what you do / do not want to see? Anything to share with the folks in the audience as they think about adapting ESPR (or elements thereof) to their jurisdictions or contexts?
I’d love to see the delegated act strike a balance between ambition and practicality. It needs to set clear, enforceable standards but also offer flexible pathways to compliance. This is where certifications like OEKO-TEX are incredibly valuable; they offer a way for businesses to meet high standards without reinventing the wheel.
What I hope not to see is overly complex reporting requirements or redundant testing obligations that burden smaller businesses disproportionately. We need streamlined approaches that encourage participation across the value chain, especially among SMEs.
For jurisdictions like Canada that are considering ESPR-like frameworks, my advice is: leverage what already exists. Use internationally recognized certifications to build trust, accelerate implementation and reduce administrative burden. The goal should be aligned ambition, not duplicated bureaucracy.
Let’s talk about the consumer experience, how will ESPR and these related developments impact the consumer experience? Thinking specifically, here, about traceability and certifications.
From a consumer point of view, ESPR is going to make sustainability visible, understandable, and actionable. The Digital Product Passport will be a game-changer; it will allow consumers to make informed choices based on real data, not marketing claims.
Through OEKO-TEX’s MADE IN GREEN label, for example, we already provide this kind of experience as consumers can scan a product’s label and trace its journey through certified environmentally and socially responsible facilities. ESPR will make that kind of transparency standard, not optional.
It also builds trust. Certifications give consumers assurance that somebody independent has verified the sustainability claims being made. In order to counter greenwashing, that kind of trust is crucial.
So, I see the consumer experience becoming more digital, more transparent, and more empowered with certification acting as the bridge between regulation and real-world decisions.
Lucy Murphy, Head of Brand Partnerships at TESTEX, shares her perspective on how certifications can support the textile industry in adapting to the EU’s new sustainability regulation.