A visual timeline of all ESPR unsold consumer products milestones — from the regulation’s entry into force through the destruction ban, standardised disclosure format, and medium-enterprise extension. Use this to plan your compliance roadmap.

ESPR implementation timeline

Key dates for enterprises and investors — from entry into force to full medium-enterprise application.

Completed

Upcoming

Future

Large Large enterprises

Medium Medium enterprises

All All operators

18 July 2024

ESPR enters into force

Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 enters into force. Prevention duty (Article 23) applies to all economic operators. Disclosure obligation (Article 24) begins for the first full financial year.

All operatorsLarge — disclosure

November 2024

Ecodesign Forum established

The Commission formally establishes the Ecodesign Forum as the main stakeholder consultation body for ESPR implementation, bringing together Member States, industry, NGOs, and academia.

Stakeholders

February 2025

First Ecodesign Forum meeting

Discussion paper on derogations from the destruction ban presented. Over 200 participants. Stakeholder feedback collected via EU survey — 14 trade associations, 4 NGOs, 7 Member States responded.

Consultation

April 2025

First ESPR Working Plan adopted (2025–2030)

Commission adopts the first Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Working Plan. Priority products: textiles (apparel), furniture, steel, aluminium, tyres, mattresses, and energy-related products.

All sectors

9 February 2026

Commission adopts secondary legislation

Delegated Regulation C(2026) 659 — 10 derogations from the destruction ban. Implementing Regulation C(2026) 660 — standardised disclosure format, CN code categorisation, verification framework (3 Annexes).

LargeMedium (from 2030)

~March 2026

Implementing Regulation enters into force

20 days after publication in the Official Journal. The 12-month countdown to mandatory application begins.

All in-scope

TODAY — ~2031/2032

19 July 2026

Destruction ban applies to large enterprises

Prohibition on destroying unsold apparel, clothing accessories, and footwear (Annex VII). Delegated Regulation on derogations applies. Operators must document any derogation and inform waste treatment operators.

Large — destruction ban

~February/March 2027

Standardised disclosure format applies

12 months after entry into force of the Implementing Regulation. First Annex I disclosures using the standardised template cover the first full financial year after this date. Must be published within 12 months of FY-end.

Large — standardised format

19 July 2030

All obligations extend to medium-sized enterprises

The destruction ban under Article 25 and the disclosure obligation under Article 24 apply to medium-sized enterprises from this date. Micro and small enterprises remain exempt.

Medium — full application

~2031/2032

Commission review of both regulations

Review of both the Delegated and Implementing Regulations within five years of entry into force. Will assess whether to add new product categories to Annex VII, refine derogations, or introduce a recycling-based derogation under Article 25(5)(g).

All in-scope

Exact dates for the Implementing Regulation’s application depend on the date of Official Journal publication. The “~March 2026” and “~February/March 2027” estimates assume publication in early March 2026. The Commission may also expand the Annex VII product scope at any time, triggering an automatic review of the Delegated Regulation.

For the full regulatory detail behind each milestone, see our comprehensive ESPR guide. Use the ESPR scope checker to confirm which dates apply to your organisation, or start tracking preparation with the compliance checklist. At Generation Impact Global, we help organisations manage ESG reporting timelines across multiple EU frameworks.