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Freepik obvious compliance wrinkles, but to give some thought to how
climate, trade and development policies might be combined
into a more coherent strategy,” it says.

EU implements eco-design regulation
A new regulation setting out to make sustainable products the
norm in the EU market has implications for manufacturers,
importers, distributors, retailers and sellers worldwide, according
to a report from www.sustainablebrands.com.
The new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation
(ESPR) came into force in July and, says the article, sets out
up a seat in the European parliament. The Environment role environmental design requirements for almost all products,
has been temporarily taken over by Maroš Šefčovič, Executive with a few exceptions, including food and medicines.

Vice-President of the EC for European Green Deal. “We’re setting the bar higher to ensure that resource-
In another FT article, Senior Trade Correspondent Alan and energy-efficient products become the norm on the EU
Beattie said that ‘irritation’ with the EUDR within the EC has market,” Maroš Šefčovič, Executive VP for the European
‘now broken into the open’. Green Deal is quoted as saying.
It quotes Sabine Weyand, director-general of the trade The idea, says Sustainable Brands, is to ‘make sure the
directorate, as saying: “I think we have to recognise that we products being put on the market are easier to repair, recycle
have pushed away a number of partners we need through our and reuse as part of a circular economy’.

increased use of autonomous trade measures. We hear that “According to policymakers, around 80% of a product’s
increasingly on measures like the deforestation regulation.” environmental impact is determined by how it is designed,”
She suggests widening EU support to the developing it says. “The legislation includes criteria centred on improving
world, including via its ‘Global Gateway’, strategy for product durability, reducing energy consumption, increasing
increasing investment, particularly for the climate transition recycled content, facilitating remanufacture and recycling,
and especially in Africa. and increasing the availability of information on just how
The article also quotes Odrek Rwabwogo, senior adviser sustainable a product might be.”
to the president of Uganda on trade. He urged more support The European Commission is set to adopt the first working
for Uganda’s wish to move up the value chain into further plan for the ESPR, outlining the initial set of products for

processing, rather than stay an exporter of unprocessed which eco-design requirements will be developed, in March
commodities and, for instance, roast coffee in-country rather 2025. These will then be adopted towards the end of 2026
than use more land simply to expand the production of low- and will apply from 2027 onward.
value green coffee beans. “[But] our conversations with Europe The preliminary list of products the legislation will cover
are not on the level we would like,” he said. “We want them first includes furniture and textiles. The ESPR also introduces
to be about growth, but they are just about compliance.” the concept of a Digital Product Passport, likely to be a QR
The FT article concludes that a delay in introducing the code linked to a database, to give consumers information

EUDR ‘seems wise’. about the journey of a product to market. FDM
“But the EU should use the time not just to iron out the ENQUIRY NO. 5101