PRODUCT COMPLIANCE

Sustainability and compliance are increasingly intertwined. Across the EU, the new generation of product-related regulations such as the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR, Regulation (EU) 2024/1781) sets a comprehensive framework for making products more durable, reusable, repairable, and resource-efficient. It marks a paradigm shift: compliance is no longer limited to safety or quality but extends to the entire environmental footprint of a product.

Under the ESPR, almost all physical goods placed on the EU market will need to meet specific sustainability requirements throughout their life cycle. The regulation introduces the Digital Product Passport (DPP), a data system that enables manufacturers, importers, and consumers to access transparent information about product composition, origin, repairability, and recyclability. Over time, this digital transparency will become a prerequisite for market access much like CE marking today.

Beyond ESPR, other frameworks shape the landscape of product compliance and ESG reporting:

• Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires companies to disclose how products and operations align with the EU taxonomy and circular economy objectives.
• Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) establishes corporate responsibility for social and environmental impacts along global value chains.
• Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC, revised 2024) defines extended producer responsibility and waste traceability obligations.
• Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 sets a precedent for digital traceability and lifecycle data management that will extend to other industries.

Together, these regulations are driving a data revolution in product management, requiring companies to capture and share reliable product data across their supply networks. Compliance now means integrating sustainability metrics, carbon footprint, material composition, recyclability into core product information systems.

On osapeers, sustainability and compliance professionals come together to:

• Share best practices on implementing the Digital Product Passport and other data-driven ESG tools.
• Discuss interoperability standards such as GS1 identifiers and how they enable cross-company collaboration.
• Stay updated on regulatory timelines and technical specifications issued by the European Commission and industry alliances.
• Build networks with experts across sectors who face the same challenge: transforming regulatory compliance into measurable sustainability progress.Product compliance is no longer a reporting exercise, it’s a lever for circular, transparent, and future-proof business models.

  Join the conversation on osapeers to learn how leading organizations are using regulation as a catalyst for ESG innovation.