With the formal adoption of the first Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) work plan, the EU has taken another decisive step toward a more circular and transparent product economy. The updated work plan narrows down the number of priority product groups — and among them, iron and steel clearly stand out.
This prioritization sends a strong signal: steel is not only foundational to Europe’s industrial landscape, but it is also central to the EU’s ambitions on sustainability, traceability, and data-driven compliance. From construction and machinery to transport and infrastructure, steel’s environmental footprint and material integrity are under increasing scrutiny.
The work plan emphasizes the importance of digital product passports (DPPs) as a core tool to unlock this transition. These passports will carry structured, product-specific information — covering everything from material origin and content to carbon impact, durability, and recyclability. The inclusion of steel among the top-priority groups highlights the Commission’s intent to regulate and digitize sustainability data flows across one of Europe’s most emissions-intensive and strategically important industries.
For those working across metallic value chains, traceability remains a critical enabler — not just for upcoming regulatory requirements, but also for improving supply chain collaboration, aligning with customer expectations, and enabling real-time sustainability insights at scale.
The message is clear: robust data infrastructure, interoperability, and product-level transparency are no longer future ambitions — they are becoming immediate business needs. And for steel, the expectation is now set.
📄 More details:FAQ on the ESPR Working Plan – 4th Iteration (European Commission)
