Directive 2009/125/EC established a framework for setting ecodesign requirements for energy-related products sold in the EU, aiming to improve their environmental performance throughout their life cycle. It required manufacturers to design products that use less energy and resources while maintaining functionality and safety. The Directive covered all energy-related products (except transport) and allowed the European Commission to adopt specific implementing measures for different product groups. It also sought to harmonize national rules to ensure the free movement of goods within the internal market, support energy efficiency and sustainability goals, and include market surveillance provisions to ensure compliance.
Regulation (EU) 2024/1781, known as the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), replaces Directive 2009/125/EC and expands its scope beyond energy efficiency to cover a product’s entire environmental footprint. Although it repeals the 2009 Directive, Article 79 ensures that the Directive continues to apply temporarily to products already covered by existing implementing measures, until those measures are updated or replaced under the new Regulation.
