On 30 March 2022, the European Commission presented a package of initiatives to ensure that all products placed on the EU market become more sustainable.

One of the main initiatives included in the package is a proposal for a new Regulation on Ecodesign for sustainable products. Considering that product design determines up to 80% of its life-cycle environmental impact, the proposal extends the scope of the current Ecodesign Directive beyond energy-related products. The aim is to ensure that products become more resource and energy efficient, durable, reliable, reusable, upgradable, reparable, easier to maintain, refurbish and recycle.

SBS annual conference will focus on the opportunities and challenges the sustainable product initiative offer to SMEs and discuss the role of standards in its implementation.

What will be the main challenges and opportunities for SMEs arising from the new Regulation on Eco-design for sustainable products? How can standards support the implementation of the new proposals? Which characteristics should the future Digital Product Passport have to ensure it can be implemented and used by SMEs? How can we ensure that the standards supporting the implementation of eco-design for sustainable products fully consider the needs and characteristics of SMEs?

To answer these questions, the event will take the examples of two product groups that have a significant impact on the environment and have also been targeted by the Commission’s initiative: construction and textiles.