The European path towards ecodesign for the furniture sector is gathering pace. On 6 October 2026, Brussels will host the first stakeholder meeting of the Preparatory Study and the Impact Assessment Support Study on furniture, carried out in support of the European Commission’s work under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).

After textiles and steel, it is now furniture’s turn. The sector is one of the priority final products in the Commission’s ESPR Working Plan 2025-2030, adopted on 16 April 2025. While the workstreams for textiles and steel are already at an advanced stage, the one for furniture is now getting under way, with adoption of the measures indicatively foreseen for 2028.

Furniture was identified as a priority on the basis of the analysis carried out by the JRC, the Commission’s Joint Research Centre. The requirements have not yet been defined and will depend on the outcome of the preparatory study and the impact assessment. They may, however, address aspects such as durability and reparability, ease of disassembly, recycled content and recyclability, the presence of substances of concern, and information provided through the Digital Product Passport.

The meeting forms part of the consultation activities foreseen under the study and aims to engage stakeholders in building the evidence base for any future measures on furniture placed on the EU market.

Objective of the meeting
The day will focus on presenting, discussing and validating the preliminary findings of MEErP Tasks 1-4 of the Preparatory Study, covering:

• scope and definitions;
• market analysis;
• user analysis;
• technologies, techniques and materials.

The recently published draft report “DPP content for furniture products under ESPR” (Draft Report Version 1), prepared as part of Phase I of the preparatory study, sets out the first proposed circularity requirements to be included in the Digital Product Passport for furniture.

Matrec will attend the meeting to follow the entire preparatory process closely and to support its clients with regard to developments, timelines and the practical implications for companies in the furniture sector.