Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1540425
OCTOBER 2025 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 51 The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and Digital Product Passports (DPPs) The first official Ecodesign Forum under the new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) in Brussels this past February brought together approximately 130 stakeholders—from Member States, industry representatives, NGOs, and academia—to help guide the ESPR implemen- tation and energy labelling strategies. Of note, ESPR is an "empty legal framework," meant to enable the development of delegated acts by product groups. In April, the European Commission published its 2025–2030 Working Plan under the ESPR, which prioritizes product categories such as textiles, furni- ture, steel and aluminum, tires, and mattresses, plus horizontal measures covering repairability, recy- clability, and recycled content for electrical and elec- tronic equipment. Final EU rules for electronics DPPs are expected in late 2026, with the DPP becoming mandatory for all electronics starting in 2027. Since January, the Association has been actively engaging with industry representatives in the CEN- CELENEC workshop series, which led to the guid- ance document "Enabling Circular Economy Prac- tices: Repair and Recycling of PCBAs. " This doc- ument relies on IPC sustainability standards and should be finalized shortly. Moreover, we have recently applied to join the Ecodesign Forum. What Can the Electronics Industry Do? • Apply for the Ecodesign Forum and con- solidate industry input through us. This will inform Forum meeting conduct and ensure that we advocate for fit-for-purpose ESPR delegated acts for electronics. • Proactively prepare for the new DPP era through design rethinking, supply chain modification, and involvement in stakeholder consultations. Chemical Policies and PFAS Advocacy A lot is happening in the chemical policies area, and it can be quite overwhelming for the industry: never-ending renewal applications for exemptions related to the restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS), the upcoming REACH revision, a potential universal PFAS ban, a chemicals omnibus package, and the list can go on. PFAS: A Bad Reputation for a Too Broad Sub- stance Group at Risk of Incoherent Regulation There are many practical challenges in terms of how PFAS is (or soon will be) regulated around the globe, including regulatory incoherence around PFAS definitions in different regions, blanket restric- tions that do not consider the fluoropolymer sub- group that continues to be essential to electron- ics, and the lack of viable alternatives. The proper- ties that make PFAS so necessary in, for example, defense and aerospace, are precisely what make it persist in the environment. The regulatory momen- tum is asking us to step up and share real learnings and challenges in this area. We continue to engage with this topic. What Can the Electronics Industry Do? • Get ready for the two-month consultation on the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Socio-Economic Committee (SEAC), expected in March 2026, by proactively collecting information on the following: • Potential impacts of restricting PFAS across sectors, like repercussions of non-use sce- narios such as no impact, closure of opera- tions, relocation, or substitution of PFAS • Availability and feasibility of alternatives • Information on missed uses and derogations, where relevant to socio-economic aspects • Tell us up front: How should better PFAS defi- nitions look? • Support your arguments with scientific data and real-life business situations • Support us in informing position papers and other advocacy work on this topic • Tell us: What might be suitable alternatives that your organization is looking into?