Textiles and Apparel under ESPR and the Digital Product Passport
Textiles is among the highest-priority categories in the first Working Plan. Stakeholder consultation has closed and a draft delegated act is in development. Note that large enterprises in apparel are already subject to the Article 25 destruction ban on unsold goods from 19 July 2026, well ahead of the DPP obligation.
Key dates for this sector
9 February 2026
Locked
Locked
Article 25 unsold-product rules finalized: derogations act C(2026) 659 and disclosure-format act C(2026) 660.
2026 to 2027
Signaled
Signaled
First category delegated acts expected. Iron and steel is the likely lead category, followed by textiles, tires, and aluminium. Dates are indicative.
Late 2026 / early 2027
Signaled
Signaled
ESPR textiles delegated act: proposal expected late 2026, adoption to follow, with realistic compliance around 2028 to 2029.
Expected DPP data requirements (not yet confirmed in an act):
- Item-level traceability and serialization
- Fiber composition and recycled fiber content
- Microplastics release potential
- Disassembly and recycling instructions
- Chemical substances of concern
Watch items
- Article 25 destruction ban already applies to large enterprises for unsold apparel and footwear from 19 July 2026. This is confirmed law, separate from and earlier than the DPP delegated act. Locked
- Delegated act proposal expected late 2026 or early 2027. Compliance timeline of 2028 to 2029 is indicative. Signaled
What to do now
Verify Article 25 compliance if you are a large enterprise with unsold apparel inventory. Separately, monitor the ESPR delegated act consultation and begin mapping item-level data flows and fiber content tracking.
Sources: COM(2025) 187: Working Plan · C(2026) 659: Article 25 Derogations · Verified 10 June 2026
Part of ESPR Atlas, the free ESPR and Digital Product Passport intelligence hub. Compare all nine categories on the Sectors in Scope page.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does ESPR apply to textiles and apparel?
Signaled: consultation closed, draft act in development. Key date: 2028 to 2029 (estimated delegated act compliance). This timeline is signaled, not an adopted act; plan against date ranges rather than fixed deadlines.
What Digital Product Passport data will textiles and apparel require?
Expected DPP data requirements (not yet confirmed in an act): Item-level traceability and serialization; Fiber composition and recycled fiber content; Microplastics release potential; Disassembly and recycling instructions; Chemical substances of concern.
What should textiles and apparel companies watch?
Article 25 destruction ban already applies to large enterprises for unsold apparel and footwear from 19 July 2026. This is confirmed law, separate from and earlier than the DPP delegated act. Delegated act proposal expected late 2026 or early 2027. Compliance timeline of 2028 to 2029 is indicative.
What should textiles and apparel companies do now?
Verify Article 25 compliance if you are a large enterprise with unsold apparel inventory. Separately, monitor the ESPR delegated act consultation and begin mapping item-level data flows and fiber content tracking.