ESPR Delegated Act on Iron and Steel: Commission Opens Stakeholder Consultation

On 19 May 2026, the European Commission published a Call for Evidence for an impact assessment on a planned Delegated Act under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) covering iron and steel products. The consultation is open until 12 August 2026.

Iron and steel are the first intermediate products to be prioritised under the ESPR 2025-2030 working plan, which was adopted in April 2025. The sector accounts for around 5-6% of the EU's total greenhouse gas emissions and is a key supplier to the automotive, construction and defence industries. The initiative is also directly linked to the Industrial Accelerator Act proposal adopted in March 2026, which requires a regulatory definition of low-carbon steel — something this Delegated Act is designed to provide.

The Commission has identified several core problems the initiative aims to address. The carbon footprint of steel products is not sufficiently accounted for across the supply chain. Steel scrap streams are often contaminated or of mixed quality, limiting circularity. There is limited market demand for low-carbon steel at current prices. And economic operators across the supply chain lack reliable, harmonised information on the sustainability of different steel products, with multiple competing definitions of low-carbon steel creating confusion and market fragmentation.

Three categories of policy measures are under consideration. The first is introducing mandatory information requirements covering the carbon footprint of iron and steel products, their recycled content, and substances that make them harder to recycle. The second is setting performance classes and minimum environmental performance thresholds, based on carbon footprint data. The third is establishing digital product passport requirements applicable to all actors in the supply chain.

If implemented, these measures would create new data management and reporting obligations for companies throughout the iron and steel supply chain, both inside and outside the EU. The Commission estimates that low-carbon requirements for steel in construction, automotive and public procurement could result in emission reductions of at least 3.4 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030 alone. A delegated regulation is expected in Q4 2026.

Stakeholders including manufacturers, purchasers, importers, exporters, recyclers, raw material suppliers and SMEs are encouraged to submit their feedback via the Have Your Say portal before 12 August 2026.

Source: European Commission, Call for Evidence Ref. Ares(2026)5076198, 19 May 2026