Short answer: no obligation yet, but an ongoing process
For mattresses themselves, no concrete legal obligation is expected to change this year. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is a framework regulation: it sets the rules, but only fills them in per product group via a so-called delegated act. For mattresses, such an act is currently expected in 2028, and the digital product passport that results from it around 2030. Both dates are not yet fixed and may shift.
What is changing is the phase in which the process finds itself. The European Commission is working this year further on the work plan 2025-2030, which sets out which product groups are addressed when, and on the technical building blocks that will apply to all product passports in the future. This affects mattresses indirectly, but does not yet create a new obligation for your company.
What exactly is the ESPR work plan
The work plan is the agenda of the European Commission: a list of product groups that will in due course receive their own ecodesign requirements and their own digital passport, with a preliminary schedule. Mattresses are on that list, but the order and pace depend on research, consultations with the sector and the political decision-making that must follow. A work plan is thus a direction, not a law with a fixed date.
To understand how such a work plan relates to the eventual obligation for your products, it is useful to first know the structure of the regulation itself. In the knowledge base with the regulation explained by subject it shows how a framework regulation, a delegated act and the ultimate entry into force date relate to each other.
Why the date for mattresses is not yet fixed
A delegated act does not come about all at once. First, technical requirements are worked out, often with input from manufacturers and industry organisations. This is followed by a formal proposal, after which the European Parliament and the Council have the opportunity to object. Only after these steps are completed is the act published and the transition period begins that ultimately determines when the passport becomes mandatory.
Because each of these steps can take longer, 2028 is currently an expectation and not a commitment. As soon as the act for mattresses is published, the date will be known and will be updated here.
What does happen this year, even without obligation
Even without a legal obligation, there is plenty happening this year. The Commission is working on the central register where product passports will be stored in the future, and on the technical standards for how data must be provided. Industry organisations in the furniture and bedding sector are following this process and sharing insights with their members. And software suppliers and data platforms, including matrapas.eu, are already building infrastructure based on the requirements that are already known from other product groups where the act is further advanced, such as textiles.
For you as an entrepreneur, this mainly means that the time until the obligation takes effect is worth using well. If you already have insight into which data on materials, origin and composition of a mattress are available and which are missing, you will be better prepared when the obligation does become concrete. With the product scan that gives an indication in a few questions you can already get a picture of where your company stands, without any obligation.
What this means for your company
Whether and how this development affects your company depends on your role in the chain: manufacturer, importer or seller of mattresses each have a slightly different position with respect to a future passport obligation. A general statement about your specific situation is not appropriate for an article written for a broad readership; that always requires tailor-made advice, possibly with a lawyer or the competent supervisory authority.
It is useful to know where the official information comes from and how it is maintained. On the page where the information on this platform comes from is explained how changes to the regulation are tracked and processed.
Where you can follow this
Because the date for mattresses is not yet fixed, it is advisable to check periodically for news rather than waiting for a single announcement. Frequently asked questions about timing, scope and the role of your company are bundled on the page with answers to frequently asked questions about the mattress passport.
Would you like to know now where your company stands, without any obligation attached to it? Take the free quick-scan or read through the topics that are relevant to your situation at your leisure.