The short answer: for the digital product passport, there is no change this year in supervision, because the rules for it still need to be worked out. For general mattress safety, supervision has been active for some time, and that continues as normal. If you are wondering whether the supervisory authority will suddenly take a different approach to mattresses this year, you may be dealing with two tracks that are not moving at the same pace.
This matters for: manufacturers, importers and sellers of mattresses who want to know what they can already be checked on now, and what they need to prepare for later. Below is what both tracks involve and what that means concretely this year.
Two tracks of supervision: now and later
The first track is the General Product Safety Regulation. It provides that products, including mattresses, must be safe and that companies must be able to provide information on risks. This track is already in force and supervision of it in the Netherlands is carried out via the existing product safety supervisory authority.
The second track is the ecodesign regulation (ESPR) with the digital product passport, which will also apply to mattresses. For this track, a delegated act must first be published that sets out the precise requirements for mattresses. According to the European Commission's work plan, this act is expected around 2028, and the obligation for mattresses themselves is expected around 2030. Both dates are not yet fixed. As long as that act is not in place, there is also no supervision of the passport itself, simply because the obligation does not yet exist.
What the existing product safety rules already require now
Because the first track is already running, that is the part where something can actually change this year, for example because a supervisory authority sharpens its approach or gives extra attention to a product category. This concerns matters such as safe materials, correct labelling and the ability to identify who in the chain is responsible for a mattress. This is separate from the future passport, but those who familiarise themselves with it now will not have to start from scratch later. the overview per subject in the knowledge bank sets the two tracks side by side, with the source in the official text included.
What changes once the mattress passport does exist
Once the delegated act is published, a third layer of supervision emerges: inspection of the passport content itself. Think of questions such as whether the data is correct, whether the QR code is properly affixed and whether the correct party in the chain has been designated as responsible for the passport. Which authority will carry out that supervision in the Netherlands and how that relates to supervision in other EU countries cannot yet be said with certainty. That depends on how it is worked out in the delegated act and how the Netherlands subsequently implements it.
Who will probably be involved
The existing product safety supervisory authority is the most obvious candidate as the implementing body, as it is already responsible for the first track. However, this is an expectation based on the current regulatory framework, not an established fact. For the current state of affairs, the official text of the regulation, or the supervisory authority itself, is the appropriate source.
What this means for your company this year
This year it mainly means that supervisory attention is still focused on the existing rules, not on the passport. This is a good time to check whether your company has the basics in order: do you know who in your chain qualifies as a manufacturer, importer or distributor, and can you substantiate that? That question will also come up later with the passport, so those who have clarity on it now will save themselves work later. With a few questions that show where your company currently stands you'll get a free initial overview.
Where you can check this
Because this subject continues to evolve as long as the delegated act has not been published, it is advisable to check periodically whether there is any news, rather than relying on a fixed date that does not yet exist. On the page with frequently asked questions about supervision and regulation we keep the most frequently asked questions about this, each with a reference to the official source. Curious about how we compile and keep that information current? You can read about it on the page about how the information on this site is compiled.
For the situation of your own company, especially if you sell in multiple EU countries, a lawyer or the competent supervisory authority remains the appropriate point of contact. Would you first like to get an overview without immediately committing to anything? Take the free quick-scan or browse through the topics in the knowledge base.