From July 19, 2026, a new EU requirement under the Regulation on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products (ESPR) will apply: the destruction of unsold apparel, apparel accessories, and footwear will be restricted. Violations of these regulations may result in fines, determined by company size and disposal volume.
For FBA sellers who sell textiles or shoes in the EU, urgent action is required: The return settings in Seller Central must be changed to either return, liquidation, or donation before July 19, 2026. To support this, Amazon is expanding its cross-border donation opportunities in Europe and will update FBA donation terms and conditions on June 25, 2026.
What do sellers need to consider?
Risk of fines from July 19, 2026: The ESPR regulation prohibits the destruction of unsold textiles and footwear in the EU. Violations can lead to fines that depend on company size and the volume of disposed products. As a seller, you are fully responsible for compliance—Amazon as the shipping service provider does not assume this responsibility.
Adjust return settings now: In Seller Central under FBA settings, return options for affected SKUs must be switched to return, liquidation, or donation before July 19, 2026. Products that are not eligible for donation or liquidation can still be disposed of, but this may negatively impact your ESPR compliance status.
New donation options and updated T&Cs as of June 25: Amazon is expanding cross-border donation opportunities for FBA inventory in Europe. On June 25, 2026, the FBA program guidelines for donations will be updated. Sellers should review the program rule changes in Seller Central and ensure that affected inventory is assigned to an eligible return option in time.
