Who in the Netherlands will subsequently check whether your furniture passport is in order is not yet established. The underlying European regulation (ESPR) stipulates that Member States designate a competent authority for market surveillance, but the precise implementation for furniture will only follow with the delegated act that specifically concerns furniture. According to the ESPR work plan 2025-2030, this is expected around 2028. As long as it is not in place, various things may change this year at the level of preparation and announcement, but not at the level of a definitive, enforceable market surveillance structure for furniture.
For you as an entrepreneur, this means above all that reports about 'new supervision' this year are usually about preparatory work: consultations, announced role divisions between existing bodies, or signals from Brussels about what enforcement will look like. None of these reports determine who in the Netherlands will specifically be responsible for inspections, what powers they will have and what sanctions apply. That is quite different from a change that already applies to you.
Why market surveillance is not yet definitive
Market surveillance of products in the EU generally works through designated national authorities that check whether products comply with applicable requirements. For existing product safety rules, the Netherlands has already organised this role division for years. For the furniture passport specifically, this role division still needs to be established, because the substantive requirements for the passport itself are not yet final. Market surveillance authorities can only effectively inspect compliance with requirements that are established: which data are mandatory, in what format, and how long they must remain accessible. As long as the delegated act is not in place, this basis is lacking.
This also explains why you may encounter reports this year about 'market surveillance in preparation' without a date or body being mentioned. This is not negligence on the part of the source, but a logical consequence of the phase the regulation is in.
What is already established
What is established is the principle: there will be market surveillance, and that market surveillance will be organised separately within each Member State. The Netherlands will probably build on existing structures for product safety and market surveillance, although this is not yet a decision formally laid down specifically for furniture. It is also established that the obligation itself, including the supervision of it, only comes into effect after the delegated act for furniture has been published and the periods mentioned in it have elapsed.
Companies that already supply furniture to several EU countries would do well to follow how other Member States organise their market surveillance, as this may differ from country to country once the rules apply. For the current state per subject, you can consult the knowledge base per situation, where developments per theme are tracked.
What can concretely change this year
Concretely, this year the European Commission could publish a draft version of the delegated act for furniture, or open a consultation round in which stakeholders can comment. It is also conceivable that the Netherlands will indicate in advance which existing body is likely to take on the supervisory role, without this yet being a formal decision. That kind of announcement is a signal, not an obligation. It is useful to follow, however, because it indicates the direction in which implementation is moving.
What doesn't change this year is the obligation itself: it will only take effect once the delegated act has been published and the transition periods laid down in it have expired. Until then, there is no supervision you can 'miss' by doing nothing now, although early preparation can save practical effort when the requirements do come into force.
For whom this is relevant
This is particularly relevant for companies that are now deciding which software provider or hosting party to work with for the future passport, and for companies that supply internationally and want to know whether they will be dealing with different supervisory authorities per country in the future. For a purely Dutch furniture manufacturer that only supplies domestically, the question is less pressing than for an importer or project furnisher that is active in multiple Member States.
If you want to assess how close your company already is to meeting the requirements, the quick scan with a few short questions provides an initial indication. This does not replace legal advice, but it does help determine where you stand in the process.
What you can already do now
Even without a definitive supervisory structure, you can now put in order things that will be necessary anyway: know what data you record about your furniture, who you share it with, and how you will eventually transfer it to a passport provider. On the page about how information is created you can read where the data for the passport comes from and what role traceability plays in it. For specific questions about your own situation, the competent supervisory authority, once appointed, or a lawyer remains the right point of contact.
Do you have doubts about what specifically changes for your company once supervision is in place? Take the free quick scan or view the frequently asked questions about the furniture passport for an overview by topic.