A practical guide to understanding, preparing for, and complying with the EU Digital Product Passport regulation under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).
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product categories will eventually require a Digital Product Passport under the ESPR framework.
The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a structured digital record that accompanies a physical product throughout its entire lifecycle. It aggregates product-level data on materials, manufacturing, environmental impact, repairability, and end-of-life handling into a single, accessible format.
The DPP is a core requirement of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), adopted by the European Parliament and Council in 2024. The ESPR replaces and extends the earlier Ecodesign Directive (2009/125/EC), which was limited to energy-related products.
Under the ESPR, the European Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts specifying DPP requirements for individual product categories. These delegated acts define what data must be included, how it must be stored, and who can access it.
The regulation establishes that every product placed on the EU market in a covered category must carry a DPP, accessible via a data carrier (such as a QR code or NFC tag) physically attached to the product.
The DPP serves multiple policy objectives simultaneously:
While the exact data requirements will vary by product category (defined in delegated acts), the ESPR framework establishes several broad categories of information that DPPs are expected to include.
The ESPR specifies that DPP data will not all be publicly accessible. The regulation envisions differentiated access rights:
Public access: Consumer-facing information (environmental footprint, repairability, basic product identity).
Regulatory authorities: Full dataset including compliance declarations, test results, and supply chain documentation.
Supply chain actors: Relevant data for recyclers, repairers, and refurbishers (e.g., disassembly instructions, material composition).
The DPP obligation applies broadly to economic operators placing products on the EU market within covered product categories.
The ESPR was adopted in 2024, but the DPP requirements will be implemented progressively through delegated acts for each product category. The exact timelines depend on when each delegated act is finalized.
2024
ESPR adopted and enters into force. European Commission begins preparing delegated acts for priority product categories.
2025
Working groups develop technical standards for DPP data formats and interoperability. Pilot programs and stakeholder consultations underway.
2026
Pivotal year. On March 19, 2026, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) published the official DPP methodology (report JRC145830): a 4-step approach, data classified into 3 tiers (Essential, Strongly recommended, Voluntary), product-specific granularity (model, batch, or unique item). On July 19, 2026, the EU central DPP registry goes live — the technical infrastructure on which all product passports will be published. First delegated acts expected for iron and steel.
2027
Delegated acts for textiles, aluminium, and tyres expected to be adopted. Battery passports become mandatory in February 2027 under EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542. Textile, leather goods, and accessories brands begin implementations to prepare for ESPR compliance by mid-2028.
2028–2030
Effective ESPR compliance for textiles by mid-2028 (18 months after delegated act adoption). Progressive rollout: furniture in 2028, mattresses in 2029, then other categories (construction products, metals) as delegated acts are adopted.
Updated May 17, 2026. These dates are based on known regulatory trajectories and may shift as delegated acts are adopted. Particularly worth monitoring: the proposed exclusion of leather from the EUDR scope published on May 4, 2026 (public consultation open until June 1, 2026) — note that traceability remains critical for other upcoming regulations (CSRD, CSDDD, DPP, GCD). The EU Battery Regulation (2023/1542) retains its own DPP timeline, with battery passports required from February 2027.
The ESPR applies to nearly all physical products placed on the EU market, with exceptions for food, feed, and medicinal products (covered by other regulations). Priority product categories identified for early DPP requirements include:
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