EU requirement from 2027ESPRSustainability

The Digital Product Passport is coming.
Are you ready?

The EU registry has been live since July 2026, and from February 2027 the first mandatory passport applies to batteries – further product groups will follow step by step. Find out what this means for your company and how prodexa supports you with the implementation.

Understand the basicsprodexa & DPP
2027
First mandatory DPP: the battery passport from 18 February 2027
42%
of the industrial companies surveyed know what the DPP actually involves
Forterro, Industry Barometer 2025
July 2026
EU DPP registry in operation – legal basis: Ecodesign Regulation (ESPR)
Basics

What is the Digital Product Passport?

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a structured, machine-readable digital identity for physical products – linked via QR code, NFC or RFID tag.

Definition

The DPP bundles product-related data on origin, materials used, environmental impact, repairability, recyclability and life-cycle information. It is not a PDF but a structured, machine-readable data set. The data is held decentrally by the responsible company or its service provider; the EU registry records the unique identifier and the associated metadata.

Legal basis

The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR, Regulation (EU) 2024/1781) has been in force since July 2024 and obliges manufacturers, importers and retailers to provide DPP data. Which data is required for which product group, and from when, is set out in delegated acts. Batteries are covered by the separate EU Batteries Regulation.

What is captured?

Material composition and geographical origin, carbon footprint by life-cycle phase, recycled content, repair and disassembly instructions, maintenance intervals, chemical substances, proof of conformity and, where applicable, social data (e.g. working conditions in the supply chain).

The EU’s objective

Transparency across the entire product life cycle, promoting the circular economy, enabling informed purchasing decisions and creating traceability for market surveillance authorities – accessible via a data carrier such as the QR code on the product.

Legal timeline

When does the DPP become mandatory?

Implementation is gradual – and the time to prepare is already running. Once a delegated act has been adopted, there are usually around 18 months until the requirement applies.

  1. 2024

    ESPR enters into force

    The Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 has applied since July 2024 and creates the legal framework for the Digital Product Passport.

    Foundation in place
  2. 2025

    Working plan & standardisation

    In April 2025, the European Commission adopted the first ESPR working plan. It sets the order: iron and steel first, followed by textiles, tyres, aluminium, furniture and mattresses. In parallel, CEN/CENELEC are developing the European DPP standards.

    Roadmap in place
  3. 2026

    EU registry in operation

    Since 20 July 2026, the central DPP registry and a test environment have been online (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1778). The delegated act for iron and steel is expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.

    Infrastructure ready
  4. 2027

    First requirement: the battery passport

    From 18 February 2027, batteries for electric vehicles and light means of transport (e.g. e-bikes) as well as industrial batteries above 2 kWh need a battery passport. The delegated acts for textiles, tyres and aluminium are expected in 2027.

    Requirement begins
  5. 2028+

    Extension to further sectors

    The requirements are expected to apply to iron and steel from around 2028, to textiles, tyres and aluminium from around 2029, and to furniture and mattresses from around 2030. Electronics, construction products and other groups will follow. Food and pharmaceuticals are exempt.

    Rollout continues
Affected sectors

Which product categories are affected?

The requirement applies to manufacturers, importers and retailers placing products on the EU market. An early start pays off and protects you from exclusion from supply chains, loss of access to the EU market and possible penalties.

The Digital Product Passport is not an IT project but a prerequisite for market access. Companies that cannot supply the data will no longer be able to sell their products in the EU or remain part of supply chains.

2027

Batteries & accumulators

Batteries for electric vehicles and light means of transport, plus industrial batteries above 2 kWh. Mandatory from 18 Feb. 2027 under the EU Batteries Regulation.

c. 2029

Textiles & fashion

Fibre composition, chemical treatments, country of origin, care instructions and water consumption.

c. 2028

Steel & iron

Material composition, recycled content, carbon intensity of the manufacturing process.

c. 2029

Tyres

Material composition, abrasion and microplastic emissions, environmental compatibility and recycling information.

2030+

Electronics & ICT

Hazardous substances, spare parts availability, repairability score, energy efficiency data.

c. 2029

Aluminium

Critical raw materials, share of secondary materials, geographical origin of input materials.

2029+

Construction products

Separate CPR regulation, digital infrastructure by 2026/2027, mandatory from approx. 2029–2030.

c. 2030

Furniture & mattresses

Material content, absence of harmful substances, durability information and disassembly guides.

2030+

Mechanical engineering

Spare parts availability, maintenance intervals, safety documentation and consumption values.

prodexa & Digital Product Passport

Why a PIM system is the foundation for DPP compliance

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is not an isolated compliance document – it is the structured sum of all your product data. This is exactly where prodexa comes in: prodexa GmbH, based in Dortmund, Germany, develops cloud-based software for product information management (PIM) and product experience management (PXM).

01

Create a central data foundation

prodexa consolidates all product-related information – from material data and certificates to sustainability metrics – in one place. This is the prerequisite for a valid DPP.

02

Structured data enrichment

With prodexa, you maintain classifications (ETIM, ECLASS, GPC), units of measure and multilingual attributes exactly as EU standards and delegated acts require – machine-readable and interoperable.

03

Integrate supply chain data

prodexa connects supplier onboarding with your product data management. Material origin, supplier certificates and proof of conformity flow directly into your DPP data structure.

04

DPP export & interfaces

With prodexa’s export engine and API interfaces, DPP data packages can be provided in JSON-LD or other required formats – in line with the EU DPP registry, which has been in operation since July 2026.

05

Audit trail & versioning

Every data change is logged in a traceable way. prodexa ensures that market surveillance authorities and trading partners always access consistent, up-to-date DPP data.

06

Multi-brand & variant capability

Whether you manage 100 or 100,000 products, variant-rich ranges or multiple brands: prodexa scales with your DPP requirements and supports granular variants at item level.

DPP readiness

Build DPP readiness with prodexa now

The registry is live, the battery passport applies from February 2027, and delegated acts for steel, textiles and other groups are on their way. If you wait until then, you will have around 18 months for your data model, supplier data and processes. Talk to our experts now.

Book a demoMore about prodexa PIM
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

01What is a Digital Product Passport (DPP)?

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital data set containing all relevant information about a product – e.g. materials, origin, carbon footprint and recyclability. Its aim is to create transparency along the entire supply chain and to promote more sustainable products. More information is available from the European Commission: Digital Product Passport (europa.eu).

02Is the Digital Product Passport mandatory?

Yes. The DPP is being introduced step by step as a mandatory requirement under the EU Ecodesign Regulation (ESPR) and other EU regulations such as the Batteries Regulation. For each product group concerned, companies must provide structured product data and register the passport in the EU registry.

03When does the DPP apply?

The first mandatory DPP applies from 18 February 2027 to batteries (EV, LMT and industrial batteries above 2 kWh). The delegated act for iron and steel is expected at the end of 2026, and those for textiles, tyres and aluminium in 2027 – each requirement applies around 18 months later. By 2030, the DPP is expected to apply to many physical products.

04Which companies are affected by the DPP?

All companies that manufacture, import or distribute physical products in the EU. Particularly affected are manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and importers.

05Does the DPP also affect SMEs?

Yes. Small and medium-sized companies are particularly affected, as they are often part of international supply chains and have to supply data to larger companies.

06What happens if I don’t provide a DPP?

Once a DPP is required for a product group, a product without a valid passport may no longer be placed on the EU market. Companies also face exclusion from supply chains, trade problems and possible fines.