The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a product-level digital record required under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (EU) 2024/1781. The EU DPP registry was set up in July 2026, but obligations apply only once product-specific delegated acts are adopted. Iron and steel come first, with textiles, tyres and aluminium indicated for 2027.
The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a structured, machine-readable record attached to a product through a data carrier such as a QR code, created under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), Regulation (EU) 2024/1781. ESPR entered into force on 18 July 2024, and the Commission set up the central DPP registry in July 2026. Obligations for companies apply only once a product-specific delegated act requires a passport. PIM (product information management) teams therefore have time to prepare, though the data work is substantial.
What is the current status of the DPP in October 2026?
| Milestone | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| ESPR entry into force | 18 July 2024 | In force |
| ESPR and Energy Labelling Working Plan 2025-2030 adopted | 16 April 2025 | Adopted |
| Rules on destruction of unsold apparel and footwear (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/296, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2) adopted | 9 February 2026 | Adopted |
| Destruction ban applies to large companies | 19 July 2026 | Applies |
| Deadline for the Commission to set up the DPP registry (Article 13) | 19 July 2026 | Registry launched |
| Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1778 on registry arrangements | Adopted 16 July 2026, in force 6 August 2026 | In force |
| Battery passport under Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 | 18 February 2027 | Upcoming, separate regime |
As of October 2026, no product-specific ESPR delegated act setting DPP requirements had been adopted. The act for iron and steel is the first expected.
The registry is an index. It stores the unique identifiers that link a product to its passport, while the passport data itself stays with the economic operator or a DPP service provider acting on its behalf. The registry also records commodity codes for goods entering free circulation, so customs authorities can use it to check that imported products in scope have a passport once a delegated act applies.
Which product groups come first?
The working plan adopted on 16 April 2025 sets priorities and indicative adoption years for delegated acts:
- Iron and steel: 2026
- Textiles, particularly apparel: 2027
- Tyres: 2027
- Aluminium: 2027
- Furniture: 2028
- Mattresses: 2029
- Horizontal repairability requirements, including a repairability score for consumer electronics and small household appliances: 2027
- Horizontal recycled content and recyclability requirements for electrical and electronic equipment: 2029
These years refer to adoption. Requirements typically apply after a transition of at least 18 months, so the first passports for most consumer goods are unlikely before 2028 or later. Each delegated act will define the exact data points, access rights and data carrier for its product group.
What data will a passport contain?
The Commission describes the DPP as a digital identity card for products, components and materials. Depending on the delegated act, it may include:
- Identification: a unique product identifier, linked to operator and facility identifiers.
- Technical performance and compliance documentation.
- Materials and origin, including substances of concern.
- Use, repair and maintenance information, including spare parts.
- End-of-life: recycling and disassembly instructions.
- Environmental footprint across the lifecycle.
Identifiers and data carriers are where existing standards connect. GTINs and GS1 Digital Link are among the identifier schemes discussed in the European DPP standardisation work by CEN-CENELEC JTC 24, and ECLASS has added a first draft of recycling information to its classification, as described in the ETIM, BMEcat and ECLASS guide.
How should PIM teams prepare?
A PIM already holds a large share of passport-relevant data. The gaps tend to be traceability, material composition at component level, and lifecycle data owned outside marketing. Practical preparation steps:
- Inventory passport-relevant attributes per product group and name a source system for each.
- Introduce identifiers at the required granularity: model, batch or item, depending on the expected delegated act.
- Model materials, substances and supplier declarations as structured attributes with evidence documents.
- Extend data governance to cover compliance owners, approval workflows and audit trails.
- Design the integration architecture so PLM, ERP and supplier data can be published to a DPP service with access control.
Organisations in iron and steel, textiles and tyres have the shortest runway and should follow the consultations on their delegated acts.
Key takeaways
- ESPR (Regulation (EU) 2024/1781) entered into force on 18 July 2024; DPP obligations depend on product-specific delegated acts.
- The DPP registry was set up in July 2026, with arrangements in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1778.
- Iron and steel is indicated for 2026; textiles, tyres and aluminium for 2027; furniture 2028; mattresses 2029.
- No product-specific DPP delegated act had been adopted as of October 2026.
- PIM teams should map attributes to source systems, strengthen identifiers and extend governance now.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Digital Product Passport become mandatory?
There is no single date. A DPP becomes mandatory for a product group only when a delegated act under Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 sets it, usually with a transition of at least 18 months. As of October 2026 no product-specific ESPR delegated act requiring a DPP had been adopted; iron and steel is the first group indicated, for 2026. The battery passport follows separate rules from 18 February 2027.
Does a PIM system become the Digital Product Passport?
A PIM typically holds much of the commercial and technical data a passport needs, such as identifiers, materials, instructions and compliance documents. Sustainability, supply chain and lifecycle data often sit in PLM, ERP, LCA or supplier systems. Most architectures combine these sources and publish the passport through a DPP service that handles hosting, access rights and registry interfaces.
What is the EU DPP registry?
The registry is a central EU system that Article 13 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 required the Commission to set up by 19 July 2026. It stores unique identifiers that link to passports, while the passport data itself remains with the economic operator or its service provider. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1778 of 16 July 2026 sets its implementation arrangements.
- European Commission: Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (EUR-Lex)
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1778 on the digital product passport registry (EUR-Lex)
- European Commission: 2025-2030 ecodesign and energy labelling working plan
- European Commission: New EU rules to stop the destruction of unsold clothes and shoes
For coverage of PXM, PLM and product compliance, including PPWR and DPP, see the independent resource PXM Atlas.