Tracker entry M01: ESPR: Digital Product Passport framework and EU DPP registry
Phasing in
EU
Next date
in 108 days
First passport deadline using the registry: certain large batteries (Batteries Regulation)
- Region
- EU
- Sector
- Cross-sector
- Imposed by
- European Commission
- Applies to
- Products covered by each ESPR delegated act
- Technology
- ID required, technology open
What the rule requires
The registry holds each passport's unique identifier, while the passport data stays with the business or its DPP service provider. Each product group's delegated act will decide which data carrier is required, and EN 18220 accepts optical codes, RFID and NFC. Product groups only become mandatory once their own act is adopted, normally with at least 18 months' lead time, and as of late Oct 2026 the steel act was still at call-for-evidence stage.
Status: In force; DPP registry live since 20 Jul 2026; product rules come via delegated acts, none yet adopted for steel or textiles
What it means for RFID
The digital product passport (DPP) framework does not choose a carrier. RFID News reported in August 2026 that the registry's operating rules, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1778, do not mention QR, RFID or NFC, while EN 18220 covers QR and Data Matrix codes and RFID in both HF/NFC and UHF/RAIN forms. Being in the standard is permission, not procurement: tag orders depend on what each product group's delegated act names.
GS1's provisional DPP application standard, as we reported, allows EPC/RFID only in addition to a QR code or Data Matrix. RFID News has argued that most product groups will end up with both, a 2D code for the consumer and a RAIN or NFC tag where automation or end-of-life recovery pays for it.
The first passports using the registry are due on 18 February 2027 for certain large batteries, and the Batteries Regulation requires a QR code on those. RAIN Alliance announced on 28 October 2026 that it had been accepted as a liaison to ISO/IEC JTC 5, the international DPP standards committee.
Timeline
- Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 enters into force
- Six CEN/CENELEC DPP standards (EN 18216 to EN 18223) cited as harmonised standards in the Official Journal
- Ban on destroying unsold clothes, accessories and footwear applies to large companies
- Commission launches the DPP registry and its testing environment
- First passport deadline using the registry: certain large batteries (Batteries Regulation)
- Standard format for disclosing discarded unsold consumer products applies (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2)
- Unsold clothes and footwear destruction ban extends to medium-sized companies
Our coverage
- RAIN Alliance accepted as ISO/IEC JTC 5 liaison on Digital Product Passport standards28 Oct 2026
- Interview: Nanna Ingemann Dalsgaard on Digital Product Passports and the Data Behind Them12 Oct 2026
- Inside the EU DPP Registry: What the New Rules Actually Mean for RFID19 Aug 2026
- EU Digital Product Passport Central Registry Goes Live20 Jul 2026
- Digital Product Passports and RFID: What the EU Regulations Mean for You26 Apr 2026
Sources
Official source: European Commission
Last checked against the official source on 1 November 2026.
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