Digital Product Passport: the battery passport comes first.
With the Ecodesign Regulation (ESPR 2024/1781) the EU is introducing the Digital Product Passport (DPP) for entire product categories - from textiles to steel. Batteries lead the way: the digital battery passport under Regulation 2023/1542 becomes the first legally mandatory DPP on 18 February 2027. Whoever builds it is building the blueprint for everything that follows.
- The DPP is an EU-wide concept. The Ecodesign Regulation (ESPR 2024/1781) makes the Digital Product Passport the standard instrument for sustainable products - product group by product group.
- Batteries go first. The digital battery passport under Regulation 2023/1542 becomes the first mandatory DPP on 18 Feb 2027 - ahead of textiles, steel and everything else.
- The architecture is the same. Unique identifier, QR code as the data carrier, role-based access, decentralised data storage - what the battery passport implements today, the ESPR will prescribe for further sectors tomorrow.
- Build once, use twice. A clean battery passport infrastructure is at the same time your DPP infrastructure for upcoming product groups - data model, serialisation and access logic are reusable.
What is a Digital Product Passport?
A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a structured record for an individual product, accessible via a data carrier - in practice a QR code - on the product itself. It answers the questions that used to be scattered across PDFs, certificate folders and supplier spreadsheets:
Materials, critical raw materials, hazardous substances, recycled content and the carbon footprint - machine-readable instead of a loose document.
Manufacturing site, economic operator, conformity evidence and supply chain due diligence - traceable for market surveillance and procurement.
Repair, dismantling, second life and recycling - the data the circular economy needs travels with the product.
Its legal basis is the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) 2024/1781, in force since 18 July 2024. It defines the DPP as a framework - which product group follows when, and with which data fields, is set by the Commission via delegated acts.
Why the battery passport is the first DPP
The Battery Regulation 2023/1542 was faster than the ESPR: in Article 77 it already mandates a complete product passport - with a unique identifier, QR code and role-based data layers. That makes the battery passport the EU's first legally mandatory Digital Product Passport and the real-world test for the entire DPP concept:
Battery Regulation 2023/1542 in force
The EU adopts the digital battery passport - years before the ESPR creates the DPP framework for other products.
ESPR 2024/1781 in force
The Ecodesign Regulation anchors the Digital Product Passport as the standard instrument for almost all physical products in the EU single market.
First ESPR working plan
The Commission prioritises the first product groups - including textiles, iron and steel, aluminium, furniture, tyres and mattresses.
The first mandatory DPP goes live
Every EV, LMT and industrial battery above 2 kWh needs a digital battery passport with a QR code - the DPP turns from concept into market reality.
The DPP architecture - already reality in the battery passport
What the ESPR defines as a framework, the Battery Regulation already implements in concrete terms. The building blocks are identical:
| DPP building block (ESPR) | Implementation in the battery passport | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Unique product identifier per unit | Serial number per ISO/IEC 15459, linked to model and batch data (Art. 77(3)) | In the battery passport |
| Data carrier on the product | QR code per ISO/IEC 18004, printed or engraved - visible, legible, durable (Art. 13) | In the battery passport |
| Role-based data access | Public layer for everyone, deeper layers for recyclers, market surveillance and persons with a legitimate interest | In the battery passport |
| Decentralised data storage | Data stays with the economic operator or its service provider - the EU only runs a central registry of identifiers | In the battery passport |
| Interoperability & open standards | GS1 Digital Link as the URL structure, data model per DIN DKE SPEC 99100, ready for Catena-X / AAS | In the battery passport |
| Updatability across the life cycle | Dynamic data such as state of health (SoH), repairs and second-life status is kept up to date | In the battery passport |
Simplified comparison based on ESPR 2024/1781 (Ch. III) and Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 (Art. 77, Annex XIII). Which data specifically belongs in the battery passport is covered in Which data goes into the battery passport?
Which product groups are next
The first ESPR working plan (April 2025) names the prioritised candidates. The concrete DPP obligations arrive per group via delegated acts - realistically phasing in from around 2027/2028:
As of July 2026: dates not yet final
The delegated acts for the ESPR product groups are still pending - scope and deadlines may shift. Only the battery passport is fixed: 18 February 2027, with no transition period for new products.
What this means for manufacturers
The battery passport is not an isolated solution - it is the first stage of an EU-wide data infrastructure. That changes the calculation:
Serialisation, QR output, role-based passport pages and supplier data - the battery passport infrastructure is the DPP infrastructure.
If you have further ESPR-covered products in your portfolio, you extend the data model - instead of starting a new IT project per product group.
Buyers and OEMs already ask for DPP capability in tenders today - a well-kept battery passport is the proof.
Frequent questions about the Digital Product Passport
What is a Digital Product Passport (DPP)?
Is the battery passport a Digital Product Passport?
When does the Digital Product Passport become mandatory?
What data must a DPP contain?
Do I need dedicated software for the DPP?
Sources & further reading
Build the EU's first Digital Product Passport - with Batteriepasswerk.
Every battery passport from Batteriepasswerk is a fully-fledged Digital Product Passport: unique identifier, GS1 Digital Link QR, role-based access - compliant with EU 2023/1542 and DIN DKE SPEC 99100, hosted in the EU.