To support progress towards a sustainable world, we delve into an EU initiative focused on using digital records to provide transparency and reliable data on products and their sustainability impact.
The European Commission (EC) is introducing an EU Digital Product Passport (DPP) to enable the implementation of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).
Manufacturers selling in Europe will need to provide an EU DPP for products in priority areas that have a high loading on the environment, or for which there is a high potential for circularity.
Read this article to find out if your organization will be impacted and how to keep up with developments.
What is a Digital Product Passport?
A Digital Product Passport is a structured collection of product-related, machine-readable data with pre-defined scope and agreed data management and access rights, conveyed through a unique product identifier that is accessible via electronic means through a data carrier.
What is the EU Digital Product Passport?
The EU DPP is a digital identity card for products, components, and materials, which will store relevant information to support products’ sustainability, promote their circularity and strengthen legal compliance.
This information will be accessible electronically, making it easier for consumers, manufacturers, and authorities to make more informed decisions and trace data provenance related to sustainability, circularity and regulatory compliance. It will allow custom authorities to perform automatic checks on the existence and authenticity of the DPPs of imported products.
Which products will need to have an EU DPP to be sold into the EU?
The focus is on resource intensive sectors with a high circularity potential. The EC have identified the following priority areas:
- Iron & Steel
- Aluminium
- Textiles – garments and footwear
- Furniture – including mattresses
- Tyres
- Detergents
- Paints, lubricants, chemicals
- Energy-related products
- ICT products, as well as other electronics
What information will need to be included in the EU DPP?
Information to be included in the DPP will be identified by the Commission, in close consultation with all relevant stakeholders, and will depend on the specific product in question. This information can include:
- Product’s technical performance
- Materials and their origins
- Repair activities
- Recycling capabilities
- Lifecycle environmental impacts
What is the timeline for implementation?
The ESPR is a framework legislation, meaning concrete product rules will be decided progressively over time, on a product-by-product basis, or horizontally, on the basis of groups of products with similar characteristics.
The process began with a prioritization exercise, followed by publication of a working plan setting out the products and measures to be addressed under the ESPR over a given time period. Development of product rules now start, based on inclusive planning, detailed impact assessments and regular stakeholder consultation. This will happen through an Ecodesign Forum.
On 16 April 2025, EC published the first ESPR and Energy Labelling Working Plan 2025-2030, which outlines products that will require a DPP, how the information will be collected, and indicative timelines.
Other Regulations Enabled by the EU DPP
- Construction Products Regulations - Introduces DPPs to improve efficiency and reduce waste. Find out more.
- Toys Safety Regulation (EU) 2025/2029 - More details here.
- EU Battery Regulation (EU 2023/1542) - Requires DPPs for batteries starting Feb 18, 2027.
How can organizations that will be impacted participate in the development of standards that will support the EU DPP?
CEN/CLC JTC 24, Digital Product Passport - Framework and System was formed in Q3 of 2023 in response to a standards request from the European Commission and work is underway to develop European Standards to support the implementation of the EU DPP.
The standards are being developed at pace because the DPP will be required imminently by batteries in February 2027. See The The ESPR Working Plan for more information on timelines.
The coverage of deliverables for the Digital Product Passport (DPP) framework and system, includes:
Publishing in June 2026
- Digital product passport - Data exchange protocols (BS EN 18216:2026)
- Digital product passport - Unique identifiers (BS EN 18219:2026)
- Digital product passport - Data carriers (BS EN 18220:2026)
- Digital product passport - Data storage, archiving, and data persistence (BS EN 18221:2026)
- Digital Product Passport - Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for the product passport lifecycle management and searchability (BS EN 18222:2026)
- Digital Product Passport - System interoperability (BS EN 18223:2026)
Publishing in September 2026
- Digital Product Passport - access rights management, information system security, and business confidentiality (BS EN 18239:2026)
- Digital product passport - Data authentication, reliability and integrity (BS EN 18246:2026)
Under drafting
- Digital Product Passport - Dictionary referencing: Concepts and principles
Exclusions:
- Sector specific standards;
- Deliverables already covered by the scope of other CEN and CENELEC TCs;
- Definition of the content of data belonging to different product types or segments.
The EU DPP represents a transformative step towards sustainability and circularity in Europe. Don’t miss your chance to shape its development and prepare your organization with a standards subscription for a sustainable future.
The international landscape for Digital Product Passport
A new international joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 5 Digital Product Passport, was formed in Spring 2026. This responds to the ongoing broad technological evolution, which transforms the Digital Product Passport (DPP) topic into a global opportunity and challenge.
To prevent having different, national, regional and/or sector-specific DPPs that are not aligned, the objective of the proposed JTC is to develop standards/deliverables for worldwide interoperable DPP implementations (sectoral-, systemic-, regional- and/or use case-focused).
Please provide your comments here by 15 October 2025.
For an opportunity to learn more about the European standards developed by the technical committee and how they support with EU DPP compliance register for the upcoming public information webinar.
Get involved today
Is your organization impacted by EU DPP? Join the BSI Committee IST/47/-3 to help shape the standards that will guide the EU DPP. Apply to join here.
Coming soon: BSI is setting up a dedicated Committee ‘IST/47/1, Digital Product Passport’ which will be the UK mirror group to CEN/CLC JTC 24, Digital Product Passport - Framework and System and ISO/IEC JTC 5 Digital Product Passport.
IST/47/1 will be operational in Summer 2026. UK membership to IST/47/-/3 will automatically be transferred to IST/47/1 when it is live.
How BSI Knowledge can support your organization
While the EU DPP focuses on enhancing sustainability and circularity for products, BSI Knowledge provides access to a wide range of relevant standards to help you navigate these changes.
From managing technical performance to ensuring compliance with environmental and regulatory requirements, BSI Knowledge offers a comprehensive suite of standards to guide your organization through the complexities of the DPP. Whether it's understanding materials, improving recycling capabilities, or maintaining data integrity, BSI Knowledge equips your organization with the tools to succeed.
Request a demo to explore how BSI Knowledge can support your efforts in adapting to the evolving landscape of sustainable and compliant product standards.
