EU digital product passport rules: what applies, and when.
The EU is rolling out Digital Product Passports one product group at a time, under ESPR and sector laws such as the Battery Regulation. Some obligations already apply. The battery passport is required from 18 February 2027, the detergent passport from 23 September 2029 and the toy passport from 1 August 2030. Passports under ESPR, such as for textiles, furniture or tyres, apply, as a rule, no earlier than 18 months after each act enters into force, so not before late 2028, and more likely 2029 or later. Here is the calendar we track for our customers.
The deadlines are already on the calendar.
The passport is no longer a pilot topic. Here is what applies, and what comes next, for products sold in the EU.
- 18 Jul 2024In force
ESPR enters into force
Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 sets the Digital Product Passport as the rule for products sold in the EU.
- 7 Jan 2025In force
New Construction Products Regulation
Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 is in force and applies from 8 Jan 2026. Its passport follows 18 months after the Commission’s act setting up the construction passport system enters into force, family by family.
- 19 Jul 2026In force
Unsold apparel: destruction ban
Large companies may no longer destroy unsold clothing, accessories and footwear; they already have to disclose what they discard each year. Medium-sized companies follow in 2030.
- 20 Jul 2026In force
EU DPP registry
The Commission registry that holds each passport’s unique identifier is live. Its legal deadline was 19 Jul 2026.
- 12 Aug 2026In force
PPWR applies
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation applies. Its main obligations follow later: harmonised sorting labels from 12 Aug 2028 at the earliest, recyclability and recycled-content rules from 1 Jan 2030 at the earliest.
- 18 Feb 2027Applies from
Battery passport required
EV, light-means-of-transport and industrial batteries above 2 kWh need a passport per unit.
- 2026 – 2027Expected
Steel, aluminium, tyres
Expected adoption in the ESPR working plan: iron and steel in 2026, aluminium and tyres in 2027, with intermediate products such as steel coil. As a rule, each passport applies at least 18 months after its act.
- 2027Expected
Textiles delegated act
Expected adoption year in the ESPR working plan, not an application date: as a rule, the passport applies at least 18 months after the act enters into force, so not before late 2028, and more likely 2029 or later.
- 2027 – 2029Expected
Electronics, furniture
Expected adoption: cross-product repairability rules covering electronics in 2027, furniture in 2028, mattresses and recyclability of electronics in 2029. As a rule, any passport they bring applies at least 18 months after its act.
- 23 Sep 2029Applies from
Detergent passport required
The new Detergents Regulation (EU) 2026/405 requires a passport before a detergent is placed on the market. Detergents that meet the old rules and are placed on the market until 22 Sep 2030 may still be sold until 23 Sep 2030.
- 19 Jul 2030Applies from
Unsold apparel: medium-sized companies
The destruction ban extends to medium-sized companies. Micro and small companies remain exempt.
- 1 Aug 2030Applies from
Toy passport required
The new Toy Safety Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 requires a passport for every toy model.
Dates as known in November 2026. A year marked expected is when the Commission’s ESPR working plan expects to adopt the act, not when its passport applies.
Five questions we hear every week.
- What is a Digital Product Passport?
- A structured record about a product — composition, origin, substances, repair, end of life, compliance — reachable from a code on the product. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) makes it mandatory group by group.
- Who has to publish it?
- The economic operator placing the product on the EU market: the manufacturer, the importer, or an authorised representative for a producer based outside the EU.
- Model, batch or item?
- Each delegated act sets the grain. Batteries need one passport per unit; many textiles will be per model or batch. WidinX supports all three and lets the regulation decide.
- What has to be on the product?
- A data carrier — usually a QR code or DataMatrix following GS1 Digital Link — that resolves to the passport. The data behind it can change; the code does not.
- Who can see what?
- Consumers see the public part. Business partners, recyclers and market surveillance authorities get the extra data the regulation reserves for them.
Ready to give your products a passport?
Tell us which products, which markets and which deadline. We come back with an honest read and a first step — usually a pilot on your real catalogue.