The EU Ecodesign Regulation forms the basis for the mandatory introduction of the Digital Product Passport, which is expected to take effect in mid-2027. The pioneer of the Digital Product Passport is the Battery Passport, which will become mandatory as early as February 2027. The next product groups to be affected will be textiles, furniture, tires, and mattresses, with other product groups to follow. In this article, you’ll learn what manufacturers and importers need to know about compliance and how QR Planet offers you a reliable solution for implementing the Digital Product Passport at every level.
What is the Digital Product Passport?
The Digital Product Passport is a structured electronic file containing all key information regarding a product’s entire life cycle. A data carrier, such as a QR Code, must be affixed to the product (or its packaging) to provide access to the Digital Product Passport.
The basis for the Digital Product Passport is the EU Ecodesign Regulation. Learn more about this regulation in our article on the EU Ecodesign Regulation.
Which products are affected by the Digital Product Passport?
According to the European Commission’s 2025–2030 Work Plan, the following product groups are prioritized:
- Textiles/Clothing
- Furniture
- Tires
- Mattresses
- Intermediate products: Iron & Steel, Aluminum
Currently (as of April 2026), it is not foreseeable that any product groups will be exempt from the Digital Product Passport. The Digital Product Passport is being gradually introduced for an increasing number of products on the European market.
When is the Digital Product Passport mandatory?
The Digital Product Passport is not yet mandatory (as of April 2026). The first delegated acts regarding the Digital Product Passport are expected in mid-2027, which will define the information to be included depending on the product group. There will then be an 18-month transition period before the respective Digital Product Passport becomes mandatory. QR Planet will keep you updated on this.
Which economic operators are responsible for ensuring the Digital Product Passport is available?
The following economic operators are subject to responsibilities regarding the Product Pass:
- Manufacturer
- Authorized representatives of the manufacturer
- Importers
- Economic operators who place converted or refurbished batteries/products on the market or put them into service
Additional responsibilities:
- Distributors: responsible for ensuring that all documentation, information, and the CE marking are available and accessible, and that everything complies with the Ecodesign Regulation; responsible for ensuring that information is accessible to customers, including in cases of distance selling
- Fulfillment service providers (e.g., warehousing service providers): responsible for ensuring that warehousing, etc., does not compromise conformity
What data is required in the Digital Product Passport?
Information that must be included in the product passport is defined in Annex III of the EU Ecodesign Regulation, which is, however, very general in nature. Based on this, so-called delegated acts will be adopted (expected from mid-2027 onward) that will define in detail which information from Annex III is mandatory for the respective product group and at what level of detail.
How should the Digital Product Passport be implemented technically?
Physical access via ISO-compliant data carriers
The Digital Product Passport must be accessible via a data carrier (such as a QR Code) directly on the product or its packaging. To ensure global readability and standardization, this data carrier must be ISO/IEC-compliant. The relevant standards are:
- ISO/IEC 15459-1:2014, 15459-2:2015, 15459-3:2014, 15459-4:2014, 15459-5:2014, 15459-6:2014
General requirements of the EU Ecodesign Regulation
The EU Ecodesign Regulation does not provide precise guidance on what the technical infrastructure for the product passport should look like.
General provisions regarding technical design are defined in Article 11 of the Ecodesign Regulation. These include, for example, the requirements.
- Data integrity: The authenticity, reliability, and integrity of the data must be guaranteed.
- Interoperability: The product passport must be able to interoperate seamlessly with other digital product passports and systems.
- Security: A high level of IT security and privacy protection must be guaranteed.
Specification through “Harmonized Standards” (CEN/CENELEC)
Since the EU Ecodesign Regulation contains only very general requirements for the IT infrastructure, a so-called harmonization mandate was issued to the Joint Technical Committee JTC24 of the European standardization organizations CEN and CENELEC. CEN/CENELEC/JTC24 will now issue so-called Harmonized Standards that contain the necessary specifications for the technical infrastructure.
When will the harmonized standards for the technical infrastructure of the product passport be published?
The final Harmonized Standards are expected to be published around mid-2026. QR Planet will keep you updated on this.
Currently (as of April 2026), only draft versions of the Harmonized Standards are available.
What details regarding the technical infrastructure will be defined in the Harmonized Standards?
There will be 9 different Harmonized Standards:
- Data exchange protocols
- Unique identifiers
- Data carriers
- Data storage, archiving, and data persistence
- Application programming interfaces (APIs) for lifecycle management and searchability of the product passport
- System interoperability
- User rights management, IT security, and trade secrets
- Data authentication, reliability, and integrity
- Dictionary entries: Concepts and principles
How can QR Planet help me with the provision of a Digital Product Passport?
QR Planet offers everything you need for the Digital Product Passport from a single source:
- DPP Manager solution for creating your product passport
- Hosting for your digital product passport
- System integration with your PIM/ERP
- Platform for generating (ISO/IEC-compliant) QR Codes
Easy creation and compliance with the DPP Manager
With our DPP Manager solution, Digital Product Passports for a wide variety of product groups can be easily created and efficiently managed. Structured product information—such as technical specifications, sustainability data, material compositions, or compliance documents—can be centrally recorded, maintained, and updated at any time. Our DPP Manager is continuously adapted in accordance with the Harmonized Standards to ensure full compliance with technical infrastructure regulations. This allows you to efficiently manage your Digital Product Passport and reliably meet current regulatory requirements.
The DPP Manager also provides additional functionalities to deliver additional value to your customers like next level product marketing and analytics.
Secure and GDPR-compliant hosting in Europe
In addition to creating the Digital Product Passport, we also offer the
option to host your data/product passport. QR Planet has extensive
hosting capabilities and can therefore reliably handle hosting for both SMEs and enterprise customers. We host your data in Europe and are
GDPR compliant.
Automation through PIM/ERP system integration
Upon request, we can also perform end-to-end system integration with your PIM/ERP, so that the necessary product information is automatically loaded into the DPP Manager. With QR Planet, you have experts with extensive experience in interface programming at your disposal, making integration with any PIM/ERP possible.
Global linking via GS1 Digital Link QR Codes
The content provided in the Digital Product Passport can be made
accessible via a QR Code. For QR Code generation, we provide our robust web-based platform, through which you can create ISO/IEC 15459-compliant
GS1 Digital Link QR Codes. The GS1 standards play a crucial role in ensuring this system functions
on a global scale. They provide the interoperable identification
framework necessary to link the physical product with its digital twin
(the Digital Product Passport) and ensure that the data remains
accessible and consistent across borders.
What is the EU Registry?
The EU Registry is a digital product passport registry that is scheduled to be available as of July 19, 2026 (as of April 2026) and is created and managed by the European Commission. At a minimum, the unique product identifiers must be stored therein.
What is the EU Web Portal?
The EU web portal is a publicly accessible web portal that contains the data included in the Digital Product Passports and enables users to search for information and make comparisons. It is created and maintained by the European Commission.
We help with implementation
- Would you like to learn more about the benefits of our DPP Manager for your product passport?
- Are you looking for a hosting provider for the Digital Product Passport?
- Are you looking for system integration to automatically make data from your existing PIM or ERP system available?
- Do you need help creating ISO/IEC-compliant GS1 Digital Link QR Codes?
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