A DPP is not a PDF or a marketing microsite — it is a structured dataset, served in a machine-readable format such as JSON-LD, that different audiences can query for the slice they need: consumers see repair and disposal guidance, recyclers see material composition, and market-surveillance authorities see compliance evidence. The same physical data carrier resolves to different views depending on who scans it.
The DPP is introduced as a horizontal framework by the ESPR (Regulation (EU) 2024/1781, in force). It does not apply to every product at once: the European Commission switches it on product group by product group through delegated acts, with the first waves (batteries, textiles, iron and steel, and others) rolling out across roughly 2025–2030. The EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 sets the first hard deadline — a mandatory battery passport from 18 February 2027.
Frequently asked
Is a Digital Product Passport just a QR code?
No. The QR code (or NFC/RFID tag) is only the data carrier — the doorway. The passport itself is the structured digital record behind it, served in a machine-readable format such as JSON-LD, that the carrier resolves to.
Which products will need a DPP and when?
The ESPR enables a DPP for almost any physical product, but it becomes mandatory group by group through delegated acts. Batteries are first, with a mandatory battery passport from 18 February 2027 under Regulation (EU) 2023/1542; textiles, iron and steel and others follow across roughly 2026–2030.
Who is responsible for creating a product's DPP?
The economic operator placing the product on the EU market — usually the manufacturer, or the importer or authorised representative — owns the passport obligation and is accountable for the accuracy of its data.