[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":856},["ShallowReactive",2],{"content-dpp-timeline-2026-2030":3,"related-dpp-timeline-2026-2030":219},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"body":7,"category":199,"date":200,"description":201,"draft":202,"extension":203,"locale":204,"meta":205,"navigation":206,"path":207,"readingTime":208,"seo":209,"stem":210,"tags":211,"thumbnail":191,"updated":217,"__hash__":218},"articles\u002Farticles\u002Fdpp-timeline-2026-2030.md","The Digital Product Passport Timeline, 2026–2030: Every Confirmed Date in One Place","PassportLab Team",{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":190},"minimark",[10,24,29,35,45,55,59,65,68,84,98,102,108,114,124,130,135,141,145,152,156,185],[11,12,13,14,18,19,23],"p",{},"\"When does the Digital Product Passport actually apply to ",[15,16,17],"em",{},"my"," products?\" is the question we hear most. The honest answer is: it depends on your product category, and the schedule keeps moving. Here is the full timeline as of ",[20,21,22],"strong",{},"October 2026"," — split into what is already in force, what is scheduled, and what is still an open gap. We keep this article updated as the Commission's planning changes.",[25,26,28],"h2",{"id":27},"already-in-force","Already in force",[11,30,31,34],{},[20,32,33],{},"January 2026 — CBAM financial obligations."," Not a DPP, but the same data problem: importers of iron, steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers and hydrogen now buy CBAM certificates based on embedded emissions. The product data you assemble for CBAM overlaps heavily with what a DPP will ask for.",[11,36,37,40,41,44],{},[20,38,39],{},"20 July 2026 — the EU DPP Registry is live."," The Commission's central index of DPP identifiers launched with a public testing environment and an API. Important nuance: it stores unique identifiers and commodity codes only — the passport data itself stays with the economic operator or their DPP service provider. Battery registration specifically is ",[20,42,43],{},"not yet possible",", because the battery data model (\"semantic catalogue\") is still pending.",[11,46,47,50,51,54],{},[20,48,49],{},"August 2026 — the battery data points are defined."," The Commission's guidance ",[15,52,53],{},"\"Digital Batteries Passport – data points by category\""," v2.0 labels 71 data points per access category. If you make or import batteries, this is the list you are collecting against today.",[25,56,58],{"id":57},"the-hard-deadline-18-february-2027","The hard deadline: 18 February 2027",[11,60,61,64],{},[20,62,63],{},"Battery passports become mandatory"," under Article 77 of Regulation (EU) 2023\u002F1542 — for EV batteries, LMT batteries (e-bikes, scooters) and industrial batteries above 2 kWh, including stationary storage. This is the first product category where a DPP is legally required, and the only date on this page backed by an adopted regulation rather than a schedule.",[11,66,67],{},"Two things commonly get confused with this date:",[69,70,71,78],"ul",{},[72,73,74,77],"li",{},[20,75,76],{},"Battery labels are not in force yet."," The labelling obligations (Art. 13 \u002F Annex VI A) apply 18 months after the label-format implementing act — which has not been adopted. Anyone telling you labels apply from August 2026 is wrong.",[72,79,80,83],{},[20,81,82],{},"The Art. 77\u002F78 delegated acts are still pending."," The passport obligation stands regardless; the delegated acts will finalise formats and access rules. Build versioned, re-mappable passports — not one-off PDFs.",[11,85,86,87,92,93,97],{},"If this deadline is yours, start with whether you're in scope (",[88,89,91],"a",{"href":90},"\u002Fbattery-check","two-minute battery check",") and read our ",[88,94,96],{"href":95},"\u002Fbattery-passport-software","battery passport software and service"," page for how the data work actually gets done.",[25,99,101],{"id":100},"scheduled-by-the-commission-dates-from-the-commissions-own-dpp-planning","Scheduled by the Commission (dates from the Commission's own DPP planning)",[11,103,104,107],{},[20,105,106],{},"Q4 2026 — iron & steel delegated act",", plus the battery access-rights implementing act (originally due August 2026, now expected Q4). Iron & steel is set to be the second DPP category — and if you're a CBAM-affected importer, this is where your two compliance tracks merge onto one data record.",[11,109,110,113],{},[20,111,112],{},"Q2 2027 — construction products (CPR)."," The revised Construction Products Regulation brings its own digital product passport for construction products.",[11,115,116,119,120,123],{},[20,117,118],{},"Q2–Q3 2027 — the delegated act for DPP service providers."," This one regulates the companies that ",[15,121,122],{},"host and operate"," passports on behalf of economic operators — certification, interoperability and portability requirements. If your provider can't tell you how they're preparing for it, ask why.",[11,125,126,129],{},[20,127,128],{},"Q3–Q4 2027 — textiles, aluminium, and tyres."," The ESPR working plan's biggest wave. Textiles in particular affects the largest number of companies of any category so far.",[11,131,132],{},[20,133,134],{},"2028 — furniture.",[11,136,137,140],{},[20,138,139],{},"2029 — mattresses",", plus the recycled-content requirements.",[25,142,144],{"id":143},"the-notable-gap-no-electronics-act-is-scheduled","The notable gap: no electronics act is scheduled",[11,146,147,148,151],{},"Despite electronics being the category everyone assumed would come first, ",[20,149,150],{},"no electronics\u002FICT delegated act is on the Commission's current schedule",". If you sell electronics, your DPP obligations today come only through components that are in scope — batteries above 2 kWh being the obvious one.",[25,153,155],{"id":154},"how-to-read-this-timeline","How to read this timeline",[157,158,159,165,179],"ol",{},[72,160,161,164],{},[20,162,163],{},"Count backwards from your date."," The battery companies that will make February 2027 comfortably started their data collection in 2025–2026. Supplier data has lead times of months; carbon footprint calculations take longer. For a Q3 2027 textiles date, \"start in 2027\" is already late.",[72,166,167,170,171,174,175,178],{},[20,168,169],{},"Scheduled ≠ adopted."," Every date in the \"scheduled\" section can slip (the battery access-rights act already has). But slipping dates change ",[15,172,173],{},"when",", not ",[15,176,177],{},"whether"," — none of these categories is going away.",[72,180,181,184],{},[20,182,183],{},"One data record, many obligations."," CBAM, DPP, and national reporting increasingly draw from the same product data. Assembling it once, cleanly and versioned, is the only approach that doesn't multiply the work.",[11,186,187],{},[15,188,189],{},"Last reviewed: 19 October 2026. The scheduled dates reflect the Commission's published DPP planning and will be updated as delegated acts are adopted.",{"title":191,"searchDepth":192,"depth":192,"links":193},"",2,[194,195,196,197,198],{"id":27,"depth":192,"text":28},{"id":57,"depth":192,"text":58},{"id":100,"depth":192,"text":101},{"id":143,"depth":192,"text":144},{"id":154,"depth":192,"text":155},"Compliance","2026-10-19","Batteries in February 2027, construction products and textiles to follow, furniture in 2028 and mattresses in 2029. The complete DPP timeline as of October 2026 — what's law, what's scheduled, and what's still missing.",false,"md","en",{},true,"\u002Farticles\u002Fdpp-timeline-2026-2030",8,{"title":5,"description":201},"articles\u002Fdpp-timeline-2026-2030",[212,213,214,215,216],"DPP Timeline","ESPR","Battery Passport","CBAM","EU DPP Registry",null,"J-h1QDeDJ3HeQAihYWt7j9TT6cTCKksJiATqZy9XrXs",[220,476,655],{"id":221,"title":222,"author":6,"body":223,"category":199,"date":200,"description":466,"draft":202,"extension":203,"locale":204,"meta":467,"navigation":206,"path":468,"readingTime":469,"seo":470,"stem":471,"tags":472,"thumbnail":191,"updated":217,"__hash__":475},"articles\u002Farticles\u002Fbattery-pass-vs-battery-passport.md","Battery Pass vs. Battery Passport — What's the Difference, and What's Actually Mandatory?",{"type":8,"value":224,"toc":458},[225,246,250,263,266,276,280,297,303,307,313,320,327,331,339,343,373,377,452],[11,226,227,228,231,232,231,235,231,238,241,242,245],{},"If you've started researching battery compliance, you've met at least four names that sound interchangeable: ",[15,229,230],{},"Battery Pass",", ",[15,233,234],{},"battery passport",[15,236,237],{},"Batteriepass",[15,239,240],{},"BatteryPass-Ready",". They are not the same thing — and only one of them is a legal obligation. This article untangles them, because the distinction decides what you actually have to do before ",[20,243,244],{},"18 February 2027",".",[25,247,249],{"id":248},"the-battery-passport-the-legal-obligation","The battery passport: the legal obligation",[11,251,252,253,255,256,259,260,262],{},"The ",[20,254,234],{}," is the digital record required by ",[20,257,258],{},"Article 77 of the EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023\u002F1542",". From ",[20,261,244],{},", every EV battery, every LMT battery (e-bikes, scooters), and every industrial battery above 2 kWh (including stationary storage) placed on the EU market must have one, accessible via a QR code on the battery.",[11,264,265],{},"This is the only item on this list with a deadline and penalties attached. The economic operator placing the battery on the market — the manufacturer, or the importer if the manufacturer sits outside the EU — is responsible. If you import batteries into the EU, this obligation lands on you, whether or not your supplier has heard of it.",[11,267,268,269,271,272,275],{},"What goes into it is defined by Annex XIII of the regulation, detailed further by the Commission's guidance ",[15,270,53],{}," (v2.0, August 2026), which labels ",[20,273,274],{},"71 data points"," across public, restricted and authority-only access levels: identification, materials and composition, carbon footprint, due diligence, circularity, performance and durability, labelling and conformity.",[25,277,279],{"id":278},"battery-pass-the-consortium-that-wrote-the-playbook","Battery Pass: the consortium that wrote the playbook",[11,281,282,284,285,288,289,292,293,296],{},[20,283,230],{}," (often written ",[15,286,287],{},"BatteryPass",") is a German, federally funded consortium project — industry partners plus research institutes such as Fraunhofer IPK — that worked out ",[15,290,291],{},"how"," a battery passport should be implemented in practice. Its best-known output is the ",[20,294,295],{},"Battery Passport Content Guidance",", which mapped the regulation's requirements to concrete data attributes long before the Commission's own guidance existed.",[11,298,299,300,302],{},"The Battery Pass project is not a law, not an authority, and not something you register with. But its work directly shaped the standards below, and its name is why half the internet calls the legal document a \"battery pass\". If you search ",[15,301,237],{}," in German, you'll find both meanings mixed together — the legal passport and the consortium.",[25,304,306],{"id":305},"din-dke-spec-99100-the-data-structure","DIN DKE SPEC 99100: the data structure",[11,308,309,312],{},[20,310,311],{},"DIN DKE SPEC 99100:2025-02"," is the German specification that turned the Battery Pass consortium's content work into a formal data structure: seven clusters covering identification, materials & composition, carbon footprint, due diligence, circularity, performance & durability, and labelling\u002Fconformity.",[11,314,315,316,319],{},"It is not legally binding either — the binding data model will come with the delegated acts under Articles 77\u002F78, which are ",[20,317,318],{},"not yet adopted",". But DIN DKE SPEC 99100 is the working basis the industry (and PassportLab's own canonical schema) maps to today, precisely so that the jump to the final delegated acts is a re-mapping, not a rebuild.",[11,321,322,323,326],{},"Alongside it, CEN\u002FCENELEC JTC 24 has produced the first EN standards for DPP system architecture, including ",[20,324,325],{},"EN 18222"," for the interface\u002FAPI layer — recognised in July 2026, though the Commission's citation decision that would create a presumption of conformity is still pending.",[25,328,330],{"id":329},"batterypass-ready-the-test-environment","BatteryPass-Ready: the test environment",[11,332,333,335,336],{},[20,334,240],{}," is a validation environment from Fraunhofer IPK: eleven test scenarios plus data validation that check whether a battery passport dataset is structured correctly. Passing it is voluntary — a public trust marker, not a certificate of legal conformity. It's the closest thing the ecosystem currently has to a conformance check, and a good question to ask any provider: ",[15,337,338],{},"do your exports pass BatteryPass-Ready?",[25,340,342],{"id":341},"so-what-do-you-actually-have-to-do","So what do you actually have to do?",[157,344,345,355,361,367],{},[72,346,347,350,351,354],{},[20,348,349],{},"Check whether your batteries are in scope."," EV, LMT, or industrial >2 kWh placed on the EU market from 18 February 2027 → yes. Our ",[88,352,353],{"href":90},"battery check"," answers this in two minutes.",[72,356,357,360],{},[20,358,359],{},"Start collecting the data now."," The 71 data points pull from your suppliers, your test reports, and your carbon footprint calculations. Gathering and cleaning that data is the slow part — typically months, not weeks — and supplier lead times don't care about your deadline.",[72,362,363,366],{},[20,364,365],{},"Don't wait for the delegated acts."," They will refine the format, not remove the obligation. A passport built on DIN DKE SPEC 99100 today is built to be re-mapped, not rebuilt.",[72,368,369,372],{},[20,370,371],{},"Plan for registration."," The EU DPP Registry is live, but battery registration specifically is not yet possible — the battery data model is still pending. When it opens, you (or a service provider you authorise) register each passport's identifier.",[25,374,376],{"id":375},"the-short-version","The short version",[378,379,380,396],"table",{},[381,382,383],"thead",{},[384,385,386,390,393],"tr",{},[387,388,389],"th",{},"Name",[387,391,392],{},"What it is",[387,394,395],{},"Binding?",[397,398,399,415,427,440],"tbody",{},[384,400,401,407,410],{},[402,403,404],"td",{},[20,405,406],{},"Battery passport",[402,408,409],{},"Legal requirement, Art. 77, Reg. (EU) 2023\u002F1542",[402,411,412],{},[20,413,414],{},"Yes — from 18 Feb 2027",[384,416,417,421,424],{},[402,418,419],{},[20,420,230],{},[402,422,423],{},"German consortium project; wrote the content guidance",[402,425,426],{},"No",[384,428,429,434,437],{},[402,430,431],{},[20,432,433],{},"DIN DKE SPEC 99100",[402,435,436],{},"Data structure specification based on that guidance",[402,438,439],{},"No (working basis)",[384,441,442,446,449],{},[402,443,444],{},[20,445,240],{},[402,447,448],{},"Fraunhofer IPK test environment",[402,450,451],{},"No (trust marker)",[11,453,454,455,457],{},"If the deadline applies to you and your product data lives in supplier PDFs and spreadsheets, that's exactly the case our ",[88,456,96],{"href":95}," was built for: send us the raw data, we map it to every Annex XIII field, flag the gaps, and keep the passport current as the delegated acts land.",{"title":191,"searchDepth":192,"depth":192,"links":459},[460,461,462,463,464,465],{"id":248,"depth":192,"text":249},{"id":278,"depth":192,"text":279},{"id":305,"depth":192,"text":306},{"id":329,"depth":192,"text":330},{"id":341,"depth":192,"text":342},{"id":375,"depth":192,"text":376},"The Battery Pass consortium, the EU battery passport under Regulation 2023\u002F1542, DIN DKE SPEC 99100 and BatteryPass-Ready all sound alike. Here's what each one is — and the only one that carries a legal deadline: 18 February 2027.",{},"\u002Farticles\u002Fbattery-pass-vs-battery-passport",7,{"title":222,"description":466},"articles\u002Fbattery-pass-vs-battery-passport",[214,473,230,474,199],"EU Battery Regulation","DIN SPEC 99100","Qwkz_kxiQPxo228Sl5AbTPxyGz790m6MRbbT9YfBJKE",{"id":477,"title":478,"author":6,"body":479,"category":642,"date":643,"description":644,"draft":202,"extension":203,"locale":204,"meta":645,"navigation":206,"path":646,"readingTime":647,"seo":648,"stem":649,"tags":650,"thumbnail":191,"updated":217,"__hash__":654},"articles\u002Farticles\u002Fdeath-of-the-static-pdf.md","Death of the Static PDF: Why DPPs Cannot Be Documents",{"type":8,"value":480,"toc":635},[481,484,487,491,494,505,508,512,515,518,522,525,550,553,557,560,570,576,582,588,594,598,601,615,618,621],[11,482,483],{},"A significant fraction of the \"DPP solutions\" being marketed to brands in 2025 are, at their core, PDF generators with a QR code on top. The QR code links to a hosted PDF. The PDF contains the product data. Someone, somewhere, reads the PDF and decides whether the product is compliant.",[11,485,486],{},"This approach fails at every layer of the ESPR technical specification. Here is why, and what a DPP actually needs to be.",[25,488,490],{"id":489},"the-pdf-cannot-be-verified","The PDF Cannot Be Verified",[11,492,493],{},"ESPR requires that DPP data be cryptographically verifiable. Specifically, the data must carry a verifiable credential (W3C Verifiable Credentials 2.0) signed by the economic operator using a key registered under their legal entity identity. A customs officer or market surveillance authority must be able to verify that:",[157,495,496,499,502],{},[72,497,498],{},"The data was issued by the organisation claiming to issue it",[72,500,501],{},"The data has not been modified since issuance",[72,503,504],{},"The issuing organisation is the legitimate economic operator for this product",[11,506,507],{},"A PDF cannot carry a W3C VC. A PDF cannot be verified by an automated system. A PDF requires a human to read it, which does not scale to the volume of products crossing EU borders.",[25,509,511],{"id":510},"the-pdf-cannot-be-queried","The PDF Cannot Be Queried",[11,513,514],{},"EU customs pre-filing systems, market surveillance tools, and retail compliance platforms all query DPP data programmatically. They call a REST endpoint, receive JSON, and check specific fields against required values. A PDF has no queryable API. It cannot be integrated into import declaration systems. It cannot be cross-referenced with the EU Common Information Repository.",[11,516,517],{},"The ESPR technical specification requires that the DPP endpoint return machine-readable JSON. The GS1 Digital Link standard specifies how the URL should be structured. The CIRPASS-2 interoperability format specifies what the JSON must contain. None of these requirements can be satisfied by a PDF.",[25,519,521],{"id":520},"the-pdf-is-static-dpps-must-be-dynamic","The PDF Is Static — DPPs Must Be Dynamic",[11,523,524],{},"A DPP is not a point-in-time document. It is a living record. Under ESPR, the DPP must be updated when:",[69,526,527,535,541,544,547],{},[72,528,529,530,534],{},"The product is repaired or remanufactured (status changes to ",[531,532,533],"code",{},"remanufactured",")",[72,536,537,538,534],{},"The product is destroyed (status changes to ",[531,539,540],{},"destroyed",[72,542,543],{},"The product model is discontinued (triggers 10-year retention clock)",[72,545,546],{},"Recycled content percentages change due to supply chain adjustments",[72,548,549],{},"A conformity certificate is renewed or revoked",[11,551,552],{},"None of these updates can be reflected in a static PDF without reissuing the entire document and invalidating all the existing QR codes in the field. A DPP must be a live data record with a stable URL that always returns current data — not a document frozen at issuance time.",[25,554,556],{"id":555},"what-a-compliant-dpp-actually-needs","What a Compliant DPP Actually Needs",[11,558,559],{},"A compliant DPP requires:",[11,561,562,565,566,569],{},[20,563,564],{},"A stable, resolvable URL"," — the GS1 Digital Link format ",[531,567,568],{},"\u002F01\u002F{gtin}\u002F21\u002F{serial}"," is the preferred form. The URL must resolve for the lifetime of the product plus 10 years after discontinuation.",[11,571,572,575],{},[20,573,574],{},"Machine-readable JSON at that URL"," — conforming to the ESPR delegated act schema for the product category. For batteries, this means Annex XIII fields. For textiles, the relevant delegated act fields.",[11,577,578,581],{},[20,579,580],{},"A W3C Verifiable Credential"," — signed by the economic operator's DID (Decentralised Identifier), using Ed25519 or similar algorithm. The credential must be verifiable against the issuer's published DID document.",[11,583,584,587],{},[20,585,586],{},"EU CIR registration"," — the product's unique identifier must be registered in the EU Common Information Repository so discovery tools can find the authoritative data endpoint.",[11,589,590,593],{},[20,591,592],{},"Selective Disclosure capability"," — some fields in the DPP are public (basic product data), others are restricted (B2B supply chain data visible only to authorised parties). SD-JWT format allows field-level access control without invalidating the credential.",[25,595,597],{"id":596},"the-time-to-switch-is-before-enforcement","The Time to Switch Is Before Enforcement",[11,599,600],{},"If your current DPP solution produces PDFs, the time to replace it is before the 2027 battery DPP deadline, not after. Migration from a PDF-based approach requires:",[157,602,603,606,609,612],{},[72,604,605],{},"Re-creating all DPP records in a compliant JSON format",[72,607,608],{},"Re-issuing cryptographic credentials for all products",[72,610,611],{},"Re-registering all products with the EU CIR",[72,613,614],{},"Re-distributing QR codes that resolve to the new endpoints (or setting up redirect infrastructure from old QR codes)",[11,616,617],{},"This is significant operational work. It is much less significant if done proactively than if triggered by a customs rejection at the border.",[619,620],"hr",{},[11,622,623],{},[15,624,625,626,630,631,245],{},"PassportLab generates cryptographically signed, W3C VC 2.0 compliant DPPs with GS1 Digital Link resolution and EU CIR registration. ",[88,627,629],{"href":628},"\u002Fdevelopers","See the technical details"," or ",[88,632,634],{"href":633},"\u002Ffree-dpp-generator","generate a compliant DPP now",{"title":191,"searchDepth":192,"depth":192,"links":636},[637,638,639,640,641],{"id":489,"depth":192,"text":490},{"id":510,"depth":192,"text":511},{"id":520,"depth":192,"text":521},{"id":555,"depth":192,"text":556},{"id":596,"depth":192,"text":597},"Technical","2026-03-09","Many brands are treating their Digital Product Passport as a sophisticated PDF. This approach is not just incomplete — it is fundamentally incompatible with how DPP verification actually works.",{},"\u002Farticles\u002Fdeath-of-the-static-pdf",6,{"title":478,"description":644},"articles\u002Fdeath-of-the-static-pdf",[651,642,652,653],"DPP","W3C VC","Cryptographic Signing","q6SXNzzLykpdvAl9MMxZJyzGmEvWXq6osyMcY-gLC1U",{"id":656,"title":657,"author":6,"body":658,"category":844,"date":845,"description":846,"draft":202,"extension":203,"locale":204,"meta":847,"navigation":206,"path":848,"readingTime":849,"seo":850,"stem":851,"tags":852,"thumbnail":191,"updated":217,"__hash__":855},"articles\u002Farticles\u002Fdigital-product-passport-decoded-2026.md","Digital Product Passport Decoded: The 2026 Practical Guide for Importers",{"type":8,"value":659,"toc":837},[660,663,667,670,673,676,680,683,692,698,704,710,716,720,726,732,738,744,748,751,777,780,784,787,819,822,824],[11,661,662],{},"The phrase \"Digital Product Passport\" appears in enough regulatory communications that most importers and brand managers have heard of it. Fewer have a concrete understanding of what it actually is, what it must contain, and what happens when an authority checks it at the border. This guide is the practical version.",[25,664,666],{"id":665},"what-a-dpp-is-and-is-not","What a DPP Is (and Is Not)",[11,668,669],{},"A Digital Product Passport is a structured data record attached to a physical product, accessible via a URL encoded in a QR code, barcode, or RFID tag on the product. It is not a document. It is not a certificate. It is not a PDF. It is a live API endpoint that returns machine-readable JSON.",[11,671,672],{},"When a customs officer, market surveillance authority, retailer, or consumer scans the QR code on your product, their device makes an HTTP request to a URL. That URL returns JSON data. The data is verified cryptographically. The result is either a valid, compliant DPP — or it is not.",[11,674,675],{},"The EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) mandates DPPs for all product categories covered by ESPR delegated acts. The first mandates affect batteries (February 2027) and will extend to textiles, electronics, iron and steel, and other categories on a rolling schedule through 2030 and beyond.",[25,677,679],{"id":678},"the-anatomy-of-a-compliant-dpp","The Anatomy of a Compliant DPP",[11,681,682],{},"A compliant DPP has five layers:",[11,684,685,688,689,691],{},[20,686,687],{},"Layer 1: The unique identifier."," Every DPP has a unique identifier — either a GS1 GTIN\u002Fserial combination formatted as a Digital Link URL (",[531,690,568],{},") or a UUID-based identifier. The identifier is encoded in the physical label (QR code, RFID tag) and registered in the EU Common Information Repository.",[11,693,694,697],{},[20,695,696],{},"Layer 2: The data record."," The product's required fields as specified in the ESPR delegated act for its category. For batteries: carbon footprint per kWh of energy stored, recycled content by battery material, state of health, responsible sourcing documentation. For textiles: fibre composition, country of origin per manufacturing stage, care and repair instructions, recycled content. The delegated act for each category specifies exactly which fields are mandatory.",[11,699,700,703],{},[20,701,702],{},"Layer 3: The verifiable credential."," The data record is wrapped in a W3C Verifiable Credential (VC 2.0), signed by the economic operator's cryptographic key. The key is associated with the operator's legal entity identity via a DID (Decentralised Identifier). Any party can verify the credential without contacting the issuer, by resolving the DID and checking the signature.",[11,705,706,709],{},[20,707,708],{},"Layer 4: The selective disclosure layer."," Some DPP fields are public (accessible to anyone who scans the QR code). Others are restricted — visible to customs authorities but not consumers, or visible to recycling operators but not retailers. Selective Disclosure JWT (SD-JWT) format allows field-level access control without invalidating the credential.",[11,711,712,715],{},[20,713,714],{},"Layer 5: The registry registration."," The DPP identifier and the URL of the data endpoint are registered in the EU Common Information Repository. When an authority scans a product, they can look up the CIR to find the authoritative endpoint, even if the QR code resolves to a different URL.",[25,717,719],{"id":718},"who-checks-your-dpp-and-how","Who Checks Your DPP and How",[11,721,722,725],{},[20,723,724],{},"EU Customs:"," Import declarations for products covered by ESPR mandates will soon include a DPP identifier field. Customs systems will resolve the DPP at the time of import and check required fields against the declared product category. A DPP that is missing required fields, returns an error, or fails cryptographic verification will trigger a hold.",[11,727,728,731],{},[20,729,730],{},"Market Surveillance Authorities (MSAs):"," MSAs in each EU member state conduct post-market checks on products in circulation. They scan QR codes, resolve DPPs, and check compliance with the delegated act for the product category. MSA findings are shared via the ICSMS (Information and Communication System for Market Surveillance) and can result in product recalls, import bans, and financial penalties.",[11,733,734,737],{},[20,735,736],{},"Retailers:"," Large EU retailers are increasingly requiring DPP compliance as a condition of listing. This is a commercial requirement, not a regulatory one, but it has the same practical effect. Retailers running their own compliance checks resolve DPPs programmatically and reject listings where required fields are missing.",[11,739,740,743],{},[20,741,742],{},"Consumers:"," The public-facing layer of the DPP — product composition, care instructions, repairability information, end-of-life guidance — must be accessible to consumers. EU citizens have the right to request DPP data under ESPR. The QR code must resolve to a human-readable display, not just a machine-readable JSON endpoint.",[25,745,747],{"id":746},"what-happens-when-your-dpp-is-wrong","What Happens When Your DPP Is Wrong",[11,749,750],{},"Non-compliance with ESPR DPP requirements can result in:",[69,752,753,759,765,771],{},[72,754,755,758],{},[20,756,757],{},"Import rejection at customs"," — shipments held pending compliance remediation",[72,760,761,764],{},[20,762,763],{},"Market surveillance enforcement action"," — withdrawal from sale, recall obligation, financial penalties",[72,766,767,770],{},[20,768,769],{},"Retailer delisting"," — commercial consequence from buyers requiring DPP compliance",[72,772,773,776],{},[20,774,775],{},"Registry flagging"," — an invalid DPP in the EU CIR creates a permanent compliance record",[11,778,779],{},"The penalties under ESPR are set by member states but must be \"effective, proportionate, and dissuasive.\"",[25,781,783],{"id":782},"getting-your-first-compliant-dpp","Getting Your First Compliant DPP",[11,785,786],{},"The fastest path to a compliant DPP for most importers:",[157,788,789,795,801,807,813],{},[72,790,791,794],{},[20,792,793],{},"Identify your first product category"," — which of your products will be subject to the earliest ESPR mandate? Batteries first, then textiles.",[72,796,797,800],{},[20,798,799],{},"Collect the required fields"," — use the relevant delegated act field list (or PassportLab's category templates) to identify what supplier data you need.",[72,802,803,806],{},[20,804,805],{},"Generate and sign the DPP"," — a compliant DPP platform creates the W3C VC, registers with the EU CIR, and generates the QR code automatically.",[72,808,809,812],{},[20,810,811],{},"Test the QR code"," — scan it with a DPP verification tool to confirm the endpoint resolves, the data is complete, and the credential verifies.",[72,814,815,818],{},[20,816,817],{},"Distribute to your supply chain"," — update your product labels with the QR code or RFID tag encoding the DPP URL.",[11,820,821],{},"The process does not require a technical team. It requires supplier data and a platform that handles the technical compliance layers.",[619,823],{},[11,825,826],{},[15,827,828,831,832,836],{},[88,829,830],{"href":633},"Generate a compliant DPP for your product now"," — no technical knowledge required. Or ",[88,833,835],{"href":834},"\u002Fdemo","book a compliance walkthrough"," with the PassportLab team.",{"title":191,"searchDepth":192,"depth":192,"links":838},[839,840,841,842,843],{"id":665,"depth":192,"text":666},{"id":678,"depth":192,"text":679},{"id":718,"depth":192,"text":719},{"id":746,"depth":192,"text":747},{"id":782,"depth":192,"text":783},"Guide","2026-02-09","What a Digital Product Passport actually is, what data it must contain, who checks it, how it gets verified, and what happens if yours is wrong. Written for importers and private-label brands.",{},"\u002Farticles\u002Fdigital-product-passport-decoded-2026",12,{"title":657,"description":846},"articles\u002Fdigital-product-passport-decoded-2026",[651,213,844,853,854],"Importers","2026","1axbrEOgslyU1urLNRcJ0DGGF_CFoO-E8JtrHAHDz2c",1792402361734]