EU Digital Product Passport: What It Is and How to Prepare For It
The European Union (EU) requires companies to add a Digital Product Passport (DPP) to their products starting in 2027.
This new product requirement will roll out in phases by product category.
Through the DPPs, the EU seeks to improve transparency and traceability across the global supply chain to meet increasing consumer demands.
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What is a digital product passport?
A digital product passport (DPP) is a technical file stored on a data carrier mandated by EU law.
The DPP links to a publicly available web portal that provides information about the product, its creation, and its end-of-life, like the following:
- product performance scores;
- user manuals, procedures, or instructions;
- material composition; and
- information on facilities for product repair, disassembly, reuse, and related activities.
The web portal includes links to a decentralized digital product passport operated by businesses and other organizations.
In a way, the European digital product passport functions like a GS1 Digital Link that doesn’t lead to a software provider's database.
The regulations require economic operators to have a backup copy of a DPP and to provide it to a digital product passport service provider.
Which products require a DPP?
While the full rollout of this initiative is expected to occur in 2030, the EU adopted a plan in 2025 to develop eco-design requirements for priority products.
According to the action plan, the following products are mandated to have the DPP already between 2026 and 2029:
- textiles and clothing
- iron and steel
- tires
- aluminum
- furniture
- mattresses
According to the regulation, these products must feature a digital product passport by February 18, 2027.
Acts for non-priority products are also being worked on, with some having already been published. For example, Article 77 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 was published in 2023 and covers all electric vehicles and industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh.
On the other hand, items such as food, animal feed, medicines, living organisms, and vehicles are excluded from these requirements.
What are the benefits of DPPs?
The DPPs make product data easier to collect, manage, and share throughout the supply chain, enabling:
- Shoppers to access verified product information that helps them make informed purchasing decisions.
- Companies to design products that are more durable, repairable, and recyclable;
- Manufacturers and suppliers to verify sourcing, identify issues, and respond to product recalls;
- Repair technicians extend a product's useful life, keeping it in use longer instead of becoming waste; and
- Recyclers to sort, recover, and recycle materials more efficiently.
The adoption of sustainable practices aligned with the DPP requirement strongly supports a circular economy that the European Union aims to achieve by 2050.
How dynamic QR codes fit under the DPP rules
The digital product passport requirements state that DPP data must be accessible via a machine-readable data carrier, and dynamic QR codes are a practical option.
Dynamic QR codes are easily accessible thanks to native support on modern smartphones. They store more data than one-dimensional barcodes and take up less space on product packaging or documents.
They should be present on the product labels, alongside website addresses or links to online labels, to enable consumers to access additional information.
The European Commission will establish rules on how to display or print QR codes and other labels, including for products sold online, with consideration for consumers, businesses, and different product types.
Preparing for the EU’s Digital Product Passport
Starting early gives businesses that manufacture, import, or sell goods in the European Union time to build the systems, processes, and product data needed before the Digital Product Passport Regulation applies to their product categories.
Preparation goes beyond creating compliant data carriers. It also means organizing product information, monitoring evolving EU requirements, and choosing tools that can adapt as technical standards and industry-specific rules continue to develop.
Platforms such as QR TIGER support this approach by providing GS1 Digital Link-compatible QR codes that businesses can manage and update as their Digital Product Passport strategy evolves.
Get started now to help your organization meet future compliance requirements with fewer disruptions and greater confidence.
