Timeline · as of August 2026
When does the Digital Product Passport become mandatory?
The short answer: for batteries on 18 February 2027, for all other product groups step by step after that – roughly 18 months after each delegated act. Here is the full timeline, cleanly separated into what is fixed and what the European Commission currently expects.
- FixedBattery passport 18 Feb 2027 · EU registry live since 20 July 2026 · EN standards since May 2026
- Expected Q4 2026Delegated act for iron & steel
- Expected from 2027Textiles, tyres, aluminium
- Expected 2028–2030Furniture, mattresses, electronics, construction products
01 — Timeline
The complete DPP timeline.
Filled markers are already reality. Everything else is an official expected date from the ESPR working plan 2025–2030 – these have shifted before and may shift again.
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17 Aug 2023 ✓ in force
EU Battery Regulation entered into force
Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 governs the very first mandatory Digital Product Passport: the battery passport. It applies independently of the ESPR.
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18 July 2024 ✓ in force
ESPR entered into force
The Ecodesign Regulation for Sustainable Products (EU) 2024/1781 replaces the old Ecodesign Directive. It is the framework regulation for the DPP – which product group is up when is set by delegated acts.
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April 2025 ✓ in force
First ESPR working plan 2025–2030
The Commission prioritises: iron & steel, aluminium, textiles (apparel), tyres, furniture and mattresses – plus energy-related products. Affected industries have known since then that their delegated act is in the works.
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27 May 2026 ✓ in force
First European DPP standards package
CEN/CENELEC (JTC 24) publishes EN 18216, EN 18219 (unique identifiers), EN 18220–18223: data carriers, data exchange, APIs, storage, access rights. Two further standards are expected to follow in September 2026.
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July 2026 ✓ in force
Implementing decision on six DPP standards
The European Commission anchors six of the new DPP standards via an implementing decision as the technical basis of the passport system; the decision on the two remaining standards is expected for September 2026.
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20 July 2026 ✓ in force
EU DPP registry live
The Commission met the deadline under ESPR Art. 13 (19 July 2026): the central registry for product passport identifiers has been in operation since 20 July 2026 – including a testing environment and the “DPP Registry – User Guide for Economic Operators”. It stores no passport data but points to the decentrally hosted passports. Registration via REST API with an EORI number – before placing products on the market.
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18 Aug 2026 fixed
Extended battery labelling
From this date, extended labelling obligations under the Battery Regulation apply: general information, capacity, minimum operating time, a “non-rechargeable” marking.
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Q4 2026 (expected) expected
Delegated act for iron & steel
Likely the first ESPR product group – originally announced for late 2025, now listed for Q4 2026 in the European Commission’s DPP timeline. Initially with information and data obligations for the intermediate product; the requirements travel up the supply chain. In the same period, the implementing act on battery passport access rights is expected.
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18 Feb 2027 fixed
Battery passport becomes mandatory
The first hard DPP deadline: traction/EV batteries, LMT batteries and industrial batteries above 2 kWh need a digital battery passport with a QR code – including carbon footprint, raw-material origin, chemical composition, recycled content, and performance and durability data.
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2027 (expected) expected
Construction products, DPP service providers, textiles, tyres, aluminium
The European Commission’s DPP timeline lists for 2027: requirements for construction products (Q2), the delegated act for DPP service providers (Q3) – regulating the providers hosting passport data on behalf of manufacturers – and the sector-specific requirements for textiles, aluminium and tyres (Q3–Q4). The obligation follows after the respective transition period, for textiles from ~2028/29 at the earliest.
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2028 (expected) expected
Delegated act for furniture · electronics draws closer
Furniture follows in 2028 according to the working plan. For electronics/ICT, requirements are realistically expected in 2028–2029.
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2029–2030 (expected) expected
Mattresses, construction products & more
Mattresses in 2029 according to the working plan. Construction products get their own product passport via the Construction Products Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 – expected 2029–2030. In the long run, the ESPR covers almost all physical products in the EU single market.
Which deadline applies to your product?
Send us your product group via WhatsApp – we will place it in the timeline free of charge and tell you how much preparation time you realistically have left.
02 — Overview
All product groups and deadlines at a glance.
Rule of thumb: delegated act + ~18 months of transition = DPP obligation. Only the battery passport already has a fixed date.
| Product group | Legal basis | Delegated act | DPP obligation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batteries (EV, LMT, industrial > 2 kWh) | Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 | In force | 18 Feb 2027 | fixed |
| Iron & steel | ESPR | expected Q4 2026 | ~2028 | expected |
| Textiles / apparel | ESPR | expected Q3–Q4 2027 | ~2028/29 at the earliest | expected |
| Tyres | ESPR | expected Q3–Q4 2027 | ~2028/29 | expected |
| Aluminium | ESPR | expected Q3–Q4 2027 | ~2028/29 | expected |
| Furniture | ESPR | expected 2028 | ~2029/30 | expected |
| Mattresses | ESPR | expected 2029 | ~2030/31 | expected |
| Electronics / ICT | ESPR / ecodesign | expected 2028–2029 | ~2030 | expected |
| Construction products | CPR (EU) 2024/3110 | phased | ~2029–2030 | expected |
| Toys | Toy Safety Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 | in force since 01/2026 | ~2030 (DPP delegated act expected late 2026) | expected |
| Packaging | Packaging Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR) | phased | open | expected |
| Detergents & cleaning products | New Detergents Regulation (revision with DPP) | in preparation | open | expected |
| Critical raw materials / permanent magnets | CRMA (EU) 2024/1252 | in force since 05/2024 | implementing acts pending | expected |
As of August 2026. Expected dates are based on the ESPR working plan 2025–2030 (April 2025), the European Commission’s official DPP timeline and publicly communicated postponements. Alongside the ESPR and the Battery Regulation, the Commission also lists the Packaging, Toy Safety, Construction Products and Critical Raw Materials Regulations as well as the detergents revision as DPP legal bases. Not legal advice.
03 — Perspective
Why “not until 2028” is deceptive.
Between a delegated act and the obligation there are typically around 18 months. That sounds comfortable – but rarely is:
- Supply-chain data takes longest. Sourcing material compositions, substances-of-concern evidence and carbon data from a multi-tier, often non-European supply chain takes months to years in practice.
- Identifier logic is systems work. Unique identifiers at model, batch or item level (EN 18219) require clean article and batch logic in ERP and PIM – and that does not grow overnight.
- The basic requirements have long been settled. The ESPR, the Battery Regulation and the EN standards already define identifiers, data carriers, interfaces and access rights today. Those who wait are not waiting for clarity – they are giving away preparation time.
Our recommendation: clarify your applicability now, take stock of your data gaps (data audit) and resolve the system questions (software, interfaces) before the delegated act – then the transition period is left for fine-tuning.
04 — FAQ
Frequently asked questions about obligations & deadlines.
Is the Digital Product Passport already mandatory?
As of August 2026: not yet. The technical standards are published and the EU DPP registry has been live since 20 July 2026 – but the first mandatory passport is the battery passport from 18 February 2027. No delegated act for an ESPR product group is in force yet.
Does the 18-month period always apply?
It is the typical framework the ESPR envisages – but the concrete transition period is set per product group in the delegated act and can differ.
What happens if we miss the deadline?
Without a registered product passport, affected products may no longer be placed on the EU market – registration in the EU registry is a market-access condition. On top of that come market surveillance and possible sanctions by the member states.
Our product group is not in the working plan – are we off the hook?
No, just later in line. The ESPR is a framework regulation and will eventually cover almost all physical products (except, among others, food, feed and medicinal products). The working plan is updated over time.
Where do the dates on this page come from?
From the ESPR (EU) 2024/1781, the Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, the European Commission’s ESPR working plan 2025–2030 (April 2025), the Commission’s official DPP timeline (DG GROW) and publicly documented postponements. We consistently mark expected dates as “expected”.
Contact
Your deadline starts earlier than you think.
We place your product portfolio in the timeline free of charge – by phone, WhatsApp or email. Afterwards you will know how much time you really have left.
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