Digital Product Passport (DDP)

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital identity card for products, mandated by the EU under the ESPR Regulation. Its purpose is to create transparency regarding a product’s composition and how it can be reused or recycled—an issue that is becoming increasingly important in the context of sustainability, the circular economy, and legislation and regulations.

What is the Digital Product Passport (DPP) and how does it work?

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital identity card for products. You can access it by scanning the QR code displayed on the product, on the packaging, or in the user manual.

With this QR code, consumers can view basic information such as the product name and manufacturer. After logging into a secure portal, manufacturers, importers, and distributors can view more detailed information about the materials used in the product and its construction. This makes it easier to properly repair, disassemble, and recycle products. Not everyone has access to all the information in the passport, as some of the data is confidential or sensitive.

Is the Digital Product Passport mandatory, and when does it apply to your products?

The Digital Product Passport is mandatory under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). The ESPR, in effect since July 2024, is intended to ensure that products sold in the EU last longer, are easier to repair, and can be better reused or recycled. The goal is to extend the life cycle of products and prevent the waste of raw materials.

A key component of the ESPR is making the Digital Product Passport mandatory. Every product must be issued a digital passport that records information about its composition, origin, repair, and recycling. The Digital Product Passport requirement does not yet apply to all products. The EU determines, on a product group-by-product group basis, when the Digital Product Passport will become mandatory. These provisions are laid out in what are known as delegated acts. The first list of priorities was established in April 2025. The requirements will apply first to the following product groups:

Batteries > The Digital Product Passport will become mandatory starting in February 2027 for electric vehicles and industrial batteries with a capacity exceeding 2 kWh.
Starting in 2027 > Tires, Textiles, Furniture, Mattresses
Starting in 2028 > Iron, Steel, Aluminum, Electronics/ICT
After 2030 > most consumer and industrial goods

A key milestone coming up this year: on July 19, 2026, the EU Central DPP Registry will go live, as stipulated in ESPR Article 13 (Regulation (EU) 2024/1781). Starting on that date, product passports can be centrally registered and verified, so you won’t have to wait until the requirement takes effect for your product group—you can set up the infrastructure in advance and gain a competitive edge.

How does the Digital Product Passport assist with ESRS reporting and CSRD requirements?

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires companies in Europe to report comprehensively on their impact on people and the environment. The European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) provide the guidelines for this: they specify which topics must be addressed and how that data is to be recorded. Among other things, companies must provide insight into their use of materials and energy, the origin of raw materials, CO2 emissions throughout the supply chain, and the steps they are taking to reduce their impact.

Collecting the above information is often complex and time-consuming, as data is frequently scattered across suppliers and partners. The Digital Product Passport offers a solution to this problem. For each product, the passport records which materials it contains, where they come from, and how the product can be repaired or recycled. This data is collected and stored centrally in a digital system. Via a QR code or NFC tag, they are accessible to anyone with the appropriate permissions, eliminating the need for companies to repeatedly request the same data.

The use of the Digital Product Passport for ESRS reporting is not mandatory, but it is a valuable tool. It provides companies with a single source of reliable product information, making the reporting process more efficient and transparent.

The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is an important new EU regulation that affects companies that manufacture products. This regulation, which entered into force on July 18, 2024, is part of the 2020 Action Plan for a Circular Economy . The goal of the ESPR is to help the EU achieve its environmental and climate goals, double the circularity of material use, and meet its energy efficiency targets by 2030.

The ESPR focuses on improving product sustainability through eco-design. The goal is to make products more sustainable, more energy-efficient, and easier to recycle. This encompasses various aspects, such as the use of recycled materials, reducing harmful substances, and improving the reparability of products.

The ESPR has several goals that companies must strive to achieve:

Improving the energy efficiency of products
Increasing the use of recycled materials
Reducing the Use of Harmful Substances
Improving the repairability and lifespan of products
Facilitating the recycling of products at the end of their life cycle

How does this work in practice for Fedecom members?

It is important for Fedecom members to know that the Digital Product Passport will not be a central European database in which all product information is stored. Instead, the European Commission is building a central reference index. The product data remains with the manufacturer or a specialized DPP service provider. The European infrastructure only knows where the product passport is located and verifies its existence.

In practice, the system will look something like this:

Every machine or component is assigned a unique digital product ID. This is linked to a QR code, NFC tag, or similar data carrier on the product.
The manufacturer creates a digital product passport containing all mandatory information for that product group, such as material information, repair and maintenance information, conformity, sustainability, and recycling information.
The data is stored in the manufacturer’s own ERP/PLM system or with a commercial DPP provider. Therefore, the data does not need to be uploaded to Brussels.
The manufacturer registers the product ID in the European DPP Registry. This registry links the unique ID to the passport’s location.
Each user scans the QR code. The European registry then automatically directs the user to the correct digital product passport at the manufacturer or service provider.

What does this mean in practice for Fedecom members?

For many Fedecom members (manufacturers and importers of machinery), this means they will need to prepare for the following in the coming years:

recording much more product data in a structured digital format;
linking each product to a unique product ID and QR code;
selecting a software solution or DDP platform to manage the passports;
setting up integrations with ERP, PDM, or PLM systems;
collecting data from across the entire supply chain (e.g., materials, critical raw materials, CO₂ data, and components);
periodically updating this data throughout the product’s lifecycle.

Specifically for the Fedecom sector

For manufacturers of agricultural machinery, material handling equipment, civil engineering machinery, and horticultural equipment, the biggest challenge will likely not be the QR code, but rather the collection and management of reliable data from across the entire supply chain. Much of this information is currently scattered across ERP systems, Excel files, manuals, and suppliers. The Digital Product Passport calls for a single standardized digital source where all this information is consolidated.

For dealers, there will likely be fewer changes. They will primarily deal with machines that already have a DDP. The passport can assist them with maintenance, parts supply, service history, and ultimately also with the used equipment market and recycling.

Important: For most machinery categories, it has not yet been determined when the DDP will become mandatory. The European Commission is currently developing the requirements for each product group through delegated acts. Only for batteries has the first mandatory implementation date—February 2027—already been set.

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