The European Union is striving towards a circular and decarbonised economy by 2050. In this context, as you may have already heard, a new European regulation on ecodesign for sustainable products (ESPR) entered into force on 18 July 2024. The ESPR provides a legislative framework promoting more sustainable and circular products.
This new regulation, which is directly mandatory in all EU Member States (unlike a Directive, where a state creates its own laws in accordance with the European legal text within a set period), requires the soon-enough creation of a Digital Product Passport (DPP), in line with the Battery Regulation.
DPP is a digital identity card for products, components, and materials. It will store relevant information to support products sustainability, promote their circularity, and strengthen legal compliance.
In short, the DPP will make product sustainability information more accessible, help extend product lifespans, and improve sustainable product management. Customers will be better informed, resulting in more sustainable purchasing.
The CIRPASS project has developed roadmaps and prototypes for industries such as textiles, batteries, and electronics. So even if we do not yet have all specifications, you can check out their work.
A recent study from the 6th International Conference on Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing identified the key actors in the DPP ecosystem:
The DPP is expected to enter into force around mid-2027, depending on the progress of the standardisation process.
The products requiring a DPP will be listed in delegated acts by the European Commission. In some cases, a component (e.g. a battery) may require a DPP even if the full product does not. The Commission may also exempt products where existing EU laws already require digital information systems (source).
The 2025–2030 working plan includes:
Consumer Products:
Intermediate Products:
Specific obligations and timelines will be defined in upcoming delegated acts.
According to the key provision 37 of the ESPR:
"Digitalised information about the product and its life cycle or, where applicable, its passport should be easily accessible by scanning a data carrier, such as a watermark or a quick response (QR) code. Where possible, the data carrier should be on the product itself to ensure the data remain accessible throughout its life cycle. However, derogations should be possible depending on the nature, size or use of the products concerned."
And Article 10.1.b adds:
"The data carrier shall be physically present on the product, its packaging or on documentation accompanying the product, as specified in the applicable delegated act."
All products will also need to carry a unique product identifier.
This will have a huge impact on how you conceive packaging and manage product information. The exact implementation details are still pending, but major changes are coming, and they will affect workflows across multiple industries.
This is where a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system comes in, to help you organise your assets, stay compliant, and streamline your product information workflows.
But not just any DAM, our DAM is a production DAM.
That means you can:
Get ready for ESPR compliance and future-proof your product data strategy. Book a demo today and discover how our production DAM can help you adapt to the Digital Product Passport era, efficiently, sustainably, and ahead of the competition.