What you need to know about EU Digital Product Passports

Digital Product Passports (DPPs) are one of the biggest regulatory changes facing businesses selling physical products into the European Union. While the requirements will be introduced gradually over the coming years, brands should already be thinking about how they'll manage the product data needed to comply.

This article explains what Digital Product Passports are, who is responsible for them, what they'll mean for ecommerce brands, and how your fulfilment partner fits into the picture.

In this article

• What is a Digital Product Passport?

• Why should businesses be thinking about it now?

• Which products will require a Digital Product Passport?

• Who is responsible for the Digital Product Passport?

• What could DPP mean for your fulfilment partner?

• What should brands be asking their fulfilment provider?

• How brands should be preparing now

• How we’re preparing for the changes

 

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What is a Digital Product Passport?

A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital record linked to an individual product through a QR code or NFC (Near Field Communication) tag.

It stores key information about that product throughout its lifecycle, creating a standardised way for businesses, consumers, regulators and recyclers to access trusted product information.

Depending on the product category, a Digital Product Passport may include information such as:

• Product origin

• Materials used

• Recycled content

• Hazardous substances

• Carbon footprint

• Repairability

• Recycling and end-of-life information

Rather than existing across multiple disconnected systems, this information is brought together into a single digital record that remains linked to the product throughout its lifecycle.

DPPs are being introduced under the EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which aims to improve product transparency, support the circular economy and make products more sustainable over time. The regulation became fully applicable on 19th July 2026 and will apply to businesses selling regulated products into the EU, regardless of where they're based.

 

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Why should businesses be thinking about it now?

Although many product categories won't require DPPs immediately, waiting until your sector's deadline is likely to leave very little time to prepare.

Unlike many compliance changes, DPP isn't simply about completing paperwork. It requires businesses to collect, verify and maintain detailed product information across their supply chain.

For many brands, that data already exists, but often across multiple suppliers, systems and spreadsheets.

Preparing for DPP may involve:

• Mapping product and material data

• Identifying missing information

• Deciding where DPP data will be stored

• Creating processes for keeping records up to date

• Coordinating teams across sourcing, sustainability, compliance, IT and operations

The European Commission is introducing requirements sector by sector through delegated acts. Once requirements for a product category are published, businesses typically have around 18–24 months to comply.

Brands that start organising their product data now will be in a much stronger position than those waiting for formal deadlines.

 

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Which products will require a Digital Product Passport?

The rollout is being phased across different industries. Current indicative timelines are:

Product category	Current position
Industrial and EV batteries	February 2027 (confirmed)
Iron, steel and aluminium	2026–2027 (indicative)
Textiles (including garments and footwear)	2027 (indicative)
Tyres and furniture	2027–2028 (indicative)
Mattresses and consumer electronics	2029 (indicative)

Aside from batteries, these dates remain indicative until the European Commission publishes the relevant delegated acts for each sector.

We'll continue updating this guide as further sector-specific requirements and timelines are confirmed.

 

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Who is responsible for the Digital Product Passport?

The legal responsibility belongs to the economic operator placing products onto the EU market. In most cases, that's the manufacturer, importer or brand owner.

Brands are responsible for:

• Collecting and maintaining product data

• Ensuring information is accurate

• Choosing where DPP data is hosted

• Creating the Digital Product Passport

• Generating the associated QR code, NFC tag or URI (Uniform Resource Identifier)

• Keeping the passport updated when product information changes

The DPP is fundamentally a product compliance requirement, not a fulfilment requirement.

 

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What could DPP mean for your fulfilment partner?

Although your 3PL fulfilment partner isn't responsible for compliance, DPPs may still affect how information flows through your fulfilment operation.

For example, fulfilment providers may need systems capable of:

• Storing a DPP reference against a product

• Passing that reference between connected systems

• Supporting traceability where required

• Ensuring product information remains linked throughout operational processes

These capabilities help support the wider product data ecosystem, but they don't transfer legal responsibility away from the brand.

 

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What should brands be asking their fulfilment provider?

As DPP requirements develop, brands should understand how their fulfilment partner plans to support product data.

Useful questions to ask your fulfilment partner include:

• Can you store a DPP reference against my products?

• Will those references flow through your systems?

• How will product data be managed alongside inventory records?

• What level of traceability can your platform provide?

• How will your technology evolve as DPP requirements develop?

The right fulfilment and logistics partner should understand the direction of travel and be investing in technology that supports changing regulatory requirements.

 

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How brands should be preparing now

Even if your sector isn't yet affected, there are practical steps you can begin today.

1. Audit your product data

Identify what information already exists and where there are gaps across suppliers and internal systems.

2. Decide where your DPP will be hosted

The EU registry doesn't store the product information itself. It indexes metadata and unique identifiers. Brands must decide where the underlying data will be securely hosted.

3. Plan your product identifiers

Consider how QR codes or NFC tags will be created and managed across your product catalogue.

4. Think about data access

Some information will be public, while other data will only be available to authorised parties such as regulators or recyclers.

5. Assign ownership internally

DPP crosses multiple departments such as product, compliance, sustainability, procurement and IT. Establishing clear ownership now will make future implementation much smoother.

6. Monitor your sector

Requirements will differ depending on product category, so it's important to keep up to date with delegated acts as they're published.

 

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How we’re preparing for the changes

At IFGlobal, we're monitoring DPP developments closely and continually assessing how our technology can support customers as requirements evolve.

Our role isn't to create or manage DPPs on behalf of brands. Instead, we're preparing our fulfilment operation to support the storage and association of DPP references alongside product records, allowing brands to maintain the link between their products and their compliance data where appropriate.

As delegated acts are released, we'll continue developing our capabilities where they add value to our clients while reinforcing that legal responsibility for DPP compliance stays with the brand.