ESPR update: EU adopts key rules for Digital Product Passport rollout
First published: July 2026
In July 2026, the European Commission reached a major milestone in the implementation of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). Two key implementing acts were adopted, providing the technical standards and operational rules needed to launch the Digital Product Passport (DPP) system across the EU.
Harmonised standards
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1736 (released on 14 July 2026)
To ensure that DPPs are interoperable, secure and usable across all Member States, the Commission has officially published the references for six new harmonised standards. These standards provide the framework for how companies must build their digital passport systems.
Key standards adopted:
- Data exchange and interoperability: New protocols under EN 18216 and EN 18223 establish a formal technical framework to support cross-sector interoperability and the seamless exchange of machine-readable data between different economic operators.
- Unique identification: Standard EN 18219 defines the requirements for unique identifiers linking a physical product to its digital twin.
- Data carriers: Standard EN 18220 sets out rules for the physical links placed on products, such as QR codes and barcodes.
- Storage and persistence: Standard EN 18221 ensures that product data remains available and is archived correctly throughout the product lifecycle.
- APIs for searchability: Standard EN 18222 establishes rules for application programming interfaces (APIs), enabling authorities and consumers to search for and manage passport data more easily.
- System interoperability: Standard EN 18223 specifically addresses the “system of systems” architecture of the DPP ecosystem, helping to ensure that the software and hardware used by manufacturers, consumers and authorities can operate as a single interoperable network without technical friction or vendor lock-in.
| No. | Reference of the standard |
| 1 | EN 18216:2026 Digital product passport – Data exchange protocols |
| 2 | EN 18219:2026 Digital product passport – Unique identifies |
| 3 | EN 18220:2026 Digital product passport – Data carries |
| 4 | EN 18221:2026 Digital product passport – Data storage, archiving, and persistence |
| 5 | EN 18222:2026 Digital product passport – Application programming interfaces (APIs) for product lifecycle management and searchability |
| 6 | EN 18223:2026 Digital product passport – System interoperability |
The DPP Registry: a secure gateway for EU markets
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1778 (release on 16 July 2026)
The Commission has also laid down the rules for the centralised DPP Registry. This registry will act as the anchor point used by customs and market surveillance authorities to verify product compliance at the border and on the market.
Core features of the new Registry:
- Verification platform: Every DPP submitted will undergo an automatic check to ensure that it meets semantic and structural requirements before being accepted into the Registry.
- Verified economic operators: Manufacturers and importers must complete a formal identity verification process to gain verified status, which is required to register or modify product data.
- Semantic repository: To improve consistency, the Commission is establishing a central repository of standardised vocabularies and data models. This will help ensure that terms such as “recycled content” have the same meaning across languages and sectors.
- Customs interconnection: The Registry will be linked directly to the EU Customs Single Window, allowing customs officers to verify automatically that a valid DPP exists before releasing goods for free circulation.
- Data longevity: Registry data will typically be retained for 10 years after a product is registered, supporting long-term traceability for recyclers and repairers.
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With expert support across key focus areas such as traceability, substances of concern and product durability, we help you identify gaps earlier, act with confidence and accelerate their path to compliance. Beyond meeting ESPR requirements, this approach can also help strengthen transparency, support circularity ambitions and create long-term value across the supply chain.
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