Everything you need
to know about the DPP

The DPP is a digital identity card for every product. It brings together structured information about the product itself, its components and its materials, and makes it accessible throughout the entire life cycle, from design to recycling.

It serves three purposes: driving sustainability, enabling circularity and strengthening legal compliance for products placed on the European market.

The DPP works as a horizontal aggregator: a single electronic access point to product information that supports better decisions across the whole value chain.

• For consumers: making informed, sustainable purchasing decisions.
• For industry: improving supply chains, compliance and circularity.
• For authorities: automating customs and market surveillance.

Through a physical data carrier placed on the product, its packaging or the accompanying documentation. The most common is a QR code, though NFC tags and other formats are also covered.

• QR: scanned straight from a phone camera, no app required.
• NFC: by tapping the phone against the product or the tag.
• European web portal: browsing and comparison from any device.
• Online marketplaces: the DPP visible on the product listing itself.

OKTICS OKOTags combine QR and NFC in a single carrier, with the information managed from OKOCloud and updatable without reprinting the label.

Four actors share a single source of truth:

• Economic operator: compiles the data, registers the DPP, attaches the data carrier and keeps the information up to date throughout the life cycle.
• Consumer: scans the carrier or visits the European portal to access pre- and post-purchase information.
• Public authority: customs verify the DPP registration at the border, and surveillance authorities scan products to consult the documentation.
• Repair and recycling: access disassembly instructions, spare parts, composition and substances of concern.

From the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), in force since 18 July 2024, which establishes the DPP as the key tool for enforcing sustainability requirements in each product category.

• Objective: more durable, repairable, recyclable and energy-efficient products on the European market.
• Mechanism: delegated acts specific to each product group, based on prior studies and impact assessments.
• Scope: almost all physical goods placed on the EU market, with some exclusions such as food and medicines.

The ESPR Working Plan sets indicative dates for adopting the final rules for each product group:

• 2026 — Iron and steel.
• 2026-2029 — Energy-related products.
• 2027 — Textiles, tyres and aluminium.
• 2028 — Furniture.
• 2029 — Mattresses and ICT products.

Worth noting: inclusion in the Working Plan does not automatically make the DPP mandatory. Each group first requires an in-depth study and an impact assessment.

Beyond the ESPR, six European regulations already carry digital passport obligations, each with its own timeline:

• Batteries Regulation — sustainability, safety and recycling. First mandatory DPPs for large batteries in early 2027.
• Construction Products Regulation — safety and performance. Applies from January 2026; the DPP follows 18 months after the delegated act.
• Critical Raw Materials Act — securing the supply of critical raw materials. DPP information required towards the end of 2028.
• Packaging Regulation (PPWR) — reducing packaging waste and impact. Labelling from August 2028, pending the implementing act.
• Toy Safety Regulation — applies from 1 August 2030; delegated powers over the DPP start in January 2026.
• Detergents and surfactants — composition and labelling. Political agreement reached, with a timeline expected in early 2026.

The European Commission is building the DPP infrastructure alongside the legislation:

• Mid-2026 — the CEN-CENELEC JTC 24 committee finalises the eight core technical standards for the DPP.
• July 2026 — the DPP Registry is now live: the central European index linking each product identifier to the location of its data.
• Coming years — the DPP Web Portal, the public interface for consulting and comparing product information.
• Four years — customs interconnection with automated exchange with national customs authorities.

Yes. Every product entering the European market must carry a DPP once the relevant delegated act requires it, regardless of where it was manufactured. That includes goods sold through online marketplaces.

The framework respects World Trade Organization rules: it is non-discriminatory, proportionate and transparent.

Oversight works in three layers:

• Market surveillance: national authorities verify the accuracy and completeness of the information.
• Customs: automated checks at the EU border via the DPP Registry.
• Consumers: the right to compensation for damages arising from non-compliance.

Products without a compliant DPP will lose access to the European market, with a direct impact on revenue and distribution strategy.

The specific detail is set by each delegated act, but the information travelling with the product is organised into eight blocks: identification, composition, origin, performance, use and maintenance, end of life, compliance and warranty.

You can find the full breakdown of the data categories required by the ESPR in the What information must the DPP include? section of the main DPP page.

No. The European architecture combines a centralised index with decentralised data.

• DPP Registry (centralised): a secure EU-level database storing unique product identifiers. It does not hold the detailed data: it links each identifier to the location of its DPP.
• Data and portal (decentralised): the detailed data is hosted by economic operators or DPP service providers. A public web portal allows people to consult it and compare products.

This means every company needs its own infrastructure to issue, host and serve DPPs reliably and persistently.

The CEN-CENELEC JTC 24 committee is developing eight harmonised standards, due to be finalised by mid-2026:

• Unique identifiers
• Data carriers
• Access rights and security
• Interoperability
• Data processing and formats
• Storage and persistence
• Authentication and integrity
• Life cycle management APIs

No. The system is designed with privacy by default and is fully aligned with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

• Anonymous access: general lookups do not require identification.
• No personal data: customer personal data will not be stored in the DPP.
• Consent only: any link to personal data requires explicit consent under the GDPR.

The DPP is not only a regulatory requirement: handled well, it becomes a measurable competitive advantage.

• Stronger market position: competing on verifiable durability, repairability and impact, not just on price.
• Simpler compliance: digitising certificates and declarations means less paperwork and smoother audits.
• Circular revenue: enabling professional repair, remanufacturing and high-quality recycling.
• End-to-end traceability: machine-readable data across the whole value chain, from design to recycling.

Yes. Article 22 of the Ecodesign Regulation explicitly recognises the role of SMEs and provides for support at both European and national level.

• From the Commission: guidelines tailored to SME needs, free digital tools to ease implementation, and public consultations and impact assessments before imposing a DPP.
• From Member States: mandatory one-stop shops for awareness and networking, possible financial assistance and tax advantages, and specialised training with organisational and technical support.

With the assessment: identifying which categories in your portfolio will be affected and on what timeline. From there, audit the quality and traceability of your product, supplier and material data, and define your systems architecture.

The full roadmap is broken down in the 4 steps to readiness section of the main DPP page.

Verifiable information at the moment of purchase and afterwards too, when it comes to using, repairing or disposing of the product:

• Circularity: durability, repairability and recyclability.
• Composition: materials and components used.
• Use and maintenance: manuals, repair guides and available spare parts.
• End of life: disassembly, reuse and recycling instructions.

For the brand, each of those scans is also a direct digital channel to the end user after the sale.