Digital Product Passport (DPP) Glossary: Terms, Regulation and Architecture

A systematic overview for manufacturers and companies covering terminology, regulatory context and the technical foundations of the Digital Product Passport.

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) marks a structural shift in European industrial and domestic market policy. With the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), the European Union has established a binding framework to make structured product information digitally available throughout the entire lifecycle. The aim is to systematically strengthen transparency, sustainability and circularity, from manufacturing through use to recycling.

For companies, this means that product data is evolving from internal documentation into compliance-relevant, auditable information systems. The DPP is therefore not an isolated IT project, but an architectural decision with long-term implications for identification, data modelling, supply chain integration and digital trust mechanisms. This glossary provides a structured overview of the key concepts related to the Digital Product Passport, from fundamentals and regulatory drivers to technical implementation.

General Concept of the DPP

Digital Product Passport (DPP)

The Digital Product Passport is a product-specific dataset that consolidates defined information across the entire lifecycle of a product. Its objective is to support sustainability, circular economy practices and compliance with regulatory requirements.

Lifecycle Data

The DPP is an artefact composed of information provided and shared by interacting stakeholders along a product’s value chain. Depending on the product category, the DPP may include:

• Product identification data (e.g. model/type)

• Unique Product Identifier (UPI)

• Origin and supply chain information

• Compliance and sustainability documentation

• Technical product information for use, maintenance, repair or recycling

• Material composition

• Disassembly and recycling instructions

• Lifecycle and end-of-life information

• CO₂ footprint
  

The DPP is not a single document, but a digital data ecosystem consisting of identifiers, data models, access rights and verification mechanisms.

Digital Twin

In the context of the DPP, a digital twin represents the digital counterpart of a physical product. Unlike traditional engineering digital twin concepts, the focus is not on simulation, but on the clear assignment and continuous updating of regulatory-relevant product information.

Product Identification and Unique Product Identifier (UPI)

To ensure that a DPP can be clearly assigned to a physical product, a Unique Product Identifier (UPI) is used. This links the physical product to its digital dataset. The UPI is the central technical element that ensures unambiguous assignment of which passport belongs to which product, and who is permitted to access specific data related to that product.

Data Carrier

In practice, DPP data must be accessible at all times. For this purpose, a data carrier is used, a medium that enables access to the digital dataset. In practice, the specific structure of this “carrier” is a key consideration. Common formats include:

• QR Code A QR code is a widely used two-dimensional code serving as a data carrier. It is cost-effective, robust and easily accessible via smartphones. Its symbology is standardised in ISO/IEC 18004.

• NFC Tag NFC is a short-range wireless technology (“tap”). It is particularly relevant for the DPP where user-friendliness and durable physical tagging are important.

• RFID RFID enables contactless data retrieval via radio signals, which is especially useful in logistics and industrial processes (e.g. without line of sight). RFID technologies are defined in ISO/IEC standards (including the ISO/IEC 18000 series).

• Serial Number A serial number is not a data carrier in the strict sense, but it is often part of product identification. In practice, it is frequently combined with a visible carrier (QR/NFC/RFID) to securely link DPP data.

Regulatory Framework of the Digital Product Passport

The Digital Product Passport is based on several EU regulations and policy initiatives aimed at embedding sustainable product design, market transparency and digital proof mechanisms within the single market.

EU Green Deal

The European Green Deal is the EU’s overarching strategy to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. It brings together measures across climate, energy, industry and circular economy policy. The Digital Product Passport is a key component of this transformation agenda, as it creates transparency around sustainability characteristics and supports resource-efficient value creation.

Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP)

As a central element of the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan outlines the EU’s strategy to promote circular economy practices. The goal is to design products that are more durable, repairable and recyclable. This is where the connection to the Digital Product Passport becomes clear: circularity requires information. Without transparent data on materials, components, repair options or disposal pathways, products cannot be efficiently managed within a circular system. The DPP therefore acts as a digital information layer for implementing the CEAP in practice.

ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation)

The ESPR forms the regulatory foundation of the DPP. It expands the previous ecodesign approach beyond energy-related products and establishes a horizontal framework covering almost all physical product categories.

Specific requirements, such as mandatory data fields or access rights, are defined through product-specific delegated acts.

For companies, this means:

• The introduction of the DPP will be gradual but mandatory

• Market surveillance authorities will have structured access

• Product data must be traceable, up to date and verifiable
  

EU Battery Regulation

The EU Battery Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1542) is the first sector-specific regulation to introduce a mandatory Digital Product Passport. From 18 February 2027, a digital battery passport will be required for certain battery categories. The regulation defines concrete sustainability and information requirements and is therefore considered a reference model for the introduction of digital product passports in other product groups.

Delegated Acts

Delegated acts specify the requirements set out in the ESPR for individual product groups. They define which DPP data fields are mandatory, which stakeholders have access, and which technical specifications apply. For companies, this means that in addition to the general regulatory framework, product-specific requirements must be continuously monitored.

Technical Architecture, Data Structure and Ecosystems

To ensure that the Digital Product Passport can be used across sectors, a robust technical architecture is required alongside regulatory requirements and the DPP itself. Product data must be structured, modelled, interoperable across systems and accessible in a controlled manner along the supply chain. Only with these infrastructural conditions, a regulatory obligation becomes an operationally usable system.

Interoperability

The foundation for this is interoperability between participating systems. Interoperability means that different IT systems can exchange data technically correct and interpret it consistently at a semantic level. Since manufacturers, suppliers, authorities, repair providers and recyclers operate with different digital infrastructures, a lack of interoperability would result in isolated data silos and proprietary solutions.

API Interfaces

APIs enable automated data exchange between systems. As data typically originates from multiple sources such as ERP, PLM or quality management systems, and is not maintained manually, APIs ensure that data can be structured, updated and retrieved efficiently.

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Not every market participant should have access to all DPP data. Role-based access control assigns permissions to specific stakeholders, such as manufacturers, distributors, repair providers or authorities. This ensures that sensitive or competitively relevant information is protected while maintaining the level of transparency required by regulation.

Data Governance

Data governance defines rules and responsibilities for data quality, updating, access and traceability. As product data is often generated across multiple companies and multi-tier supply chains, a lack of clear responsibilities would lead to gaps, outdated information or compliance risks.

Semantic Standards

Semantic standards ensure that terms are defined consistently. Only when concepts such as “recyclability” or “material share” are understood in the same way across systems, data can be automatically compared or assessed for regulatory compliance. Semantic harmonisation is therefore a fundamental requirement for machine-readable product passports.