Regulation
DPP Timeline 2026–2031
When does the Digital Product Passport become mandatory? Delegated act dates by product group, the battery passport deadline and your real preparation window.
There is no single answer to "when does the DPP become mandatory", because it arrives product group by product group rather than on one date. This page collects every known date and separates what is fixed in law from what is indicative.
How we got here
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 18 July 2024 | ESPR (EU) 2024/1781 entered into force |
| 16 April 2025 | ESPR Working Plan 2025–2030 published (COM(2025) 187) |
| 18 July 2025 | Battery due diligence obligations delayed two years (2025/1561) |
| 9 February 2026 | First delegated and implementing acts on the destruction ban adopted |
| March–May 2026 | JRC published DPP content proposals for steel and textiles |
| 27 May 2026 | First six DPP system standards published (EN 18216/18219/18220/18221/18222/18223) |
| 19 July 2026 | EU DPP Registry went live; destruction ban started for large companies |
| ~September 2026 | FprEN 18239 and FprEN 18246 expected |
What comes next
| Date | Milestone | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Q4 2026 | Battery "legitimate interest" access implementing act | Expected |
| 2026 | Iron and steel delegated act | Indicative |
| 18 February 2027 | Battery passport mandatory (EV, LMT, industrial >2 kWh) | Fixed |
| Q2 2027 | Identifier and digital credentials implementing acts | Expected |
| 18 August 2027 | Battery supply chain due diligence applies | Fixed |
| 2027 | Textile, tyre, aluminium and repairability delegated acts | Indicative |
| ~2027–2028 | Steel DPP mandatory | Estimate |
| 2028 | Furniture delegated act; ESPR mid-term review | Indicative |
| ~2028–2029 | Textile, tyre and aluminium DPPs mandatory | Estimate |
| 2029 | Mattress delegated act; EEE recycled content measure | Indicative |
| 2030 | Ecodesign review for phones and tablets | Indicative |
| ~2030–2031 | Furniture, mattress and EEE horizontal DPPs mandatory | Estimate |
Your real preparation window
The transition period sounds generous until you price in data collection. For a typical manufacturer:
- Data inventory and gap analysis: 1–2 months
- Supplier data collection round: 3–9 months (longer with tier-2 and tier-3)
- System setup and integration: 2–4 months
- Pilot and correction: 2–3 months
Realistic end-to-end readiness therefore takes 9–18 months. If textiles become mandatory in late 2028, starting in early 2027 is sensible; starting in 2028 is late.
See a 12-month DPP roadmap and a 90-day pilot.
Why dates slip
The first delegated acts expected in late 2025 moved into 2026: longer JRC preparatory studies, heavy consultation feedback, waiting for the standards to be cited in the Official Journal, and the general simplification agenda. But note: slipping is not cancelling. The Working Plan was already a narrowing exercise from roughly 33 candidate categories to six groups — the survivors are the ones the Commission is committed to.
What has not changed
- The 18 February 2027 battery passport date was reconfirmed in the Commission's May 2026 implementation update.
- The 2025 sustainability Omnibus targeted CSRD and CSDDD, not ESPR.
- The Digital Omnibus targeted GDPR, the Data Act and the AI Act, with no DPP provision.
See the ESPR working plan and DPP deadlines.
Frequently asked questions
Which DPP date is legally binding today?
18 February 2027, the battery passport under Regulation (EU) 2023/1542. Every other date is an indicative planning date.
When will the DPP be mandatory for textiles?
The delegated act is expected in 2027; with the usual 18-month transition that puts the obligation in late 2028 to 2029. The first wave covers apparel and accessories only — footwear is outside it.
My product group is not on the list. Can I relax?
No. The Working Plan will be revised in 2028 and groups can be added — and brands and retailers already require DPP data from suppliers by contract, regardless of the regulatory calendar.
How long do I get after a delegated act is adopted?
The transition period is typically 18–36 months and is written into the act itself. But it is designed for putting a system live, not for collecting data from scratch — the data work has to start earlier.
