EU Regulatory Compliance
Digital product passports: blockchain-secured, EU-ready
Create tamper-proof Digital Product Passports that meet EU regulatory requirements. Verifiable for the life of the product and beyond. Built for manufacturers who need compliance without a rebuild.
TL;DR
A Digital Product Passport is a machine-readable record of a physical product, reached through a unique identifier such as a QR code, covering origin, materials, environmental impact, repairability and end of life handling. It is a legal requirement, not a marketing feature: the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 sets the framework, the European Commission's DPP Registry went live on 20 July 2026, and the first hard deadline falls on 18 February 2027 for certain large batteries. The hard part is data integrity, because a passport is only useful if a regulator or a consumer can tell that nobody edited it after the fact. A centralised database cannot prove that; a cryptographic record written to a blockchain at creation can, because any later change produces a different hash and fails the check. TRUE issues each passport that way, publishes it on your own domain, and connects to ERP, MES, PLM and QMS systems through a REST API so passports are created by the production line rather than by hand.
- First deadline 18 February 2027 for certain industrial and EV batteries under Regulation (EU) 2023/1542.
- Scan to verify, with no app and no account, on any smartphone.
- Issue at production volume through a REST API with five endpoints rather than a manual upload.
The basics
What is a digital product passport?
A Digital Product Passport is a digital record holding key information about a physical product: its origin, materials, manufacturing process, carbon footprint, repairability and end of life instructions. It is reached through a unique identifier carried on the product, usually a QR code, and it is meant to stay reachable for the product's whole life.
The European Union is making passports mandatory for defined product categories in order to support circularity, reduce waste and give buyers a straight answer about what they are buying. For manufacturers selling into the EU this is regulation rather than an option.
What a passport has to do
- Tamper-proof. Data cannot be altered after creation without the change being detectable.
- Permanently reachable. Accessible for the product's entire lifecycle, not only while the manufacturer keeps a server running.
- Compliant. Meeting EU rules on data integrity, structure and traceability.
- Scalable. Issuing thousands or millions of passports without a manual step per unit.
A record anchored on a blockchain answers all four, because the proof of integrity does not depend on any single company staying in business.
EU regulation
When do EU digital product passport rules take effect?
Batteries first, in February 2027, with further product groups following through delegated acts under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. The registry that passports must be recorded in is already running, so the infrastructure question is settled and the remaining work sits with manufacturers.
- The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 entered into force on 18 July 2024 and is the framework that makes Digital Product Passports mandatory for defined product groups. Source: EUR-Lex.
- The European Commission's Digital Product Passport Registry went live on 20 July 2026, with a testing environment, an API for registration, and six of the eight harmonised standards supporting the system already published. Source: European Commission, 20 July 2026.
- The first compliance deadline is 18 February 2027 for certain large batteries under the Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542. Source: EUR-Lex and the Commission announcement above.
Product groups in scope
The Commission lists textiles, steel and aluminium, tyres, furniture, ICT products, energy-related products, large batteries, construction products, toys, detergents and end-user surfactants among the categories the registry supports.
Technical requirements
- Machine-readable format
- Reached through a unique identifier such as a QR code
- Data integrity that can be demonstrated, not asserted
- Reachable throughout the product lifecycle
What a passport typically has to include
- Product identification and manufacturer details
- Materials composition and sourcing
- Carbon footprint and environmental impact
- Durability, repairability and recyclability
- Compliance certifications and test results
- End of life disposal instructions
TRUE's blockchain-secured passports meet the integrity part of this natively. The blockchain record supplies the data integrity guarantee, the QR code supplies the access route, and the platform handles structure and delivery.
The technology
Why use blockchain for a digital product passport?
Because the regulation asks you to prove that data has not changed, and only a record written at creation and held outside your own systems can prove it. Once a passport is anchored to a blockchain, any later edit produces a different cryptographic hash and fails verification.
A centralised database cannot make that claim. Records in it can be edited by whoever holds the credentials, and there is no way for an outsider to show that today's row matches the one written five years ago.
- Every passport is cryptographically secured at creation
- Changes cannot happen without detection
- Verification runs instantly, anywhere, by anyone
- Records persist even if the issuing company changes systems or ceases trading
TRUE writes to several blockchain networks, Ethereum, Polygon, AVAX and Fantom, which keeps verification available over the long horizons a product passport has to survive. Learn how blockchain verification works.
The process
How does TRUE create digital product passports?
In five steps, of which only the first two are project work. Design the template, connect the API, and from then on each unit gets its own passport as it is produced.
Create the passport
Design your passport template once, with your branding, the required data fields and the compliance information. The platform supports the range of data a DPP has to carry.
Issue at scale
Connect TRUE to your manufacturing systems through the REST API and issue a unique passport per product automatically, whether the run is a hundred units or ten million. The API has five endpoints and integration is measured in days rather than months.
Secure on blockchain
Each passport is written to a blockchain as it is created. The record becomes immutable, and nobody can alter it afterwards, including TRUE.
Attach to the product
Every passport gets a unique identifier. Embed it as a QR code on the product, the packaging or the documentation, so consumers, regulators and supply chain partners can scan it.
Verify anywhere, indefinitely
Anyone with the QR code verifies the passport instantly, with no app download and no account. The blockchain record persists. More on QR code verification.
Use cases
Which industries need a passport first?
Batteries are the first category with a fixed date, which pulls automotive and industrial manufacturers in ahead of everyone else. Textiles, electronics and further groups follow under the ESPR working plan. The data each sector has to carry differs; the integrity requirement does not.
Fashion and textiles
Textiles are named among the product groups the DPP registry supports, and supply chain transparency is already under scrutiny from buyers and regulators alike.
- Materials traceability, from cotton origin to synthetic composition
- Supply chain documentation covering mills, manufacturers and logistics
- Environmental certifications such as organic or recycled content
- Care and repair instructions
- End of life recycling guidance
Electronics
Electronics passports have to document materials, repairability and disposal. Products that enter e-waste streams without documentation create liability for the manufacturer that put them on the market.
- Component materials breakdown
- Conflict minerals compliance documentation
- Repair manuals and parts availability
- Battery composition and recycling instructions
- Firmware and software update history
Automotive
The battery passport requirement lands first here, on 18 February 2027, and increasingly the expectation extends beyond the battery to the vehicle.
- Battery chemistry and capacity documentation
- Manufacturing date and facility
- Carbon footprint calculations
- Service history integration
- End of life battery recycling requirements
Pharmaceuticals
Authentication and anti-counterfeiting are the driver here, and a blockchain-anchored passport gives an unbroken chain of custody rather than a chain of assertions.
- Manufacturing batch documentation
- Quality control test results
- Distribution chain verification
- Authenticity verification for patients and pharmacies
- Recall management with instant notification
Consumer experience
What does verification look like for a consumer?
Four seconds and one scan. If a consumer or an inspector cannot check a passport easily, the passport has failed at the only job it has, so the verification path deliberately needs nothing installed.
- Scan the QR code on the product
- The verification page loads immediately, with no app needed
- Authenticity is confirmed against the blockchain record
- The product data is displayed in full
The whole sequence works on any smartphone, with no downloads and no accounts.
Additional tools for regulators
For inspectors, TRUE adds batch verification, audit trails and export for compliance documentation, so a site visit does not turn into a scanning exercise.
For developers
How does a manufacturer automate passport issuing?
Through the REST API, connected to the systems that already know when a unit was made. Manual passport creation does not survive contact with a production line, so the integration point is your ERP, MES, PLM or QMS rather than a dashboard. More on API integration.
Integration points
- ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle and Microsoft Dynamics
- Manufacturing execution systems (MES)
- Product lifecycle management (PLM)
- Quality management systems (QMS)
- Warehouse management systems (WMS)
API capabilities
- Create passports programmatically
- Update passport status as a unit ships, is installed or is recycled
- Batch issuing for high-volume production
- Webhook notifications for verification events
- Analytics on passport views and verifications
Five endpoints, documented in full. Most integrations go live within one to two weeks.
Trust & compliance
What compliance signals does TRUE carry?
Six, and they matter here because a passport is a regulatory artefact rather than a marketing asset. The platform issuing it has to stand up to the same scrutiny as the data inside it.
eIDAS compliant
TRUE complies with EU eIDAS rules on electronic identification and trust services, which matters for passports that have to meet European standards for document integrity.
GDPR native
As a Swedish company, TRUE was built to European data protection requirements from the start. Personal data handling follows GDPR practice by default rather than by configuration.
Cyber hygiene certified
TRUE is Cyber Hygiene Certified by OneMore Secure, which validates its security practices and data protection measures.
Audit trail
Every passport carries a complete audit trail: when it was created, by whom, and which blockchain transaction secured it.
Working toward ISO 27001
TRUE is working toward ISO 27001 certification, the international standard for information security management.
Swedish headquarters
TRUE operates from Stockholm under the same regulations its customers are subject to, which shapes how GDPR, eIDAS and DPP requirements are handled.
Why TRUE
Why choose TRUE for digital product passports?
Because the two hard parts of a passport programme are proving integrity and issuing at production volume, and both are what the platform was built for. The rest is data mapping, which your systems already do.
Built for European regulation
TRUE is a Swedish company operating under the same rules its customers face. GDPR, eIDAS and DPP requirements are part of how the platform was designed rather than additions to it.
Proven at volume
More than 500 000 documents issued and over 200 organisations using the platform. These are TRUE platform figures rather than third party research.
More than a compliance artefact
When a consumer scans your product's passport, they land on your brand. Analytics show how often passports are viewed, where and by whom. Learn about custom domain branding.
Durable by construction
Blockchain records are permanent, so passports stay verifiable as regulations change, systems get replaced and decades pass.
What do TRUE customers say?
“For us, it’s only natural to collaborate with the player in secure document management that has the highest quality, and stands for world-class security.”
“A clear advantage of our new digital certificates is how easily they can be added as a reference to LinkedIn or a digital CV. The ease of use and verifiability creates trust!”
Implementation
How long does a DPP implementation take?
Four to eight weeks for most manufacturers, from the first call to a full product range. The integration itself is the short part; scoping which products fall in scope and when usually takes longer.
- Discovery call.
We assess your product categories, volumes and compliance timeline. - Template design.
Design your passport templates with the required data fields and your branding. - Integration.
Connect TRUE to your systems through the API, or use the dashboard for lower volumes. - Pilot.
Issue passports for one product line, validate the workflow and train your team. - Scale.
Roll out across the full product range.
The first battery deadline is 18 February 2027. Manufacturers who start now have room to integrate properly, pilot on one line, and scale without a rush at the end.
FAQ
What do manufacturers ask about digital product passports?
Questions that come up most often from compliance, engineering and IT teams preparing for the ESPR deadlines.
What is a Digital Product Passport?
A Digital Product Passport is a digital record holding information about a physical product, including its origin, materials, manufacturing process, environmental impact, repairability and end of life instructions. The EU is making passports mandatory for defined product categories under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, to support sustainability and circular economy goals.
Why does blockchain matter for DPPs?
Because it supplies tamper-proof data integrity. Once a passport is written to a blockchain it cannot be altered or deleted without the change being detectable, which is what a regulator needs in order to treat the data as evidence rather than as a claim.
When do EU DPP requirements take effect?
The first compliance deadline is 18 February 2027, for certain large batteries under the Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542. Further product groups, including textiles and consumer electronics, follow through delegated acts under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. The Commission's DPP Registry went live on 20 July 2026.
How do consumers verify a passport?
They scan the QR code on the product with any smartphone. The verification page loads immediately, confirms authenticity against the blockchain record and displays the product information. No app download and no account are needed.
Can TRUE integrate with our existing systems?
Yes. The REST API integrates with ERP, MES, PLM, QMS and other manufacturing systems. With five endpoints and full documentation, most integrations complete within one to two weeks.
What industries does TRUE support?
Fashion and textiles, electronics, automotive, pharmaceuticals and any other sector that has to produce verifiable product documentation. The data model is flexible enough to carry different product types and field sets.
Is TRUE compliant with EU regulations?
TRUE is eIDAS compliant, GDPR native as a Swedish company, and Cyber Hygiene Certified. It is also working toward ISO 27001 certification. The platform was built to meet European regulatory standards rather than adapted to them.
How long do passports remain verifiable?
Indefinitely. Blockchain records are permanent, so passports stay verifiable for the entire product lifecycle and after it, which is what the DPP rules are designed to require.