Digital product passports and GS1 standards

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The new EU legislation

Europe is at the beginning of its transformation to a more circular economy and aims to become the world's most sustainable region. Digital product passports are included in a new EU legislative framework - the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), as part of the EU Green Deal, with the aim of fulfilling Europe's commitment to the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The proposal covers virtually all physical products on the European market in all product areas with the exception of food, animal feed and medical products, where other legislation with similar requirements applies. The law was voted through in April 2024 and journalized in July of the same year, after which the rules will be rolled out gradually until 2030.

Benefits of digital product passes

A product with information next to it and a barcode number below

Contributing to sustainability

Consumers receive product data via their smartphone to support their sustainable choices.

Increased traceability

Unique identities and standardized data make it visible that all parties in the value chain meet sustainability requirements.

A phone with a picture of a bottle on it and a magnifying glass examining the phone

More transparency

Open sustainability data provides greater international visibility for businesses and consumers through the supply chain.

Consumer and product safety

Reliable and verified data protects products, consumers and patients and ensures that everyone gets the same information.

Product with 2D barcode and speed stripes after

Efficient logistics flow

Buyers and producing companies avoid unnecessary manual administration and handling of data.

An A4 sheet with a quality seal on it, like a diploma

Law enforcement

Standardized information ensures that companies comply with laws, regulations and industry requirements.

Digital product passports and GS1

GS1 standards enable digital product passports to work in practice. Especially standards for identification, labeling and sharing. Including 2D barcodes and GS1 Digital Link are particularly relevant for digital product passports.

This means that GS1 standards provide online access and product information from the same barcode can be scanned by consumers with mobile phones, at the point of sale and by all parties in the supply chain.

A green circle with three arrows inside, arranged in a triangular pattern

2D barcodes (QR and Datamatrix)

GS1 Digital Link

GS1 Standards

GS1 Denmark has a driving role in enabling solutions for digital product passports. We are active in the global standardization work at GS1 to further future-proof the GS1 standards as the foundation of circular value chains.

Animation of a robotic arm inserting a battery into a green electric car next to another electric car with a battery icon on the hood.

Battery Passport

The organization drives the development of product passports for industrial batteries.

CIRPASS

The mission of the group is to develop prototype product passports on behalf of the European Commission.

Questions and answers

Below you can find some of the questions and answers we have already received. Maybe it's something you're looking for too.

Should the product passport be on the product or the packaging?

The product identifier (encoded, for example, in a QR code using GS1 standards) must be located on the product itself or included in the documentation that accompanies the product. Normally, the same code will likely also be located on the packaging to facilitate the purchasing decision (access to information before purchase) and to allow it to be used in the store without having to open the packaging.

Does the law apply to all products?

The law will apply to all products sold on the EU market, with the exception of food, animal feed and medical products.

What applies to food packaging?

The EU is not currently planning to introduce specific product passports for packaging under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), but this may change.

How can stakeholders access the product passport later, when the packaging is no longer available?

According to ESPR, the idea is that the identifier should be affixed directly to the product using a technology that ensures it remains readable throughout the product’s entire lifespan.

Does the law apply only within the EU, or does it also apply outside the EU—that is, to products manufactured outside the EU?

The law applies to all products sold in the EU, regardless of where they are produced.

Do the unique identities apply to product categories or individual items?

It depends on the product category. Products that need to be handled throughout their lifecycle often need to be identified individually, while for consumer goods, identification at the product or batch level is sufficient.

When will product passports be available for other products, such as paint, chemicals, and cleaning products?

The EU has not yet announced a timeline for the various product categories that will be regulated under the ESPR. For certain products, such as building materials (which may include paint), there are currently other regulatory frameworks in place with similar requirements for reporting certain sustainability data.

Do product passports include standards for defining properties, and how can we ensure clear communication of properties without hindering automation?

Part of the ongoing work to develop the detailed product-specific rules will be to select existing or define and standardize new terminologies/taxonomies for the properties to be included in the product passports.

When will standardization around product passports be completed?

Standardization takes time, as many stakeholders must be involved and the goal is to ensure standardized solutions that are not tied to specific industries. The final standardization work is being carried out by the CEN/CENELEC JTC-24 working group, on behalf of the European Commission, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

To learn more about the work of JTC-24, the group’s work program can be found here.

In parallel with this, GS1 is working through our own GSMP processes to ensure that GS1 standards meet our members’ needs in the circular transition—with a particular focus on product passports. This work is aligned with CEN & CENELEC and is also scheduled for completion by the end of 2025.

What are digital product passes?

Understand digital product passes
in two minutes

Digital product passports in practice

The new EU legislation

Digital product passports for car batteries