EU Digital Product Passport (DPP) and Roadmap in Textiles

EU Ecodesign Regulation (ESPR) and Digital Product Passport

The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR - Regulation (EU) 2024/1781) adopted by the European Union is the cornerstone legislation aiming to enhance environmental sustainability, circularity and energy efficiency of products in the EU internal market [1]. Under ESPR provisions, placing products that fail to comply with designated ecodesign criteria and information requirements on the EU market is legally prohibited [1].
The regulation introduces the deployment of the Digital Product Passport (Digital Product Passport - DPP) [1]. This passport system will be accessible via QR codes, RFID or similar open-standard data carriers affixed to the product, its packaging or accompanying documentation [1]. Technical data in the passport will be utilized by consumers, market surveillance authorities, and professional repair and recycling facilities [1].

Regulatory Timeline: 2027 Objective and Status of Home Textiles

The claim frequently voiced across the industry that 'DPP becomes mandatory for home textiles, curtains and upholstery fabrics in 2027' is inaccurate regarding the legal calendar [1]. The ESPR regulation constitutes framework legislation, and binding obligations for a specific product group arise exclusively through delegated acts enacted specifically for that sector [1].
In the European Union schedule, the textile sector is among priority product groups, and this scope is designated specifically as apparel [1]. The 2027 date in the work plan does not represent an effective mandate date, but the indicative target schedule for adopting the product-specific regulation [1]. Furthermore, the ESPR regulation contains an explicit legal safeguard: The date of application for a delegated act adopted for any product group can commence at the earliest 18 months following its entry into force [1]. Therefore, even if the apparel regulation is adopted in 2027, the obligation will take effect at the earliest 18 months later [1]. For home textiles, curtains and upholstery fabrics, no dedicated secondary regulation timeline has yet been published [1].

CIRPASS-2 Project and Identifier Granularity Discussions

Textile expert working groups operate within the CIRPASS-2 project funded by the European Union to formulate technical standards for DPP architecture [2], [3]. The level of granularity at which the DPP will be structured (product model level, batch/lot level or individual item level) will be defined in the respective product group regulation [1], [3].
In an industry survey conducted among participants of the CIRPASS-2 textile expert group, specialists voiced strong support for identifying products at the individual item level over the long term [2].
In Turkey, KOSGEB offers green transformation support [4].