In Digital Product Passport implementation, terminology defines what companies are actually required to build.
As the European framework moves into implementation, understanding the language used across legislation, technical standards and operational guidance is essential for interpreting requirements correctly and making informed decisions.
This glossary explains the terms that directly affect DPP scope, responsibilities, data architecture and implementation decisions.
A Digital Product Passport is a structured digital record linked to a physical product through a unique identifier and data carrier. It gives authorised actors access to product information across the product lifecycle.
There is no single dataset that applies to every DPP. The required information, level of granularity, access rights and retention period depend on the rules applying to the relevant product category.
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, or ESPR, establishes the European framework for ecodesign requirements and Digital Product Passports.
It introduces the common principles behind the system, including product identification, data carriers, access to information and the EU DPP Registry. It does not define the complete DPP requirements for every product category.
The ESPR Working Plan identifies the product groups and horizontal measures the European Commission intends to prioritise.
For companies, it indicates whether their category is expected to be addressed and when the related regulatory work may begin. Inclusion in the Working Plan does not immediately make a DPP mandatory. The actual obligations must still be introduced through subsequent legislation.
A delegated act supplements the ESPR by defining requirements for a particular product group.
For sectors such as textiles or furniture, it may establish:
This is therefore the legal measure that translates the general ESPR framework into concrete obligations for a product category.
Some sectors follow a different route. Toys and detergents, for example, have DPP obligations established through their own sector-specific regulations.
An implementing act establishes the procedures needed to apply specific provisions consistently across the European Union.
For example, an implementing act defines how identifiers are submitted to the EU DPP Registry, how registration data is validated or how information is exchanged with other European systems.
The distinction is:
A harmonised standard is a European standard developed by a recognised standards organisation following a request from the European Commission.
Once its reference is published in the Official Journal of the European Union, companies may use the standard to demonstrate compliance with the legal requirements it covers.
The European DPP CEN-CENELEC standards address technical areas including identifiers, data carriers, interoperability, data exchange, storage, security and access management.
Presumption of conformity means that a product or system complying with a referenced harmonised standard is presumed to meet the corresponding legal requirements covered by that standard.
Using a harmonised standard is generally voluntary. A company may use another technical solution, but it must then demonstrate independently that the applicable requirements have been satisfied.
A unique product identifier distinguishes a product from other products and connects it with its Digital Product Passport.
It must remain linked to the correct product and work across the systems and processes in which the product is identified. EN 18219:2026, Digital Product Passport – Unique identifiers, defines the requirements for product identifiers and their relationship with the applicable level of granularity, such as model, batch or individual item.
A unique operator identifier identifies the economic operator responsible for activities connected with the product or its passport.
Depending on the applicable legislation, this may refer to the manufacturer, importer or another responsible operator. EN 18219:2026 defines the technical requirements for unique identifiers used for economic operators within the DPP system.
A unique facility identifier identifies a location or facility connected with the product’s value chain.
Whether it must be included in a DPP depends on the requirements established for the relevant product category. Where required, its technical implementation is covered by EN 18219:2026, which addresses unique identifiers for products, economic operators and facilities.
A data carrier is the physical or digital element used to connect a product with its passport. It may take the form of a QR code, barcode or another machine-readable technology permitted by the applicable rules.
EN 18220:2026 defines the technical requirements for DPP data carriers and the links between physical products and their digital representations, including aspects such as encoding, scanability, accessibility, durability, quality and placement.
Its positioning and format may be defined by product-specific or technical requirements. In many cases, it must also be visible before purchase, including in online sales.
Granularity determines the level at which a Digital Product Passport is created:
EN 18219:2026 addresses how unique identifiers operate across these levels of granularity. However, the level required for a specific product category is determined by the applicable legislation or product-specific delegated act. Companies may also choose a more detailed level when this supports operational or customer-facing use cases.
The EU Digital Product Passport Registry records key identifiers associated with Digital Product Passports and supports regulatory controls, passport discovery and customs verification.
The Registry does not store the complete Digital Product Passport. The full passport and its underlying data remain within the decentralised infrastructure operated by the responsible economic operator or its service provider.
Read more in Renoon’s guide to the EU DPP Registry.
A unique registration identifier is generated when the required product and operator identifiers are submitted to the EU DPP Registry.
It identifies the corresponding registration record and is communicated to the registering actor through the Registry interface or API. Receiving this identifier confirms that the registration has been recorded, but does not in itself demonstrate that the product or its Digital Product Passport complies with all applicable requirements.
Registration data are retained in the Registry for ten years from registration, unless the applicable product legislation establishes a different retention period.
The DPP web portal is the European interface through which eligible users can search for passports and access information made discoverable through the DPP infrastructure.
It is separate from the passport interface that a company may present to consumers on its website, e-commerce pages or product microsites.
The European DPP system follows a decentralised architecture. The complete product dataset is stored by the responsible economic operator or its DPP service provider rather than being transferred to a single central European database.
The EU Registry stores the identifiers and registration information needed to locate and control passports, while the underlying data remains within the connected external infrastructure.
A DPP service provider offers services such as passport creation, data processing, storage, publication, backup and connection with the EU Registry.
The provider should enable interoperability, continuity and data portability so that companies can retain access to their information and move it between systems when necessary.
The European Commission is preparing a delegated act for DPP service providers, which will establish the requirements they must meet and may also introduce a certification scheme. Until it is adopted, companies should assess providers against the requirements already established by the ESPR and the applicable technical standards.
A backup copy ensures that required DPP information can remain available if the original system or responsible economic operator can no longer maintain it.
Specific product legislation may require the economic operator to make a backup available through a DPP service provider.
Machine-readable data can be identified and processed automatically by software.
Within a DPP, this allows individual data points to be searched, exchanged or validated without manually extracting them from a webpage, image or PDF.
Semantic interoperability means that different systems interpret exchanged information consistently.
For example, materials, countries, economic-operator roles and lifecycle stages must retain the same meaning when information moves between supplier systems, company databases, DPP providers and authorities.
Technical interoperability is the ability of different systems to connect and exchange information through compatible formats, protocols and interfaces.
A passport may contain correctly organised information but still be unable to exchange it if the systems involved use incompatible technical methods.
Open standards are commonly available specifications used for elements such as identifiers, data carriers and data exchange.
They allow organisations and technology providers to build compatible systems and reduce dependence on closed architectures.
Data portability is the ability to retrieve and transfer DPP information from one provider or system to another in a usable format.
Vendor lock-in occurs when a company cannot practically move its data or continue operating its passports without remaining dependent on a particular provider. The European DPP framework requires data to be transferable through interoperable systems without vendor lock-in.
An economic operator is a party with responsibilities under EU product legislation, such as a manufacturer, importer, authorised representative or distributor.
The responsibilities assigned to each role depend on the applicable product regulation.
The manufacturer produces a product or has it designed or manufactured and markets it under its own name or trademark.
In many DPP frameworks, the manufacturer is responsible for creating the passport, ensuring the accuracy of the required information and demonstrating product compliance.
An importer is an EU-based operator that places a product from a non-EU country on the European market.
Its responsibilities may include checking that the manufacturer has completed the required documentation, identification, labelling and DPP obligations.
An authorised representative is established in the EU and receives a written mandate to perform specified regulatory tasks on behalf of a manufacturer.
The mandate determines which responsibilities it may carry out. It does not automatically transfer every obligation belonging to the manufacturer.
A distributor makes a product available on the market after it has been placed there by another operator.
It may be required to verify that mandatory identifiers, labels and data carriers are present and to cooperate with market-surveillance authorities.
Placing on the market means making a product available on the EU market for the first time.
This normally occurs once for each individual product. The date on which a product is placed on the market can determine which regulatory requirements apply to it.
Making available on the market means supplying a product for distribution, consumption or use in the EU during a commercial activity.
It includes subsequent stages after the product has first been placed on the market, such as distribution or retail sale.
This distinction matters because transitional provisions may treat products already placed on the market differently from products introduced after a new requirement begins to apply.
Understanding the terminology is the first step. Implementation requires companies to connect these concepts with their own products, regulatory responsibilities, systems and supply chains.
Renoon supports companies in translating Digital Product Passport requirements into an operational data model and scalable implementation process, from product identification and data collection to publication and Registry integration.
Speak with our team about your Digital Product Passport project.
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