[Regulatory Update] European Commission adopts Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1778 on the DPP registry — registration by verified economic operators

On 16 July 2026, the European Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1778, which sets out operational arrangements for the digital product passport (DPP) registry under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR, Regulation (EU) 2024/1781). The Regulation was published in the Official Journal of the EU (L series) on 17 July 2026. It provides that it enters into force on the twentieth day following publication (Article 24), which falls on 6 August 2026 on the calendar. The registry covers products for which Union law requires a DPP to be registered, including products under delegated acts, batteries, construction products, toys, and detergents and surfactants (Article 1). Only verified economic operators may register DPPs: sole traders are verified by a qualified electronic signature, a high-assurance electronic identification means or a qualified electronic attestation of attributes, and legal persons by a qualified electronic seal or a qualified electronic attestation of attributes (Article 4). Verified status lasts until the electronic identification means expires and for no longer than three years from verification; after that, the operator cannot register new passports or modify data without repeating verification. Third parties authorised to act for an operator must also be verified, and the operator remains fully responsible (Article 19). A DPP is registered at the most granular level required by the applicable rules (model, batch or item), and the operator is responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the information and for keeping it up to date (Articles 8 and 19). Proof of registration is available from the registry for 90 calendar days from its generation (Article 9). Member States must appoint a designated national administrator by 18 February 2027 at the latest (Article 7).