Digital product passport for machinery: required?
By Redaktion Maschinenpass · As of · Digital product passport and standards
Short answer
No. Today there is no obligation for machinery to have a digital product passport under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR, (EU) 2024/1781). The obligation arises only through a delegated act per product group, and for "machinery" there is neither such an act nor an entry in the 2025 to 2030 working plan. It can still matter indirectly through batteries, components and customer requirements. A machine passport is voluntary today and cannot be registered in the Commission register.
Clear answer and reasons
- Machinery is within the scope of the ESPR (Art. 1(2)), but the passport duty requires a delegated act (Art. 4, Art. 9(1)).
- The working plan COM(2025) 187 does not list machinery as a product group. The Commission may also regulate groups outside the plan (Art. 5(6)); the plan provides for a mid-term review in 2028.
- The Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 does not contain the word "passport".
- The register currently accepts only the product group batteries (OpenAPI 1.0.0).
Indirect relevance
| Area | Status | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Certain batteries | Passport from 18 February 2027 for industrial batteries above 2 kWh and light means of transport batteries | The duty attaches to the battery, also inside a machine |
| Electric motors and variable speed drives | In the working plan, indicative 2028 | Component of almost every machine; start of duty open |
| Iron and steel, aluminium | Q4 2026, Q3 to Q4 2027 (adoption) | Raw material; the Commission considers selected end products |
What makes sense now
- Meet the duties of the Machinery Regulation first: instructions, declaration, marking.
- Choose stable identifiers and addresses that can serve a future product passport.
- Watch legal developments: working plan, register, European Product Act (a leaked draft only, not law).
What this means in practice
- For machines with batteries, ask early: who places the battery on the market?
- Do not confuse duty and offer: a voluntary passport fulfils no ESPR obligation.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a digital product passport for my machine in 2027?
Not according to the status of 5 November 2026. For certain batteries you place on the market (such as industrial batteries above 2 kWh) the battery passport applies from 18 February 2027.
Can a machine passport be registered in the Commission register?
No. The register currently accepts only batteries.
Sources and references
References come from the editorial research of 5 November 2026. Consolidated versions and summaries are not legally binding; the Official Journal is authoritative. Standards texts were not read.
- Verordnung (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR) (EUR-Lex), Art. 4, 9 to 15, Annex III (Primary source)
- Arbeitsplan Ökodesign und Energiekennzeichnung 2025 bis 2030, COM(2025) 187, Section 2.2 (Primary source)
- Durchführungsverordnung (EU) 2026/1778 (Register für digitale Produktpässe) (Primary source)
- Verordnung (EU) 2023/1542 (Batterieverordnung), konsolidiert 13.08.2026, Art. 77 (Primary source)
- Europäische Kommission: Vorschlag zur Normung (European Product Act), COM(2026) 780 (Primary source)
- VDMA: Ökodesign-Verordnung und digitaler Produktpass (Secondary source)
- IBF: Der digitale Produktpass im Maschinen- und Anlagenbau (Secondary source)
- Europäische Kommission: Digitaler Produktpass (Startseite und Zeitleiste) (Primary source)
- kothes: Der digitale Produktpass unter der ESPR (Interview mit einem VDMA-Vertreter, April 2026) (Secondary source)
- industrial-production.de: VDMA-Initiative „DPP for Machinery“ gestartet (Secondary source)
- Cooley, 22.09.2026: The European Product Act (zum geleakten Entwurf, Sekundärquelle) (Secondary source)
- Osborne Clarke: Leaked draft European Product Act (zum geleakten Entwurf, Sekundärquelle) (Secondary source)
Change log
- : First version.
Provide documents per serial number
Maschinenpass keeps instructions, declaration and file per serial number. The "Example" page shows a passport with fictional data.