The European Commission launched the Digital Product Passport Registry and a testing environment on 20 July 2026, moving the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) into a new implementation stage.
The Registry provides infrastructure for registering unique product identifiers and required metadata, while detailed passport data remains decentralised. Textile and apparel are among the priority product groups expected to use Digital Product Passports as product-specific rules are introduced.
Digital Product Passport Registry Opens for Testing
The Digital Product Passport is intended to improve access to reliable product information, strengthen traceability across supply chains and support compliance in the EU Single Market. Businesses can already test the registration process through a secure user interface or an application programming interface, helping them prepare before product-specific obligations take effect.
The European Commission said the current testing phase should support a smoother rollout. However, the launch of the registry does not yet introduce Digital Product Passport requirements for textiles. Those obligations will depend on future product-specific rules and transition periods. The Registry launch came one day after the ESPR ban on destroying unsold apparel, clothing accessories and footwear began applying to large companies.
For the apparel sector, the overall direction is becoming clearer, even though the detailed requirements are not yet final. The European Commission has identified textiles and apparel as a priority area in its 2025–2030 ecodesign work plan.
Its sustainable and circular textiles strategy also sets out a 2030 vision in which products placed on the EU market are more durable, easier to repair and more readily recyclable, with greater use of recycled fibres. Textile-specific measures and related data requirements are still being developed.
Apparel Components May Require Greater Traceability
As textile-specific ecodesign measures are developed, brands may need to consider more than the main fabric. Buttons, buckles, fasteners, eyelets, patches and other trims can affect how long a garment lasts, whether it can be repaired and how easily materials can be separated for recycling.
Depending on the final requirements, product passports could eventually include information about trim materials, recycled content, suppliers, care compatibility and replacement options. For fashion brands, garment manufacturers and product-development teams, this may place greater emphasis on apparel components during sourcing.
Teams may need consistent evidence covering durability, repairability, traceability and claims relating to recycled content or environmental impact. Some garment trim manufacturers, such as Frameless Asia Pacific, already offer sustainable trims made from GRS-certified recycled metals, biodegradable plastics, and natural materials like corozo.
As the detailed requirements are still being developed, brands should not assume that a single certificate will demonstrate compliance. Specifications, test results and chain-of-custody records may all be relevant.
