What is the Digital Product Passport?

The Construction Digital Product Passport (DPP), introduced by the new Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 on Construction Products (CPR-2024), is an important innovation for the sector. This digital tool is set to revolutionize transparency and access to information on construction products throughout their entire life cycle.
The Digital Product Passport (DPP) was conceived as a cross-cutting instrument to support both the ecological and digital transition and to contribute to achieving the sustainability goals set by the European Green Deal and the circular economy. Introduced by Regulation (EU) 2024/1781, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), the DPP was initially applied to sectors such as batteries, textiles, and electronics (characterized by high environmental impact and greater digital maturity), with the aim of gradually extending it to more complex sectors such as construction.
The main objectives of the DPP for construction products include:

• Increasing transparency and access to information on construction products.
• Improving efficiency in information transfer along the supply chain.
• Contributing to the digitalization of the construction sector as a whole, making the regulatory framework fit for the digital era and ensuring interoperability with systems such as Building Information Modelling (BIM).
• Promoting sustainability and the circular economy by facilitating reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling of products through the availability of key information.
• Supporting market surveillance by providing clear and durable information.
• Reducing administrative burdens and costs for economic operators and authorities by leveraging digital technologies.

Contents of the Digital Product Passport

The DPP will be a comprehensive digital register containing various types of information about construction products.
Specifically, it must include:

• The Declaration of Performance and Conformity (DoPC), as required by Article 15 of CPR-2024. This also includes the information specified in Articles 31 or 33 of the REACH Regulation (Reg. (EC) No. 1907/2006).

• General product information, user instructions, and safety information, as detailed in Annex IV of CPR-2024 and Article 22, paragraph 6.

• The technical documentation referred to in Article 22, paragraph 3, including the specific sections required by the simplified procedures (Articles 59 to 61).

• The specific environmental labeling required under Article 22, paragraph 9.

• The unique product identifiers, issued pursuant to Article 79, paragraph 1.

• The documentation required by other applicable Union legislation for the product.

• The data carriers of the essential parts of the product, if these parts already have their own DPP.

The content of the DPP must be accurate, complete, and up to date.

Manufacturers’ Obligations and Timeline

Manufacturers will be responsible for creating, maintaining, and providing access to a DPP containing complete and accurate information about their construction products.
A key obligation for manufacturers is set out in Article 22, paragraph 7 of CPR-2024: 18 months after the entry into force of the delegated act establishing the Construction Digital Product Passport system, manufacturers must make a DPP available through that system for construction products covered by harmonized technical specifications issued in accordance with CPR 2024/3110. This DPP must be linked to a data carrier (such as a linear barcode, a QR code, or another device-readable automatic identification medium).
Before the DPP system becomes mandatory, manufacturers may provide the DoPC electronically, including via a website, provided it is in a non-modifiable format, both human- and machine-readable, free of charge, and linked to the product via a unique identification code or permalink.
The DPP system must remain accessible for 25 years after the last product of the corresponding type has been placed on the market, while the manufacturer is required to make it available for at least 10 years. This long-term availability is crucial to ensure information for reuse and remanufacturing.

Data Accessibility and Interoperability

The CPR-2024 emphasizes the importance of data accessibility and interoperability within the DPP. The system must be:

• Based on open standards and use an interoperable format to ensure seamless data exchange.
• Designed to be fully interoperable with other product digital passports, both technically, semantically, and organizationally.
• Structured, searchable, and transferable through an interoperable and open data exchange network, avoiding vendor lock-in.
• Freely accessible to all economic operators, customers, users, and authorities through the data carrier.
• Equipped with different levels of system access, balancing the need for information with the protection of intellectual property rights and sensitive business information.

It is important to note that products exempt from drawing up the DoPC (for example, products manufactured as a single unit, custom-made on request through a non-serial process, or for heritage conservation) are also exempt from the obligation to provide a DPP.

In summary
The Digital Product Passport is a transformative tool that aims to modernize the construction sector, align it with the sustainability and digitalization goals of the European Union, and provide unprecedented access to essential product information.

Read also the other insights on the new CPR 3110/2024