EU Digital Product Passport Registry Becomes Operational as Cardano Foundation Targets Enterprise Compliance

According to the European Commission’s indicative schedule, the EU Digital Product Passport Registry becomes operational on July 20. Cardano Foundation renewed its DPP campaign one day earlier, following the publication of new implementation rules and the launch of a dedicated European information portal.

EU Digital Product Passport Registry Enters Operation

A Digital Product Passport is a digital record connected to a physical product, component or material. Through a unique identifier, consumers, businesses, repairers, recyclers and authorities can access information relevant to their roles.

On July 16, the Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1778, establishing operational arrangements for the registry. The system will store product identifiers and mandatory registration data, generating a unique URI for each registered passport.

Consumers may receive information about repairability, durability and carbon footprint. Repairers, recyclers and authorities can access additional technical or compliance data under separate access rules.

Requirements will be introduced gradually through product-specific acts and transition periods of at least 18 months. Digital passports become mandatory for certain batteries on February 18, 2027, while textiles, metals, tyres and construction products are included in later phases of the European Commission’s DPP schedule.

Cardano Targets the Product Data Verification Layer

Cardano Foundation presents Cardano as an integrity layer for product information rather than a replacement for enterprise databases or the European registry.

Under the Foundation’s Digital Product Passport framework, manufacturing, supplier, maintenance and logistics data can remain within existing ERP, product information management and supply chain systems. Cryptographic evidence anchored through Cardano can allow participants to verify whether those records have been altered.

The model is also designed to preserve evidence when suppliers or software providers change. Previously recorded proofs could remain available for compliance reviews, product recalls and market surveillance without depending on one database operator.

Selective disclosure adds a privacy layer. A company could verify a product claim without publishing the underlying manufacturing process, supplier agreement or commercially sensitive measurement.

The same infrastructure could support origin tracking, anti-counterfeiting controls, sustainability reporting and lifecycle information required for repair, reuse and recycling.

EU Registry Defines the Next Step for Cardano DPP Integration

Cardano Foundation’s latest campaign states that 97% of organizations have heard of the Digital Product Passport, while only 33% report a high understanding of its specific requirements.

The figures come from the KPMG European Digital Product Passport Readiness Survey, conducted across more than 70 organizations in 13 European markets. Another 58% rated their understanding as moderate, while 9% reported a low level.

Only 26% had tested a DPP solution, 35% had assigned responsibility for compliance and 15% had secured dedicated resources. KPMG describes the findings as indicative rather than statistically representative of the entire European business population.

Cardano Foundation has not announced a named manufacturer, production deployment or direct integration with the EU registry. The European Commission has also not selected Cardano as an official or mandatory part of the DPP system.

Cardano is instead being offered as an independent verification layer that could operate alongside the registry and existing business software. A production implementation would need to connect a physical product with an EU identifier, combine data from multiple organizations, enforce role-based access and preserve verifiable evidence throughout the product lifecycle.

A named enterprise pilot connecting a physical product, an existing business system, evidence anchored on Cardano and registration within the European framework would turn the Foundation’s DPP proposition into a measurable deployment.