EU Battery Passport Rules Put Midnight’s Privacy Technology to the Test

The European Commission publish draft implementing regulation on October 19, 2026, wey define who fit access restricted information for digital battery passports and the conditions wey go follow am.

The proposal come ahead of February 18, 2027, when digital passports go become mandatory for electric vehicle batteries, light means of transport batteries, and industrial batteries wey pass 2 kWh.

Among the projects wey dey develop technology for this requirement na NightPass, one application wey ODATANO build using Midnight. Im privacy-focused architecture dey show practical example of how blockchain verification and controlled data disclosure fit support European battery compliance.

EU Proposal Define Access to Sensitive Battery Information

Under Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, battery passports go contain information wey cover product identification, technical characteristics, sustainability, performance, and lifecycle management.

Some information suppose remain publicly accessible. Other records, including detailed battery composition, dismantling instructions, and some operational data, need restricted access.

The Commission new proposal still identify which participants fit access specific categories of information and the purposes wey those records fit serve.

Repairers, remanufacturers, repurposers, and recyclers fit need technical information to do their activities. Battery purchasers and authorized representatives get different rights wey involve individual battery information.

These differences dey create practical challenge for digital passport providers. System must determine not only whether user get permission to view data, but also which information that permission cover.

The draft still open for public feedback until November 16, 2026. Dem fit change the provisions before adoption.

Midnight’s NightPass Dey Show Privacy-Preserving Verification

ODATANO NightPass dey designed to provide different views of the same battery passport to consumers, recyclers, and regulatory authorities.

Instead make dem publish sensitive battery information directly for blockchain, the application dey keep confidential records encrypted outside the network. Midnight dey store cryptographic commitments and verification records wey people fit check without exposing the underlying dataset.

Access permissions dey managed through the application layer, while blockchain transactions fit record authorization changes wey relate to individual passports.

NightPass still support zero-knowledge proofs, wey allow selected information to dey verified without revealing the original value.

For example, manufacturer fit show say battery carbon footprint dey below specified threshold without publishing the exact measurement.

The project dey operate public demonstration on Midnight Preprod network. Users fit create sample battery passports, anchor their records, and verify cryptographic claims through explorer.

Im documentation still describe versioned battery records and ownership transfers, wey allow passport history to remain verifiable as the battery dey move through different stages of im lifecycle.

Dem don demonstrate these capabilities for development environment, no be say commercial deployment with battery manufacturers don confirm am.

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New EU Rules Create More Specific Test for NightPass

The Commission proposal introduce differences wey pass NightPass currently documented consumer, recycler, and authority access categories.

Production system go need support more granular permissions, including the differences between repairers, recyclers, purchasers, and third parties wey dey act on their behalf.

Identity verification na another requirement. Blockchain authorization record fit show say dem grant permission, but e no dey independently prove say the holder na legally authorized repairer or the rightful purchaser of particular battery.

NightPass therefore go need appropriate mechanism to connect verified real-world identities and legal roles with im digital access controls.

The European Commission never select Midnight, Cardano, or any blockchain network as official battery passport infrastructure. Blockchain and zero-knowledge proofs no be mandatory technologies under the EU framework.

ODATANO document interoperability testing and integration capabilities for NightPass, but these ones no mean official EU certification or confirmation of full regulatory compliance.

The next regulatory milestone na November 16, 2026, when public consultation go close. The battery passport obligation dey scheduled to begin on February 18, 2027.

For NightPass, the specific implementation challenge na to translate the final EU access categories into verifiable permissions while dem still preserve the separation between confidential battery information and the cryptographic records wey Midnight dey maintain.