Skip to main content

DPP requirements

This page explains what the EU Battery Regulation requires every battery DPP to contain, the data carrier requirements, and how DPP data is divided into public and restricted access tiers.


Legal Disclaimer

This documentation is informational only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult qualified legal counsel for advice specific to your products and compliance situation.


Regulatory Basis

The battery digital product passport (DPP) is mandated by two articles of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542:

  • Article 8 establishes the general DPP obligation: every battery within scope must have a digital product passport before it is placed on the EU market.
  • Article 77 establishes the battery passport as the specific form of DPP required for rechargeable industrial and EV batteries (and by extension LMT batteries under implementing acts). The battery passport is the primary instrument for the lifecycle data required under the regulation.

The minimum data requirements for each battery category are set out in the Annexes to the regulation, with further detail to be added by Commission delegated acts. Annex XIII covers industrial batteries (see Annex XIII for the full field reference).


Data Categories Required in Every Battery DPP

The following ten data categories represent the minimum scope of information that a compliant battery DPP must contain. Not every category applies to every battery type — the applicable fields by category are noted below.

1. General Information

Applies to: All battery categories.

FieldDescription
Battery manufacturerName and registered address of the battery manufacturer
Manufacturer contactContact information for enquiries and market surveillance
Manufacturing locationCountry and facility identifier
Battery model identifierThe unique model or type identifier assigned by the manufacturer
Battery categoryEV / LMT / Industrial / SLI / Portable
Battery chemistryActive electrode materials (e.g. NMC, LFP, NCA, lead-acid)
Battery capacityRated capacity in ampere-hours (Ah) at defined test conditions
VoltageNominal voltage and operating range
Serial number or batch identifierUnique identifier for the specific battery unit or production batch
Date of manufactureMonth and year of manufacture
EU Battery Database registration numberProducer registration number with the EEA database
Authorised representative (where applicable)Name and address of EU authorised representative for non-EU manufacturers

2. Carbon Footprint

Applies to: EV batteries (from 18 Feb 2025), Industrial batteries (from 18 Aug 2025). Not required for: LMT, SLI, Portable.

FieldDescription
Carbon footprint valueTotal lifecycle carbon footprint in kg CO₂ equivalent per kWh of capacity
Carbon footprint performance classClass A–E relative to market benchmarks (from 18 Feb 2026 for EV; from 18 Aug 2026 for Industrial)
Carbon footprint study referenceReference to the supporting lifecycle assessment or PEF study
Verification statusWhether the carbon footprint has been third-party verified
Verifier identificationName and accreditation number of the verifying body (where verified)

3. Recycled Content

Applies to: EV and Industrial batteries (declarations from DPP mandatory date; minimum thresholds from 2030). Not required for: LMT, SLI, Portable (though voluntary declarations are permitted).

FieldDescription
Cobalt — recycled content (%)Share of cobalt in the battery derived from pre- or post-consumer recycled material
Nickel — recycled content (%)Share of nickel derived from recycled material
Lithium — recycled content (%)Share of lithium derived from recycled material
Lead — recycled content (%)Share of lead derived from recycled material (particularly relevant for SLI)
Verification statusWhether recycled content figures have been third-party verified
Verification report referenceReference to the verification documentation

4. Renewable Content

Applies to: All battery categories (where renewable materials are used).

The regulation anticipates that future batteries may incorporate biobased or renewable materials. Where such materials are used, the share of renewable content must be declared. For most current battery chemistries, this field will be zero or not applicable.

5. Performance and Durability

Applies to: EV, Industrial, LMT batteries. Limited requirements for SLI and Portable.

FieldDescription
Initial rated capacityRated capacity at beginning of life (Ah) at standard test conditions
Capacity threshold for end of lifeThe capacity value (% of rated) at which the battery is considered end of life
Cycle lifeNumber of full charge/discharge cycles to end-of-life threshold under defined conditions
Calendar lifeExpected operational life in years under defined conditions (critical for industrial BESS)
Operating temperature rangeMinimum and maximum temperature for rated operation
State of health (SoH) methodologyDescription of the method used to determine SoH (supports second-life assessment)
Power capabilityRated maximum continuous and peak power output (kW)
Internal resistanceInitial internal resistance (mΩ) at defined test conditions

6. Hazardous Substances

Applies to: All battery categories.

The DPP must identify hazardous substances present in the battery above the threshold levels established in Annex XIII of the regulation (by reference to the CLP Regulation, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008).

FieldDescription
Hazardous substance nameChemical name and CAS number of each hazardous substance present above threshold
Location within the batteryThe battery component in which the substance is present
ConcentrationConcentration (% by weight) or range
Safety data sheet referenceReference to the relevant Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

7. Supply Chain Due Diligence

Applies to: EV and Industrial batteries. Not required for: LMT, SLI, Portable.

FieldDescription
Geographic origin — cobaltCountry or region of extraction of cobalt
Geographic origin — natural graphiteCountry or region of extraction of natural graphite
Geographic origin — lithiumCountry or region of extraction of lithium
Geographic origin — nickelCountry or region of extraction of nickel
Due diligence policy referenceReference to the operator's supply chain due diligence policy
Third-party audit referenceReference to the most recent third-party supply chain audit (where available)

The requirement to declare geographic origin applies to the raw material extraction stage, not the processing or refining stage. Where the same material passes through multiple processing countries, the country of extraction is the relevant origin.

8. Extended Producer Responsibility

Applies to: All battery categories (extent of information varies by category).

FieldDescription
EPR registration numberProducer's registration number in the relevant EU member state EPR scheme(s)
Take-back scheme identifierName and identification of the collective take-back scheme the producer participates in
Collection point informationInformation on how end users can return the battery for recycling (particularly for portable and SLI batteries)

9. Labelling Information

Applies to: All battery categories.

The DPP must include or reference the information that appears on the physical battery label, to ensure consistency and enable verification.

FieldDescription
Separate collection symbolConfirmation that the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol is present on the battery
Capacity labelConsumer-facing capacity declaration (where applicable: mAh for portable, kWh for larger categories)
CE markingConfirmation of CE marking
Hazardous substance symbolsCLP hazard pictograms (where applicable)
Carbon footprint performance class labelPerformance class letter (where applicable)
QR code presenceConfirmation that the DPP QR code is physically present on the battery

10. Compliance and Conformity

Applies to: All battery categories.

FieldDescription
Declaration of Conformity referenceDocument reference number and date of the EU Declaration of Conformity
DoC issuing entityName and address of the entity that issued the DoC
Notified body identificationName, country, and notified body number (where third-party conformity assessment was required)
Applicable standardsList of harmonised EU standards applied in the conformity assessment
Regulation compliance statementConfirmation that the battery complies with all applicable requirements of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542

Data Carrier Requirements

Article 8(4) and Annex VI of the regulation establish the following requirements for the data carrier (QR code) that links to the DPP:

  • Type: A two-dimensional QR code (ISO/IEC 18004)
  • Placement: Permanently attached to the battery (or, for batteries incorporated in a device, to the device at minimum) and to any packaging
  • Readability: Must remain legible and scannable for the operational lifetime of the battery
  • Language: The QR code itself carries no language requirement — the DPP it links to must be available in the language(s) required for the market
  • Minimum size: Defined in Commission implementing acts (consistent with product labelling regulations)
  • Content: Must link directly to the DPP record for that specific battery — a single QR code linking to a manufacturer's website without a direct link to the specific battery DPP does not comply

Traceable generates a unique QR code for every DPP. The QR code encodes the direct URL to the battery's public DPP viewer page. Operators are responsible for ensuring that the QR code is printed and physically affixed to each battery unit before it is placed on the EU market.


Public, Authorised, and Operator Access Tiers

Article 77(3) of the regulation recognises that not all DPP data should be available to the general public. Battery DPP data is divided into three access tiers:

Tier 1: Public Access

Data accessible to any person who scans the QR code, without authentication. Intended to support consumer information, market surveillance, and environmental transparency.

Typical public-access data includes:

  • Manufacturer name and contact information
  • Battery model and category
  • Battery chemistry
  • Rated capacity and voltage
  • Carbon footprint value and performance class (where applicable)
  • Recycled content declarations
  • Hazardous substance summary
  • Separate collection and end-of-life instructions
  • CE marking status
  • Declaration of Conformity reference

Tier 2: Authorised Party Access (PoLI — Proof of Legitimate Interest)

Data accessible to parties who can demonstrate a legitimate interest in accessing it. The regulation anticipates that certain sensitive commercial or operational data should not be publicly available but must be accessible to authorised market surveillance authorities, repair operators, recyclers, and second-life operators.

Access under this tier is controlled by the Proof of Legitimate Interest (PoLI) mechanism. Traceable implements role-based access to DPP data, allowing operators to designate which fields are accessible to which authorised roles.

Typical authorised-access data includes:

  • Supply chain due diligence documentation
  • Third-party verification reports
  • Detailed geographic origin data
  • State of health data and BMS parameters (for second-life operators)
  • Internal component identifiers
  • Notified body assessment details

Tier 3: Operator-Only Access

Data accessible only to the battery manufacturer or operator and their authorised users within the Traceable platform. This data is maintained for internal compliance purposes and is not exposed through the public or authorised DPP access.

Typical operator-only data includes:

  • Internal production batch records
  • Supplier contracts and commercial terms
  • Internal quality control records
  • Draft DPP versions prior to publication

DPP Lifetime Requirements

Article 8(5) requires that DPP data remains accessible for the lifetime of the battery plus ten years. For EV and industrial batteries with operational lives of 15–20+ years, this means DPP records must remain accessible for up to 30 years.

Operators using Traceable should review Traceable's data retention commitments , available on request from privacy@traceable.digital and consider what happens to DPP records if they cease to use the Traceable platform — the regulatory obligation to maintain accessibility does not end when a platform subscription ends.