The short version: In July 2026 the EU set three milestones for the digital product passport. The central DPP registry, including a test environment, has been online since 20 July, the new Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1778 governs registration from 6 August, and six standards, including EN 18222, are now officially recognised. For battery manufacturers the deadline itself does not change: the passport obligation still starts on 18 February 2027. But the road there is now much clearer.
What happened in July 2026
Three dates within one week:
- 15 July: The EU officially recognises six standards for the digital product passport, including EN 18222 for the interfaces (API) (Decision (EU) 2026/1736). Companies working to these standards automatically meet the corresponding EU requirements.
- 17 July: Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1778 is published in the Official Journal. For the first time it sets out, in binding form, how the central DPP registry is structured and how registration works. It applies from 6 August 2026.
- 20 July: The registry goes online, together with a test environment where companies can practise the process safely.
We read all three sources in the original and walked through the registry ourselves with our own test account. This article summarises what is actually in there, and what is not.
The registry is live: what it does and does not do
The most important point first: the registry is a directory, not a data store. It stores the unique product identifier (UPI), a reference to the passport and a small set of administrative data. The actual passport contents, meaning all battery, sustainability and compliance data, stay with the manufacturer or its software provider. The Commission's official user guide says so in as many words.
Three things stand out when you walk through the test environment:
- Access runs through an EU Login account; for the test environment you create a separate test account.
- The passport registration menu stays locked until your organisation has been verified. The order is fixed: verify the company first, then register.
- Battery passports cannot be registered at all yet. The guide states clearly that the semantic catalogue for the battery product group has not yet been defined. The feature is coming, it simply has not been switched on.
So anyone hoping to "register quickly" today cannot, regardless of the provider. That is not bad news: it means time to build a clean data foundation before the real work starts.
The new registration regulation in plain language
Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1778 answers the questions that were open until now:
- Who may register? Only a verified economic operator. Verification runs through a qualified electronic seal or signature from an approved trust service provider and is valid for three years at most, after which it is repeated.
- What is registered? Essentially the unique product identifier, a web address in a standardised format of up to 50 characters. Batteries are registered at the level of the individual item.
- How is it registered? Either through the web interface or through an interface for automated submission, individually or in batches. Important for batches: if a single passport is faulty, the entire submission is rejected.
- May service providers take this over? Yes. A software provider may carry out the registration on behalf of the manufacturer if it is verified itself. Responsibility towards the authorities expressly stays with the manufacturer.
- What proof is there? On request, an official proof of registration as a secured document, available for 90 days and regenerable at any time.
There is also an obligation many companies do not yet have on their radar: the manufacturer must make a back-up copy of the passport available through an independent passport service provider (ESPR Art. 10(4)). That keeps the passport reachable even if a company ceases operations.
Six recognised standards: what EN 18222 brings
Since 15 July, six product passport standards have been listed in the Official Journal, including EN 18222 for the interfaces (API) between passport systems. The practical effect is simple: whoever builds their system to these standards is automatically considered compliant on the points they cover. Instead of proving every technical requirement individually, you point to the standard.
Honesty still matters: there is no official seal or certificate for these standards. Claims like "certified to EN 18222" would be misleading, because nobody issues such a certificate. Serious providers state that their systems are built to the standards, and can back that up in detail.
What battery manufacturers should do now
About seven months remain until the obligation starts on 18 February 2027. A sensible order:
- 1. Build your data foundation: In practice the passport obligation rarely fails on technology, it fails on missing data (carbon footprint, materials, supply chain). Start early and the hardest part is behind you. Our checklist for 2027 walks through every point.
- 2. Look at the test environment: Create a free EU Login test account and click through the organisation verification flow once. No surprises later at the seal step.
- 3. Sort out the seal question: Verification requires a qualified electronic seal or qualified signature for your company. If you do not have one yet, plan the purchase from a trust service provider.
- 4. Assign responsibility: Decide whether you handle registration yourself or hand it to your software provider. Both are allowed, responsibility stays in-house.
- 5. Watch for the go-live: As soon as the EU switches on the battery catalogue, registration can start. We track this continuously and keep our battery passport overview up to date.
How the registry works in general and how it differs from the passport is covered in depth in our article on the EU battery passport registry; the technical basis of the passport data is explained in DIN SPEC 99100 explained.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to register my batteries already?
No, and currently you could not even if you wanted to: battery registration is not yet enabled in the registry because the semantic catalogue is missing. The passport obligation itself starts on 18 February 2027.
Will the EU store all my battery data?
No. The registry only stores the identifier and the reference to the passport. The passport data stays with you or your software provider, and you keep control over it.
Can my software provider handle the registration for me?
Yes, the regulation expressly allows this, provided the provider is verified itself. Legal responsibility for correctness stays with the manufacturer.
What does the registry cost?
According to the official user guide, no fee is planned for the registration itself. Costs arise for the qualified seal from the trust service provider and for building the passport data.
Last updated: 22 July 2026. All information to the best of our knowledge based on the official sources (Decision (EU) 2026/1736, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1778, ESPR (EU) 2024/1781, Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542) and our own walkthrough of the registry test environment; not legal advice.
