REFERENCE · TIMELINE

The DPP Master Timeline: Key EU Dates From 2024 to 2030

Published 28.09.2026 · Updated 13.10.2026 · Reading time ~9 min · by Lior Gabriel Graetz · LG Fashion Labs

This page puts into one place the EU dates that affect a fashion brand's compliance calendar between 2024 and 2030, so that a compliance team does not have to look through several guides to answer one question: what happens, and when. Each date below is taken from an EU source named in the Sources section — EUR-Lex, the European Commission's Digital Product Passport (DPP) pages, or the Joint Research Centre (JRC) — last checked on 3 October 2026. Some dates are fixed in legal texts. Some are labelled "indicative" by the Commission, and this page says so wherever that applies. One entry is a date we calculated from a legal rule, and it is marked as such.

It is not only a DPP timeline. The dates on this page come from at least four separate legal acts — the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR, Regulation (EU) 2024/1781), Directive (EU) 2024/825 on empowering consumers for the green transition (referred to on this site as "EmpCo"), the REACH restriction on PFHxA (Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2462), and a change to the scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2102). This page is not a complete list of EU deadlines: it covers the dates found in the sources listed at the end.

Selected dates from this page, not drawn to scale — from ESPR entering into force (18 July 2024) to the start of the unsold-goods destruction ban for medium-sized enterprises (19 July 2030). Dates after the publication date (28 September 2026) are 10 October 2026, Q3–Q4 2027 (indicative adoption of the textile delegated act: the Commission's DPP page lists Q3–Q4 2027 and its textile-apparel page Q4 2027), 2029 or later (our calculation) and 19 July 2030.

10 Oct 2026

The nearest legal date still ahead on this page: paragraph 1 of REACH Annex XVII entry 79 (PFHxA limits, including for textiles, leather, furs and hides in clothing and related accessories for the general public, and for footwear for the general public) starts to apply (Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2462).

Q3–Q4 2027

The Commission's DPP page lists the adoption of the ESPR delegated acts for textiles, aluminium and tyres in this period; its textile-apparel page says Q4 2027; both are indicative. Adoption is not the date from which compliance is mandatory.

2029 or later

Our calculation from the general rule in ESPR Article 4(4) (not earlier than 18 months from the delegated act's entry into force), not a date the Commission has published.

Already in force, or already happened

Everything in this table has already occurred as of publication.

When	What happened	Under
26 March 2024	Directive (EU) 2024/825 (EmpCo) enters into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal (published 6 March 2024).	EmpCo Art. 5
18 July 2024	ESPR (Regulation (EU) 2024/1781) enters into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal (published 28 June 2024).	ESPR Art. 80
16 April 2025	The Commission adopts the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products and Energy Labelling Working Plan 2025–2030 (COM(2025) 187), which lists textiles/apparel, tyres and aluminium with an indicative timeline for adoption of 2027.	EC Working Plan
9 February 2026	The Commission adopts Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/296, setting out derogations from the prohibition of destruction of unsold consumer products (published in the Official Journal on 22 April 2026).	Delegated Reg. (EU) 2026/296
27 March 2026	Deadline for Member States to adopt and publish the measures necessary to comply with Directive (EU) 2024/825 (EmpCo).	EmpCo Art. 4(1)
30 March 2026	Stakeholder consultation for the 3rd milestone of the JRC's textile preparatory study closes.	JRC
13 May 2026	The JRC documents page for the textile product group lists the "Study on DPP content for textile apparel products under ESPR", dated 13 May 2026.	JRC
13 July 2026	The Commission adopts Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2102 amending Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (EUDR); among other changes, it deletes the entries "ex 4101", "ex 4104" and "ex 4107" (cattle hides, skins and leather) from Annex I (see 18 September 2026).	EUDR
15 July 2026	Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1736 of 14 July 2026, published in the Official Journal on 15 July 2026, publishes the references of six harmonised standards for digital product passports (EN 18216, EN 18219, EN 18220, EN 18221, EN 18222 and EN 18223, all :2026), drafted by CEN, Cenelec and ETSI. Under ESPR Article 41(2), digital product passports in conformity with harmonised standards whose references have been published in the Official Journal are presumed to conform with Articles 10 and 11 to the extent those standards cover the requirements. The Commission's DPP page lists a further Implementing Decision on the remaining two DPP standards for September 2026.	Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1736; ESPR Art. 41(2)
19 July 2026	The prohibition on destroying the unsold consumer products listed in ESPR Annex VII (apparel and clothing accessories; footwear) applies from 19 July 2026 (Article 25(1)); it does not apply to micro and small enterprises and applies to medium-sized enterprises from 19 July 2030 (under ESPR Article 2, the definitions of 'SMEs', 'small enterprises' and 'microenterprises' in Article 2(1), (2) and (3), respectively, of Annex I to Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC apply). The disclosure obligation in Article 24(1) likewise does not apply to micro and small enterprises and applies to medium-sized enterprises from 19 July 2030; its first disclosure covers unsold consumer products discarded during "the first full financial year during which this Regulation is in force". Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/296, which sets out derogations from the prohibition, applies from 19 July 2026 (Article 6).	ESPR Art. 24(1), Art. 25(1); Delegated Reg. (EU) 2026/296 Art. 6
20 July 2026	The Commission's DPP page lists the DPP Registry as operational from 20 July 2026; ESPR Article 13(1) required the Commission to set up the registry by 19 July 2026.	ESPR Art. 13(1); Commission DPP page
17 September 2026	Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2102 is published in the Official Journal.	EUDR
18 September 2026	Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2102 enters into force (Article 2: the day following its publication). It deletes the entries "ex 4101" (raw hides and skins of cattle), "ex 4104" (tanned or crust hides and skins of cattle) and "ex 4107" (leather of cattle, further prepared after tanning or crusting) from Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (EUDR).	EUDR; Delegated Reg. (EU) 2026/2102 Art. 2
27 September 2026	From this date, Member States must apply the national measures transposing Directive (EU) 2024/825 (EmpCo), including its addition of point 4a (generic environmental claims) to Annex I of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD) (recital 9 lists "eco-friendly" and "green" as examples). This was one day before this page was published.	EmpCo Art. 4(1)

The highlighted row is the most recent deadline to have passed as of publication (28 September 2026) — not a projection, something that has already happened.

Still ahead

Everything below is still in the future as of publication (28 September 2026). Where the Commission itself labels a date "indicative," this table says so; other dates are fixed in legal texts. One entry (marked below) is a date we calculated from a legal rule, not a date the Commission has published.

When	What happens	Under
September 2026 (indicative)	Implementing Decision on the remaining two DPP standards, as listed on the Commission's DPP page (still listed as September 2026 when the page was consulted on 2 October 2026).	Commission DPP page
10 October 2026	REACH Annex XVII entry 79, paragraph 1 (added by Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2462) applies from this date: PFHxA, its salts and PFHxA-related substances may not be placed on the market or used at or above 25 ppb (sum of PFHxA and its salts) or 1 000 ppb (sum of PFHxA-related substances), measured in homogeneous material, in textiles, leather, furs and hides in clothing and related accessories for the general public, or in footwear for the general public (paragraph 1 also lists other product types). Paragraph 1 does not apply to articles and mixtures placed on the market before 10 October 2026 (paragraph 7), to the products excluded in paragraph 3, or to the substances described in paragraph 6; the entry also excludes certain substances from the designation.	Commission Reg. (EU) 2024/2462, Annex, entry 79
Q4 2026 (indicative)	Adoption of the ESPR Delegated Act for Iron and Steel and an Implementing Act for battery access rights, as listed on the Commission's DPP page — not textile milestones, shown for context.	ESPR; Reg. (EU) 2023/1542 (Commission DPP page)
18 February 2027	From this date each light means of transport (LMT) battery, each industrial battery with a capacity greater than 2 kWh and each electric vehicle battery placed on the market or put into service must have an electronic record ("battery passport") (Article 77(1)). The Commission's DPP page says: "Batteries are the first product group for which a DPP will become mandatory in the European Union." Context, not textile-specific.	Batteries Reg. (EU) 2023/1542 Art. 77(1)
2 March 2027	Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2 (details and format for the disclosure of information on discarded unsold consumer products) starts to apply (Article 7). It applies to products discarded in each financial year from the first full financial year after the date of application, with disclosure within 12 months after the end of that financial year (Article 1).	Implementing Reg. (EU) 2026/2
Q2 2027 (indicative)	Delegated Act for DPP Service Providers and Delegated Act for Construction Materials — context, not textile-specific.	ESPR / Construction Products Regulation
Q3 2027 (indicative)	Delegated Act for DPP Service Providers (the Commission's DPP page lists it under both Q2 2027 and Q3 2027).	ESPR
10 October 2027	The same limits apply to textiles, leather, furs and hides other than in clothing and related accessories, for the general public (entry 79, paragraph 2), subject to the exclusions in paragraphs 3 and 6; paragraph 2 does not apply to articles placed on the market before 10 October 2027 (paragraph 8).	Commission Reg. (EU) 2024/2462, Annex, entry 79
Q3–Q4 2027 (indicative)	The Commission's DPP page lists the adoption of the ESPR Delegated Acts for Textiles, Aluminium and Tyres under "Q3–Q4 2027"; its textile-apparel page says "Q4 2027: Planned adoption of the ESPR Delegated Act for textiles". Adoption, not the date from which compliance is mandatory — see the calculation below.	ESPR; Commission DPP pages
2028 (indicative)	ESPR Delegated Act for Furniture adopted — context.	ESPR
2029 (indicative)	ESPR Delegated Acts for Mattresses and for Recycled Content adopted — context.	ESPR
2029 or later (our calculation)	If the delegated act for textiles were adopted in the Q3–Q4 2027 period listed by the Commission, the general rule in ESPR Article 4(4) — under which a delegated act's date of application "shall not be earlier than 18 months from its entry into force" — would give 2029 or later. This is our own calculation, not a date the Commission has published; Article 4(4) allows an earlier date of application in duly justified cases and in cases of partial repeal or amendment of delegated acts.	ESPR Art. 4(4)
19 July 2030	The prohibition on destroying unsold consumer products listed in Annex VII and the disclosure obligation apply to medium-sized enterprises (Articles 25(1) and 24(1)). Micro and small enterprises are excluded; under Article 25(5), delegated acts may provide that the prohibition or the disclosure obligation apply to micro and small enterprises "where there is sufficient evidence that such enterprises could be used to circumvent that prohibition or that obligation".	ESPR Art. 24(1), 25(1), 25(5)

The shaded row is the nearest legal date still ahead; the bold rows are the three dates summarised below. "Indicative" is the word the Commission uses for its timelines.

If you only track three dates

Everything above is for reference. If a compliance team can only track three dates going into 2027, these are the three we would pick:

Three dates we suggest tracking

10 October 2026 — the nearest legal date still ahead on this page: paragraph 1 of REACH Annex XVII entry 79 (PFHxA limits, including for textiles, leather, furs and hides in clothing and related accessories for the general public, and for footwear for the general public) starts to apply.
Q3–Q4 2027 (indicative) — the Commission's DPP page lists the adoption of the ESPR delegated acts for textiles, aluminium and tyres in this period; its textile-apparel page says "Q4 2027: Planned adoption of the ESPR Delegated Act for textiles". This is adoption, not the date from which compliance is mandatory.
2029 or later (our calculation) — from the general rule in ESPR Article 4(4): a delegated act's date of application "shall not be earlier than 18 months from its entry into force", with exceptions.

How the 2029 figure is calculated

ESPR Article 4(4): "The date of application of a delegated act shall not be earlier than 18 months from its entry into force, except in duly justified cases for the whole act or for some specific requirements, or except in cases of partial repeal or amendment of delegated acts, where an earlier date of application may be set."
Under ESPR Article 72(6), a delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 4 enters into force only if no objection has been expressed by the European Parliament or the Council within two months of notification (a period extended by two months at the initiative of either), or if, before that period expires, both have informed the Commission that they will not object. Under the general rule, the date of application is then not earlier than 18 months after the entry into force, which gives 2029 or later for a delegated act adopted in the Q3–Q4 2027 period. The Commission has not published an application date, and no delegated act for textiles has been adopted.
The Commission's DPP page states: "Following the adoption of ESPR delegated acts, economic operators will have a transition period of at least 18 months."

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How the Q3–Q4 2027 and 2029 dates could change

No adoption date has been fixed for the textile (apparel) delegated act. The Commission's first ESPR Working Plan (April 2025) gives 2027 as the indicative year; its Digital Product Passport pages list adoption for Q3–Q4 2027 (DPP timeline, together with aluminium and tyres) and for Q4 2027 (textile-apparel page), both marked indicative. The Commission's textile-apparel page also says that "Implementation timelines may evolve as legislative and technical work progresses", and section 2 of the JRC's "Study on DPP content for textile apparel products under ESPR" (13 May 2026) states that a DPP is expected to be introduced for textile apparel through a forthcoming delegated act under the ESPR, tentatively in 2027.

As of 13 October 2026, the Commission's Have Your Say entry for the act (initiative 16116, published 18 December 2025 and not updated since) still shows "First quarter 2027" for adoption and "Fourth quarter 2025" for a public consultation that has not opened; none of the 2026 Commission or JRC documents reviewed repeats that date.

ESPR Article 4(4) provides that a delegated act's date of application shall not be earlier than 18 months from its entry into force, except in duly justified cases; for an act adopted in the second half of 2027 that means 2029 at the earliest (our calculation, not a date the Commission has published). Both the adoption timing and the 2029 figure could change: the adoption timing if the Commission revises its timeline, and the 2029 figure if the delegated act is adopted at a different time or sets a different date of application. For the fuller, action-oriented version of the same underlying facts, see our DPP Readiness Checklist.

Frequently asked questions

What is the next EU legal date on this page that affects fashion brands? +

As of publication (28 September 2026), the nearest legal date still ahead among those listed on this page is 10 October 2026, when paragraph 1 of REACH Annex XVII entry 79 (added by Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2462) starts to apply, including to textiles, leather, furs and hides in clothing and related accessories for the general public, and to footwear for the general public. The most recent date to have passed is 27 September 2026, one day before publication: from that date Member States must apply the national measures transposing Directive (EU) 2024/825 (EmpCo) (Article 4(1)).

When does the Digital Product Passport actually become mandatory for clothing? +

Not yet, and no date of application has been published. No ESPR delegated act for textiles has been adopted. The Commission's DPP page lists the adoption of the delegated acts for textiles, aluminium and tyres under "Q3–Q4 2027", and its textile-apparel page says "Q4 2027: Planned adoption of the ESPR Delegated Act for textiles"; both are indicative. ESPR Article 4(4) provides that "[t]he date of application of a delegated act shall not be earlier than 18 months from its entry into force, except in duly justified cases for the whole act or for some specific requirements, or except in cases of partial repeal or amendment of delegated acts, where an earlier date of application may be set". On the general rule, adoption in that period would give an application date of 2029 or later: that is our calculation, not a date the Commission has published. Footwear is in a separate product category from textiles in the Commission's Working Plan (COM(2025) 187), which says that a study on footwear will be completed by the end of 2027.

Is the EU Digital Product Passport Registry already live? +

ESPR Article 13(1) required the Commission to set up the registry by 19 July 2026, and the Commission's DPP page lists the DPP Registry as operational on 20 July 2026. Under the ESPR, whether a digital product passport is required for a product depends on the applicable delegated act: ESPR Article 9(1) provides that the information requirements "shall provide that products can only be placed on the market or put into service if a digital product passport is available in accordance with the applicable delegated acts adopted pursuant to Article 4 and with Articles 10 and 11". No delegated act for textiles has been adopted.

Does the unsold-goods destruction ban already apply to my brand? +

ESPR Article 25(1) provides that, from 19 July 2026, the destruction of the unsold consumer products listed in Annex VII (apparel and clothing accessories; footwear) shall be prohibited. That paragraph does not apply to micro and small enterprises and applies to medium-sized enterprises from 19 July 2030 (under ESPR Article 2, the definitions of 'SMEs', 'small enterprises' and 'microenterprises' in Article 2(1), (2) and (3), respectively, of Annex I to Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC apply). Article 24(1) requires economic operators that discard unsold consumer products to disclose information about them; its first disclosure covers unsold consumer products discarded "during the first full financial year during which this Regulation is in force", and it likewise does not apply to micro and small enterprises and applies to medium-sized enterprises from 19 July 2030. Under Article 25(5), delegated acts may provide that the prohibition or the disclosure obligation apply to micro and small enterprises "where there is sufficient evidence that such enterprises could be used to circumvent that prohibition or that obligation". Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/296, which sets out derogations from the prohibition, applies from 19 July 2026 (Article 6).

What do the legal texts say about "eco-friendly" and "sustainable" claims after September 2026? +

From 27 September 2026, Member States must apply the national measures transposing Directive (EU) 2024/825 (EmpCo) (Article 4(1)). The Directive added to Annex I of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (2005/29/EC) point 4a: "Making a generic environmental claim for which the trader is not able to demonstrate recognised excellent environmental performance relevant to the claim." Recital 9 lists 'eco-friendly' and 'green' among its examples of generic environmental claims, and states that where the specification of the claim is provided in clear and prominent terms on the same medium, the claim is not considered to be a generic environmental claim. Article 2(s) UCPD (inserted by Directive (EU) 2024/825) defines "recognised excellent environmental performance" as "environmental performance compliant with Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council or with national or regional EN ISO 14024 type I ecolabelling schemes officially recognised in the Member States, or top environmental performance in accordance with other applicable Union law". The word "sustainable" appears in recital 10, which states: "Similarly, a trader should not make a generic claim such as 'conscious', 'sustainable' or 'responsible' based exclusively on recognised excellent environmental performance, because such claims relate to other characteristics in addition to environmental characteristics, such as social characteristics." Neither Directive (EU) 2024/825 nor the ESPR (Regulation (EU) 2024/1781) refers to the other, and neither says that Digital Product Passport data counts as recognised excellent environmental performance.

Why does a "DPP timeline" page cover PFAS and deforestation rules too? +

Because the dates that affect a fashion brand in 2026–2030 come from several separate legal acts: the ESPR, Directive (EU) 2024/825 (EmpCo), the REACH restriction on PFHxA and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) scope change. This page puts the dates found in the sources listed at the end in one place; it is not a complete list of EU deadlines.

Sources

ESPR core framework, delegated acts, destruction banRegulation (EU) 2024/1781, Article 2 (definitions), Article 4(4) (date of application of delegated acts), Article 9(1) (digital product passport), Article 13 (registry), Article 72(6) (entry into force of delegated acts), Articles 24–25 and Annex VII (disclosure of unsold consumer products; destruction ban), Article 41(2) (harmonised standards), Article 80 (entry into force). CELEX 32024R1781 ↗
Commission DPP timelineEuropean Commission, "Digital Product Passport" hub page — the "DPP timeline" (registry dates, standards decisions, and the schedule for batteries, iron and steel, construction products, service providers, textiles/aluminium/tyres, furniture and mattresses), consulted 2 October 2026; and the "Textile apparel" DPP page (single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/digital-product-passport/textile-apparel_en). single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu ↗
JRC preparatory study, textiles — milestone tableJoint Research Centre, Product Bureau, project plan for textile products (product group 467) — full milestone table, 4th milestone dated "To be communicated" as of 2 October 2026; the same site's documents page lists the "Study on DPP content for textile apparel products under ESPR" (2026-05-13). susproc.jrc.ec.europa.eu ↗
JRC study on DPP content, textile apparelJoint Research Centre, Product Bureau, "Study on DPP content for textile apparel products under ESPR" (13 May 2026), section 2, consulted 13 October 2026. susproc.jrc.ec.europa.eu ↗
Have Your Say — initiative 16116European Commission, Have Your Say portal, initiative 16116 "Ecodesign requirements for sustainable and circular apparel textiles" (delegated regulation; fields for planned adoption and public consultation), English version consulted 13 October 2026. ec.europa.eu ↗
EmpCo — Directive (EU) 2024/825Directive (EU) 2024/825, Article 4(1) (Member States adopt and publish measures by 27 March 2026 and apply them from 27 September 2026), Article 5 (entry into force), Article 1 (UCPD Article 2(s)) and the Annex (UCPD Annex I point 4a) and recitals 9 and 10; Directive 2005/29/EC (UCPD). CELEX 32024L0825 ↗
REACH — PFHxA restrictionCommission Regulation (EU) 2024/2462 of 19 September 2024 amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 as regards undecafluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), its salts and PFHxA-related substances (OJ L, 2024/2462, 20.9.2024), Annex, entry 79. CELEX 32024R2462 ↗
EUDR — leather removed from scopeCommission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2102 of 13 July 2026 amending Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 as regards the list of relevant commodities and relevant products (OJ L, 2026/2102, 17.9.2026). CELEX 32026R2102 ↗
Other legal acts and documents citedCommission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1736 (OJ L, 15.7.2026); Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2 (OJ L, 10.2.2026); Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/296 (OJ L, 22.4.2026; Article 6: applies from 19 July 2026); Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 (Batteries), Article 77(1); Commission Communication COM(2025) 187 final of 16.4.2025, "Ecodesign for Sustainable Products and Energy Labelling Working Plan 2025-2030".

Sources were last checked on 3 October 2026, except the JRC study of 13 May 2026 and the Have Your Say entry for initiative 16116, which were consulted on 13 October 2026. Consolidated legal texts are unofficial documentation tools per EUR-Lex's own disclaimer, with the Official Journal as the authentic source. The Commission describes its DPP timeline as "an indicative timeline and subject to publication requirements" and it may change — see "How the Q3–Q4 2027 and 2029 dates could change" above. This is general information, not legal, financial or investment advice.