DPP COMPLIANCE GUIDES
All DPP & ESPR Compliance Guides
Every guide is researched directly from EU primary sources — regulation text, European Commission guidance, CEN-CENELEC standards.
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FUNDAMENTALS · START HERE
Digital Product Passport for Fashion: The Complete 2026 Guide
10 domains, 4 ESPR categories, Phase 1 vs Phase 2.
FOOTWEAR
DPP for Footwear Brands: What's the Same, What's Different
Footwear is named alongside textiles in ESPR's priority list, but has no delegated-act timeline of its own yet — and runs on its own labelling directive, its own REACH chromium restriction, its own customs chapter, and its own EPR history in France since 2009.
Read the guide →RETAILERS & WHOLESALERS
DPP for Multi-Brand Retailers and Wholesalers: What You're Responsible For
Retailers and wholesalers don't create a Digital Product Passport — but ESPR still makes them verify one exists before they can sell it. What Articles 30 and 31 actually require.
Read the guide →TIMELINE
The DPP Master Timeline: Key EU Dates From 2024 to 2030
Key EU dates that touch a fashion brand’s compliance calendar, from 2024 to 2030 — DPP, EmpCo, the REACH PFHxA restriction, EUDR — one chronological page sourced from EUR-Lex and the Commission.
Read the guide →COST BREAKDOWN
How Much Does DPP Compliance Cost? A 2026 Breakdown for EU Fashion Brands
No official EU price tag exists yet — but the cost drivers are already fixed in law. What ESPR and the Commission’s own DPP FAQ actually say about where the cost comes from.
Read the guide →MANUFACTURERS & PRIVATE LABEL
DPP for Manufacturers and Private Label Producers: Who's Responsible for What
Under ESPR, the legal "manufacturer" is whoever markets a product under their own name or trademark — not necessarily whoever makes it. What that means for brands, OEMs and private-label producers.
Read the guide →NON-EU BRANDS
Does the EU Digital Product Passport Apply to Non-EU Brands? A Guide for US and UK Fashion Brands
Yes, if your products reach the EU market — including via distance selling. What actually changes is who in your supply chain must be EU-established. Sourced from ESPR and the EU Market Surveillance Regulation.
Read the guide →CERTIFICATION SCHEMES
Sustainability Labels Under EmpCo: What OEKO-TEX and Global Standards Say About Claims
Annex I point 2a and the “certification scheme” definition in Directive (EU) 2024/825. Member States must apply their national implementing measures from 27 September 2026. Also covered: what OEKO-TEX and Global Standards say about claims on certified products.
Read the guide →Readiness Checklist
DPP Readiness Checklist for 2027: What to Have Ready Before the Textile Delegated Act
Fibre composition, substances of concern, data carrier, unique identifier: what is already legally required, what is still open, and what to have ready before the ESPR textile delegated act.
Read the guide →Compliance Comparison
Which EU Sustainability Laws Actually Apply to Your Brand? SME Thresholds Compared
ESPR, EUDR, PPWR and CSRD each define "small business" differently, and exempt different things. Every SME/size threshold that applies to EU fashion brands, compared side by side.
Read the guide →Regulation
ESPR Fashion Compliance: What EU Brands Need to Know Now
The EU Ecodesign Regulation: scope, timeline, compliance risks.
Read the guide →Practice
DPP Readiness Audit Explained: 10 Domains, 4 ESPR Categories
How fashion brands measure DPP readiness.
Read the guide →SME Guide
Does the EU Digital Product Passport Apply to Small Fashion Brands?
SME thresholds, the DPP exemption myth, and where size really matters.
Read the guide →Scope Guide
Which Fashion Products Need an EU Digital Product Passport?
The 10 in-scope categories, 5 exclusions, and the grey zone — with examples.
Read the guide →Status Clarification
Green Claims Directive vs. EmpCo: What's Actually in Force in 2026
One is a proposal that has not been adopted. The other is a directive in force whose national measures Member States must apply from 27 September 2026.
Read the guide →DPP × EmpCo
The Digital Product Passport and EmpCo: What Each Text Says
Neither text names the other. What EmpCo and the ESPR each say on environmental performance, DPP data accuracy and the reparability score.
Read the guide →Technical Guide
What Goes on the QR Code? DPP Data Carriers & the EU Registry
The QR code is a pointer, not a database. What's on it, and what's in the EU Registry.
Read the guide →Data Access Guide
Who Can See Your DPP Data? Access Rights, Confidentiality and Security Under ESPR
ESPR already sets the framework for access to Digital Product Passport data: rights set per product group, restricted write rights, integrity and security, and no reuse by service providers beyond the service without the brand's agreement. What binds today and what the textile act and pending standards will add.
Read the guide →Technical Guide
Product Identifiers for Fashion Brands: Customs PIDs from 1 November 2026, the GTIN and the DPP Identifier
From 1 November 2026, customs declarations for goods sold online to EU consumers must carry merchant and manufacturer product identifiers. How they relate to the GTIN and to the DPP's unique product identifier — and how to assign identifiers once.
Read the guide →Compliance Deep Dive
How the EU Digital Product Passport Registry Actually Works
Identity verification, the registration process, and what happens after — every brand's actual obligation, not just what the registry stores.
Read the guide →Enforcement Guide
What Happens If You Don't Comply? ESPR/DPP Penalties & Market Surveillance
No single EU-wide fine — but a strict floor, and a separate consumer-liability track most brands miss.
Read the guide →EPR Compliance Guide
What Is Textile EPR? The EU's New Producer-Pays Rules for Fashion Waste
Not the DPP — a separate law making brands pay for collecting and recycling textile waste.
Read the guide →Waste Shipment Guide
Exporting Used Clothing and Textile Waste: What the EU Waste Shipment Regulation Changes
Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 has applied since 21 May 2026, and from 21 May 2027 textile waste may go to a non-OECD country only where the Commission's list authorises it for that country. When used clothing is waste, what a bale must carry, and why brands are involved.
Read the guide →Status Update
Does EUDR Apply to Leather? Not Since September 2026
The Commission quietly removed leather from the EU Deforestation Regulation's scope. Here's what changed.
Read the guide →Status Update
Does EUDR Apply to Viscose and Rubber? Yes — But Not Where You'd Think
Wood pulp behind your viscose and Hevea rubber in your soles are both still EUDR-regulated — but usually not at the point where your brand buys the finished material.
Read the guide →Status Update
Does the EU Right to Repair Directive Apply to Fashion? Not Yet — Here's the Trigger
Its hard repair obligations cover 10 appliance categories, none of them textiles — but a 12-month expansion clock is wired directly to the ESPR textile delegated act.
Read the guide →Country Comparison
Which EU Countries Already Have Textile EPR? France, Netherlands and Hungary Compared
France, the Netherlands and Hungary run live schemes years ahead of the 2028 EU-wide deadline — and their reporting calendars don't match.
Read the guide →Compliance Deep Dive
EU Ecolabel for Textiles: Why It Skips EmpCo's Certification-Scheme Test
EmpCo's own recital names the EU Ecolabel as an example of a label that skips the certification-scheme test OEKO-TEX and GOTS have to clear.
Read the guide →Chemicals Guide
REACH Entry 72: The Chemical Limits Already in Force for Clothing, Textiles and Footwear
Since 1 November 2020, REACH has capped 33 CMR substances or substance groups in consumer clothing, skin-contact textiles and footwear. What Entry 72 covers, exempts and limits — and who it reaches.
Read the guide →Import Guide
The Digital Product Passport at the EU Border: What Customs Will Check
For products under an ESPR delegated act, customs release goods only after checking the registry identifier and commodity code.
Read the guide →Import Guide
The New EU Customs Code and the Digital Product Passport: What Regulation 2026/2108 Changes for Fashion Importers
The new Union Customs Code, Regulation (EU) 2026/2108, applies from 21 September 2027. What it changes for fashion importers — compliance duty, release data, registry checks, e-commerce rules — and where the DPP fits.
Read the guide →E-Commerce Guide
Selling Online with a Digital Product Passport: Duties for Brands, Retailers and Marketplaces
Brands, dealers, online shops and marketplaces: who must make the passport accessible, what a listing must show and what authorities can order.
Read the guide →Circularity Guide
Second-Hand, Resale and Refurbished Fashion: Does the Digital Product Passport Apply?
Second-hand, resold, refurbished and remanufactured products: what the ESPR and the Commission say, and where they say nothing.
Read the guide →Circularity Guide
The EU Ban on Destroying Unsold Clothing and Footwear: What Applies Since 19 July 2026
Since 19 July 2026, the destruction of unsold apparel, clothing accessories and footwear has been prohibited for large enterprises. What the ban covers, the ten derogations, and what the disclosure duty requires.
Read the guide →Supply Chain
The EU Forced Labour Regulation: What Fashion Brands Must Prepare by 14 December 2027
From 14 December 2027, products made with forced labour may not be sold in or exported from the EU. What the ban covers, how investigations run, and what evidence fashion brands should have ready.
Read the guide →Chemicals Guide
Substances of Concern in the Digital Product Passport: What the ESPR Definition Means for Fashion
What are substances of concern under the ESPR? Is the definition the same everywhere, is it final, and on what basis do they enter the DPP?
Read the guide →Chemicals Guide
PFAS in Fashion: What REACH Already Bans, and What’s Still Only a Proposal
What does REACH already ban in PFAS-treated clothing and footwear, and what is still only a proposed EU-wide restriction? The dates and thresholds that matter now.
Read the guide →DPP AUDIT
How ready is your collection for the DPP?
Benchmark one complete collection against the LGFL DPP Data Framework. 10 domains, four ESPR categories. Under NDA.
Start Your DPP Audit