For each category, how will you manage passport versions?

You answer for each product category you chose.

Current version only

Each change replaces the previous data, which is no longer available.
E.g. fixing an error in the sheet of a product with no passport obligation.

Version history

Each change creates a new version with date and reason; previous ones remain available.
E.g. a recalculated carbon footprint for a batch, a new declaration of performance.

History and linked passports

Version history, plus a new passport linked to the previous one when the product changes substantially.
E.g. an electric car battery repurposed as stationary storage.

Not defined yet

You have not decided yet how to handle passport updates.
E.g. a DPP project at an early stage.

• EV, LMT and industrial batteries: state of health changes over time, so version history is needed. If the battery is remanufactured or repurposed, it gets a new passport linked to the original one (Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, Article 77).

• Electronics: repairs, spare parts and software updates change the product after sale, so keep the history. For refurbished products placed back on the market, consider a passport linked to the previous one.

• Commercial vehicle tyres: a retreaded tyre returns to the market as a new product. A passport linked to the original one keeps its history.

• Construction products: the passport is linked to the declaration of performance and conformity (Regulation (EU) 2024/3110). Each new declaration is a new version; previous ones remain available for products already installed, which stay in place for decades.

• Portable and SLI batteries: the Batteries Regulation does not require a passport (Article 77). For a voluntary passport the current version is usually enough; choose history if you want to document what was declared at any time.

• Textiles and fashion: the passport is often per model, and suppliers and composition change from one production run to the next. Keep the history to show what was declared when the item was sold.

• Furniture: production data is stable, but repairs, replaced upholstery and resales are added over time. The history keeps track of them.

• Car tyres: data is per batch and stable. Updates are rare, but keep the versions: corrections must remain traceable.

• Steel and aluminium: data is set per heat or batch and rarely changes, but a recalculated carbon footprint or a correction must be traceable. Keep the history, do not overwrite.

• Other category: version history is the safest choice until the delegated act for your product group sets precise rules.

• In any case: the passport address (the URL in the data carrier) always stays the same and shows the current version. Each version records date, author and reason for the change, and previous versions are not deleted.

• Versioning the Digital Product Passport: how to evolve the passport without losing the product’s history

  Discover the three versioning strategies, the guidelines for batteries, electronics, textiles, construction, and metals, and the ESPR rules for ensuring data remains traceable, accessible, and verifiable over time.

This question is part of Design your DPP: answer them all to get the blueprint, the score and the recommended next steps.