Resources
The regulations, the standards, and how they meet
Written for the people who have to file the report: what each instrument requires, which specification answers it, and what that means for the data you already hold.
- Instruments covered
- ESPR · Battery · CSRD
- Standards
- GS1 · W3C · ISO
- Sources
- EUR-Lex linked
Definition
Which EU regulations require product-level data?
Five instruments now require product-level data in the EU: the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, the Battery Regulation, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, the Deforestation Regulation and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. Each asks for a different slice of the same underlying record about materials, origin, impact and end-of-life.
Mapping
Which standard answers which requirement
| Requirement | Standard | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Unique product identifier | GS1 Digital Link | One identifier that resolves on the web and works in retail and logistics |
| Data carrier on the product | GS1 Digital Link · QR, NFC, RFID | A carrier a consumer, a recycler and a customs officer can all read |
| Chain of custody evidence | GS1 EPCIS 2.0 | A shared vocabulary for what happened, to what, where and when |
| Tamper-evident claims | W3C Verifiable Credentials 2.0 | Signed assertions that verify without trusting the platform holding them |
| Stable issuer identity | W3C Decentralized Identifiers | Signatures that can still be checked years after issuance |
| Passport field definitions | CIRPASS · CEN-CENELEC JTC 24 | A model the delegated acts are converging on, so mappings survive change |
| Footprint methodology | ISO 14040/14044 · GHG Protocol | Figures calculated the way an auditor expects to see them |
Resources · 01
Compliance
Resources · 02
Learn
Resources · 03
Reference & tools
Glossary
Every term in the field, defined precisely and sourced.
Answers
Straight answers to the questions asked before a programme starts.
Checklists
Working checklists for the obligations that have dates.
Comparisons
The recurring decisions, side by side, each with a recommendation.
Templates
Supplier requests, data specifications and an RFP skeleton.
Assessment tools
Scope, readiness, fee exposure, carrier choice and circularity.
Role playbooks
The first ninety days, written for each buying role.
Resources · 04
Support
Answers
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a regulation and a standard here?
A regulation such as the ESPR (EU) 2024/1781 states what must be disclosed and by when. A standard such as GS1 Digital Link or W3C Verifiable Credentials 2.0 defines how the data is expressed so that different systems can read it. Regulations rarely name a standard directly, which is why the mapping between them matters.
Does the ESPR name the technology a passport must use?
No. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation sets requirements for a unique product identifier, a data carrier and interoperable access, and leaves the technical realisation to standardisation work. CEN-CENELEC JTC 24 and the CIRPASS project are where that work is happening, and GS1 and W3C specifications are the leading candidates.
How often do these requirements change?
The framework regulations are stable; the delegated acts under them are not. Each act adds a product group and its field set, and acts are still being drafted through 2030. That is the practical argument for storing passport data against a standards-based model rather than against whatever the current form asks for.
Where can I read the source texts?
Every regulation named on this site links to its consolidated text on EUR-Lex, and every standard links to the publishing body — GS1 for Digital Link and EPCIS, the W3C for Verifiable Credentials and Decentralized Identifiers. We cite the source rather than paraphrasing it, so you can check what we say against the instrument itself.
Next step
Bring us the instrument you are working against
We will map it to the fields, the standard and the evidence it needs, against the product data you already have.