Imagine losing access to the European market in 2027 because you are not DPP‑compliant. For Walloon manufacturers, as well as for the rest of Europe, this is not a hypothetical scenario: batteries, textiles, and electronics will be among the first sectors subject to the Digital Product Passport obligation.

DPP: a demanding European framework from 2027

The Digital Product Passport is a central tool of the European Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), adopted in 2024 to make products more durable, repairable, and recyclable. It requires the creation of a digital passport for each product. It also contains standardized information on product composition, environmental footprint, reparability, and end‑of‑life. In addition, this information is accessible via unique identifiers and standards such as GS1 Digital Link, GTIN, URI, QR code, or DataMatrix.

The first DPP obligations will enter into force in 2027 for batteries. Then, they will apply to textiles in the second half of 2027. Finally, there will be a gradual extension to electronics, furniture, and construction by 2030. For exporting companies, failing to anticipate these requirements is risky. Since it exposes them to sanctions and potential loss of access to key markets.

In parallel, the European CIRPASSproject (and its continuation CIRPASS‑2) defines a reference architecture, data models, and exchange protocols for the DPP. This standards framework is essential. However, it relies mainly on centralized solutions operated by DPP Service Providers, which creates risks of a single point of failure, dependency on intermediaries, and vulnerability if a provider fails.

Within the DigitalWallonia4Trust programme of the Walloon recovery plan, BE Blockchain carried out an exploratory study on the DPP. The objective was to assess implementation conditions for SMEs and to propose an architecture integrating blockchain for greater resilience. Although the project is funded in Wallonia, the conclusions are highly relevant to all companies in sectors subject to DPP, including batteries, textiles, electronics, and chemicals.

Our proposal: addressing the limits of centralized solutions

The CIRPASS analysis highlights three major vulnerabilities:

• First, dependency on a centralized DPP Service Provider (DPPSP) introduces a single point of failure. This risk appears both at the technical level (outages, attacks, loss of availability) and at the institutional level, where it can lead to censorship, exclusion of certain actors, or competitive distortions.
• Second, the current architecture relies heavily on institutional trust in intermediaries, since they host and validate the data. Moreover, there is no strong technical guarantee against falsification or deletion of information. As a result, ex‑post data manipulation remains a major risk.
• Third, the use of standards such as GS1 Digital Link is encouraged. Nevertheless, achieving real interoperability across sectors and value chains remains difficult, because it still depends on political and technical agreements that are not yet stable at international level.

In this context, it makes sense to explore an alternative “ideal solution” that preserves the CIRPASS normative framework while leveraging the strengths of decentralized technologies. Our working hypothesis was the following: a DPP anchored on blockchain and supported by a decentralized cloud would enhance system resilience, trust, and transparency, while ensuring immutable traceability of contributions from all stakeholders.

Key principles of the solution

The proposed architecture is built on several complementary components.

• Verifiable identity: it uses DIDs and verifiable credentials, linked to recognized identifiers (EORI, VAT, EUID, LEI). Furthermore, it complies with the eIDAS 2.0 framework to provide legal traceability for every action.

• DPP Contract on blockchain: this smart contract acts as the authoritative registry. It contains reference identifiers (GTIN) and points to off‑chain resources. In addition, it manages access policies and the event log.

• Product Pointer: this is a persistent URI generated via a European portal and embedded in the AIDC code using GS1 Digital Link. As a result, it guarantees a neutral access point even if the manufacturer’s domain disappears.

• Resource Manifests: these bundles group metadata and pointers to data stored off‑chain (JSON‑LD, certificates). Moreover, they enable fine‑grained management of access rights to documents.

• Redundant off‑chain storage: this layer favors a European decentralized cloud. Thanks to hash‑based addressing, it ensures data durability and automatic replication.

This approach makes it possible to eliminate single points of failure by distributing trust between a distributed ledger and redundant storage. It guarantees integrity, immutability, and auditability of DPPs via blockchain anchoring, without putting sensitive or bulky data directly on‑chain. At the same time, it remains fully compatible with CIRPASS standards and ontologies, thereby supporting cross‑sector interoperability.

A portal to orchestrate data access

• In practical terms, a European portal acts as the dedicated interface. It interprets and retrieves DPP data via standardized identifiers (GTIN, GS1 Digital Link, URI). To do so, it relies on the blockchain layer and the off‑chain storage components described above.

• This portal has a dual role. It acts as a DPP‑focused “blockchain explorer”, and it provides back‑office tools to create, update, and manage passports, with these features restricted to authorized stakeholders only.

• The portal functions as a single entry point. It resolves identifiers (GS1 Digital Link, GTIN, Product Pointer) and redirects users to the appropriate resources. At the same time, it enforces the access policies defined in the smart contract. It does not store the data itself; instead, it orchestrates access to the various off‑chain storage systems. This ensures a smooth experience for manufacturers, recyclers, and authorities across Europe.

• In addition, regional or sector‑specific portals can be built on top of this foundation. They can offer tailored services, such as SME support or dashboards, while remaining fully compatible with the European infrastructure. This consistency is guaranteed by the use of shared standards and authentication mechanisms.

To ensure trust and interoperability at the scale of the single market, this portal should be operated by a neutral entity, for example the European Commission, European agencies, or mandated sectoral institutions.

Use case: how a blockchain‑based DPP secures compliance for battery manufacturers

To illustrate these issues in a practical way, consider the case of a battery manufacturer. This company must prove the compliance of each product for several decades. If its DPP solution provider goes bankrupt, migrates, or shuts down its service, a centralized architecture may render certain passports inaccessible, putting the company in a situation of non‑compliance.

In BE Blockchain’s proposed approach, the link to the DPP is anchored on blockchain via the DPP Contract and the Product Pointer. This guarantees permanent access to the passport, independently of any single provider. Meanwhile, detailed data (composition, carbon footprint, certificates) remains stored in a redundant off‑chain environment, and the ability to retrieve, audit, and prove the integrity of this data relies on cryptographic proofs recorded on the blockchain.

What’s next: going further with BE Blockchain

Thanks to the support of DigitalWallonia4Trust, BE Blockchain does not only present a theoretical vision. Indeed, the decentralized architecture described here is also the result of concrete development work. We have built educational blockchain demonstrators around supply chain tracking and DPP, as well as tools for document notarization and ESG reporting. BE Blockchain therefore acts as a technical partner capable of supporting companies throughout their DPP journey. Our mission is to help implement these complex European standards within the Walloon digital ecosystem.

The message is clear: the DPP is often seen as a regulatory burden, yet it will soon become a prerequisite to maintain access to the European market. Consequently, a smart implementation supported by blockchain can turn it into a genuine competitive advantage.

If you would like:

• Access the full study now, discuss how to integrate blockchain into your future DPP system.