Knowledge Base

In this overview, we use the following roles:

• Investor – Funds DPP infrastructure, enabling passport deployment with financial capital and investment expertise. DPP deployment investments can include supporting upfront and ongoing fees in developing infrastructure, interoperability, authentication, and integration (Götz & Zálnoky, 2023).
• Policy maker – Establishes the overall legal and regulatory framework for DPPs, defining mandatory requirements, scope, and objectives at a strategic level (e.g., promoting circularity, consumer information). Also plays a crucial role as system enabler by establishing the central DPP registry and providing targeted funding (e.g., via Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, and InvestEU)
• Academic Institution & NGO – Actors that produce knowledge in relation to DPP via academic research.
• Standardization organization – Bodies that develop and maintain the technical standards (e.g. for data formats, interoperability, security, identifiers) necessary for the DPP system to function effectively and consistently across different products, sectors, and geographies.
• Trade association – Actor that represents the collective interests of businesses within a specific industry.
• Service provider – a broad category for actors ranging from operating ESPR-required tasks (independent management of DPP data on behalf of Economic operators) to enabling and supporting the DPP ecosystem by providing technical, analytical, traceability, integration, and consulting services that ensure product data is captured, stored, shared, and made accessible across supply chains.
• Regulatory authority – Authorities that oversee DPP-related regulations, monitor compliance by economic operators, and may conduct market surveillance activities to ensure the accuracy and availability of DPP information.
• Supplier – referred to as a “supply chain actor” in the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), entails an entity that (predominantly) provides raw materials, components, or finished products to manufacturers or other entities within the supply chain, up to the point where the product reaches the customer.
• Economic operator – refers to any business or organization involved in the supply chain of a product, including manufacturers, authorized representatives, importers, distributors, dealers and fulfilment service providers. You are considered an economic operator if you play a broad role in the production, distribution, or sale of products.
• Independent operator – is an entity independent of the manufacturer, involved in the repair, maintenance, waste management, or distribution of products (Adapted from ESPR, 2024). Examples: Small independent electronics repair shops, waste management organization, parts distributors, and technical information publishers.
• (Online) Retailer – An (online) retailer is an intermediary entity who sells and offers products for sale to customers using (online) channel(s) (e.g. websites, apps, marketplaces). Under the EU law, the entity is seen as a “dealer” and has the legal responsibility to ensure DPPs are easily accessible to consumers. Examples include physical shops, online retailers and omnichannel retailers.