Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, the Battery Regulation, sets 18 February 2027 as the date from which electric vehicle, light-transport and larger industrial batteries need a battery passport, accessed through a QR code on the battery. Due-diligence obligations were pushed back to 18 August 2027 by Regulation 2025/1561. Circularise has a readable summary and Wikipedia tracks the battery passport concept.
Why it matters beyond batteries
The battery passport is the pilot for the EU’s Digital Product Passport program under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. Iron and steel, textiles, tires, furniture and electronics follow between 2026 and 2029. Whatever lessons come out of batteries in 2027, printing durable codes on hard surfaces, keeping the destination online for a decade, handling scans from many countries, will shape all of them. Our digital product passports explainer has the timetable. For consumer goods, where the code often goes on the box rather than the product, QR codes for retail packaging covers sizes, curved surfaces and GS1 Digital Link.
Practical points for manufacturers
- Durability. The code lives as long as the battery. Engraving or a laser-marked plate beats a label. See QR codes on difficult surfaces.
- Size. A technician scanning a battery pack from arm’s length needs a code of at least 2 to 3 cm. Level H error correction is sensible on a surface that will get scratched.
- The link. The URL must keep resolving for the life of the product. That argues for a domain you control and a resolver you can move, not a third-party short link.
- Contrast. Dark on light, or a light plate on a dark casing. Etched gray on gray metal fails.
Note
The regulation text and its delegated acts change. The dates here are from the sources linked above as of September 2026; check the Official Journal before making decisions.