Last week we received concerns from users and partners about the European Commission's DPP registry project. This is our response. 

It will be updated as new information comes to light and we welcome commentary if you think we got something wrong or are missing information. We want to share it here for other producers and suppliers to find clarity. 

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The short version: the registry does not require manufacturers to send product data to Europe. That is not what it does, and it is not what it is designed to do.

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The long version:

What the registry is

The EU is building a central registry as part of its DPP programme. Its purpose is to store a ‘unique identifier’ (UID) for each product with a reference to where that product's passport is hosted. It records a name and an address - nothing to do with the data content.

Actual product data - materials, suppliers, certifications, sustainability information - stays in the AWARE™ platform where producers have ownership. 

The EU registry simply records that a passport exists and where to find it. This is confirmed in the draft implementing regulation published by the European Commission on 29 April 2026, which describes the system as explicitly decentralised.

To be clear: a factory in Guangzhou does not send their product information to a European government database. They register the existence of a passport and a link to it. That is all.

What we know for sure

• The registry stores unique product identifiers and a backup link, not product data itself.
  
  
• Registration is performed by or on behalf of the economic operator — typically the brand or importer placing the product on the EU market, not the manufacturer.
  
  
• Manufacturers outside the EU are not required to interact with the registry directly. The obligation sits with whoever places the product on the EU market.
  
  
• AWARE™ as a verified service provider will be able to handle registration on behalf of our customers and their EU importers.
  
  
• Data protection rules (GDPR and equivalent) apply fully. The Commission is the data controller for the registry and is bound by EU data protection law.

What is still being worked out

The draft regulation was published for feedback in late April 2026 and has not yet been finalised. A few things remain open:

• The exact verification process for non-EU manufacturers and how service providers like AWARE™ can support it.
  
  I have submitted formal feedback to the European Commission on this point specifically, proposing that accredited service providers be authorised to handle verification on behalf of their customers.
  
  
• The technical specifications for the API and data formats. These are not yet published.
  
  
• The timeline for the registry going live. Textile products are in scope from 2027 under ESPR, but the registry infrastructure is being developed now. It is supposed to be live in July but I am very skeptical about that. 

I am tracking all of this closely and will update you as things are confirmed.

What to tell concerned partners

The registry records that a product passport exists. It does not store the passport's content. No factory is required to upload their data to a European database. The obligation to register sits with the EU importer or brand, and AWARE™ is designed to handle that process.

If anyone wants more detail or has a specific concern, please send it to me directly, or make it public in our help center and I will make sure we have a clear answer.

- Rhys, AWARE™

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上周，我们收到了用户和合作伙伴对欧盟委员会数字产品护照（DPP）注册系统项目的疑虑。这是我们的回应。

随着新信息的出现，本文将持续更新。如果你认为我们有任何错误或遗漏，欢迎留言指正。我们希望在此分享，帮助其他生产商和供应商找到清晰的答案。

简而言之：该注册系统并不要求制造商将产品数据发送至欧洲。这不是它的用途，也不是它的设计初衷。

详细说明

注册系统是什么

欧盟正在建立一个中央注册系统，作为其数字产品护照计划的一部分。其目的是为每件产品存储一个"唯一识别码"（UID），以及该产品护照的托管地址。它记录的是名称和地址——与数据内容无关。

实际的产品数据——原材料、供应商、认证信息、可持续性信息——仍然存储在 AWARE™ 平台中，由生产商完全掌控。

欧盟注册系统仅记录护照的存在及其查阅地址。这一点已在欧盟委员会于2026年4月29日发布的法规草案中得到确认，该草案明确将该系统定性为去中心化系统。

明确一点：广州的工厂无需将其产品信息发送至欧洲政府数据库。它只需登记护照的存在及其链接。仅此而已。

我们已确认的内容

• 注册系统存储的是唯一产品识别码和备份链接，而非产品数据本身。
• 注册由经济运营商或其代表完成——通常是将产品投放欧盟市场的品牌商或进口商，而非制造商。
• 欧盟以外的制造商无需直接与注册系统互动。义务由将产品投放欧盟市场的一方承担。
• AWARE™ 作为经过认证的服务提供商，将能够代表我们的客户及其欧盟进口商完成注册。
• 数据保护规则（GDPR 及同等法规）完全适用。欧盟委员会是注册系统的数据控制方，受欧盟数据保护法约束。

仍在讨论中的内容

该法规草案于2026年4月下旬发布征求意见，尚未最终确定。以下几点仍未明确：

• 欧盟以外制造商的身份核验流程，以及 AWARE™ 等服务提供商如何提供支持。我已就此向欧盟委员会提交了正式意见，建议授权经过认证的服务提供商代表其客户完成身份核验。
• API 及数据格式的技术规范尚未发布。
• 注册系统上线时间尚不确定。纺织品产品将于2027年纳入 ESPR 范围，注册系统基础设施目前正在建设中。官方计划于7月上线，但我对此持保留态度。

我将密切关注相关进展，并在信息确认后及时更新本文。

如何回应有疑虑的合作伙伴

注册系统记录的是产品护照的存在，而不存储护照的内容。没有任何工厂需要将数据上传至欧洲数据库。注册义务由欧盟进口商或品牌商承担，AWARE™ 的设计正是为了处理这一流程。

如需进一步了解或有具体疑问，请直接联系我，或在我们的帮助中心公开提问，我会确保给出明确的答复。

- Rhys，AWARE™