Steel value chain · ESPR
Indicative Commission timelineIron & steel DPP: first ESPR delegated act expected — structure heat data now
Producers, processors and steel distributors must link heats, mill certificates and recycled content. The Commission indicates delegated-act adoption in Q4 2026 (indicative) — not yet a fixed compliance obligation.
Is the steel DPP mandatory by end-2026?
No. Q4 2026 is the indicative delegated-act adoption window, not the compliance date. After adoption: ≥ 18 months transition. Only the battery passport has a fixed date (18 February 2027).
Stakes specific to steelmaking
The value of a steel DPP is heat → product → site continuity — not a brochure PDF.
- 1
Heats & heat numbers
Without a stable link between heat, mill certificate and delivered product, the DPP fails audits and customer checks.
- 2
Recycled content & scrap
Scrap / carbon declarations will likely be central — to confirm in the act, but already demanded by OEMs.
- 3
Long B2B chain
Rolling mills, service centres, traders: every node must resolve the same identifier without re-keying.
What is confirmed — and what is not
Confirmed
- The DPP framework is set by ESPR (EU Regulation 2024/1781).
- Product-specific requirements will be set by a delegated act (or dedicated sectoral legislation).
- After adoption of an ESPR delegated act, operators have a transition period of at least 18 months.
- The only published fixed placing-on-the-market obligation to date: the battery passport (18 February 2027, Regulation 2023/1542).
Indicative (EU Commission)
- Iron / steel delegated-act adoption: Q4 2026 (indicative Commission timeline).
- Compliance obligation = adoption + transition (≥ 18 months).
- Exact fields (recycled content, footprint, access rights): to be set in the delegated act.
Source: European Commission — Digital Product Passport page Commission UE
Legal framework for iron and steel
ESPR priority among early intermediate product groups.
ESPR 2024/1781
General DPP framework for most physical goods placed on the EU market. Product requirements are set via delegated acts.
Iron / steel delegated act (forthcoming)
It will set scope, mandatory data and access profiles. Not enforceable until adopted.
EU DPP registry
The European registry indexes passports (identifiers). Business data stays with the operator or their provider. Live since July 2026, per the Commission.
Who is in scope for steel?
Priority intermediate product — detail in the delegated act.
Producers & processors
Steelworks, rolling mills, tubes, service centres: heat and transformation data quality.
Typical anticipated data
Lot/heat ID, grades, recycled content, environmental information — to be confirmed officially.
Carrier & resolution
Resolvable identifier (often GS1) on label, packing list or marking — exact format per final act.
Prepare steel before the transition window
Four concrete steelmaking workstreams.
- 01
Connect ERP and mill certificates
Map heat numbers, certificates and product refs into one model — no Excel duplicates.
- 02
Measure recycled content / scrap
Document methods and proofs already used for OEM / construction customers.
- 03
Pilot one grade
Publish a pilot DPP for one grade / format; test resolution and machine-readable exports.
- 04
Integrate traders & service centres
Define who updates the passport at each transformation (cutting, heat treatment).
Verisav for the steel value chain
Stable IDs, heat data, B2B interoperability.
Heat → product traceability
Model built for heat numbers, mill certificates and successive transformations.
Open standards
GS1 Digital Link, JSON-LD / RDF — to speak to customer systems and the EU registry.
Transformation events
Each step (rolling, cutting) can enrich the living passport without breaking the ID.
Frequently asked questions
Anticipate the steel DPP without confusing DA and obligation
We structure heats, certificates and recycled content with exact regulatory language — confirmed vs indicative.