Digital Members Update - June 2025

I wanted to share a quick update on DPPs - because these digital passports are about to touch every product you specify or sell. This note covers the new European guidelines, what's unfolding globally and how Great Britain is engaging with these developments. 

What’s just come out?

At the start of June, CEN and CENELEC published CWA 18186:2025, a “how to” guide for setting up DPPs across any product category. It’s deliberately product agnostic, you’ll find generic advice on data exchange and security, plus nuggets on niche use cases (for instance, repair manuals for electronics). We’re also proud that BEAMA is explicitly acknowledged in the CWA as a stakeholder contributor. 

Although it’s not built specifically around electrotechnical (or even construction beams and bricks), CWA 18186 lays the groundwork for every sector (including ours) to spin up DPP services that interlock with the new EU Digital Product Passport framework under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. 

 

 

 

Note on CWAs and Sandboxes 

Remember, a CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) is an exploratory, consensus-based agreement - it’s not a formal standard but rather a way to share best practices and practical guidance quickly. Likewise, sandboxes are safe testing environments set up by regulators and industry bodies where new DPP models can be trialled without full legal compliance requirements or major investment. Both CWAs and sandboxes help us gather lessons learned before formal standards or regulations are finalised. 

Spotlight on the EC Feasibility Study 

DG GROW have also published a comprehensive Feasibility Study on establishing the CPR DPP system, carried out by Tecnalia, Cobuilder and UNE on behalf of the European Commission. This 250page report evaluates three architectural options - centralised database, licensed service providers and manufacturers own systems with backups - against cost, scalability, security and industry preference.  

BEAMA at the Forefront of DPP Standards

We know the Digital Product Passport landscape can feel complex, both for manufacturers considering the requirements and for those of us building the systems behind them. Rest assured, you’re not alone on this journey. BEAMA and BSI are working hand in hand to smooth the path ahead. 

As the British Standards Institution’s (BSI) appointed UK delegate, Patricia Massey represents GB on three pivotal international committees - while always championing BEAMA members interests - 

  • CEN/TC 442 WG 12 (“Digitalisation of construction product performance characteristics”), where we develop CPR-enabled data templates and methodologies. 

  • CEN/CENELEC JTC 24 WG 1 (Strategic Advisory Group), defining the cross-sector framework and interoperability standards for Digital Product Passports. 

  • ISO/TC 154 WG 9 (Processes, data elements and documents in commerce, industry and administration), focused on best practices for managing standards as structured, machine-readable assets. 

Our Mirror National Committee is also supporting the BSI blog: The EU Digital Product Passport is on the horizon | BSI. 

What else is cooking in the DPP world? 

You’ve probably heard whispers of 150 odd DPP R&D projects, sandboxes and pilot schemes across Europe. A recent academic survey listed at least 76 live initiatives but I have heard that the true tally is approaching 150, as more manufacturers, trade bodies and startups jump in to test different service provider models and backend architectures. A few highlights - 

  • CircThread’s CWA draft: On 23 July 2024, CEN Workshop participants rolled out a first draft of “Guidelines to create a DPP”, drawing on their hands-on experience in textiles. 

Looking beyond Europe 

DPPs aren’t just an EU thing. Earlier this spring, UNECE and ISO launched a joint initiative to harmonise global standards for DPPs, a sign that major trading partners are gearing up for interoperable passports. Meanwhile, consumer goods giants in North America and Asia are quietly prototyping digital IDs for everything from smart appliances to high end fashion. 

So, bottom line, the CWA and above projects give us our EU starting blocks, there’s a wave of pilots and sandboxes pushing the envelope, international standard setters want to plug it all together and BEAMA and the UK community are right at the heart of those conversations.  

If you’d like to be part of the conversation and closer to the action on all things digital, get in touch to join DSIN — [email protected]