A unique string of characters used to identify a product and enable a web link to its digital product passport under ESPR.
Unique product identifier is the ESPR identity layer for product-passport records. It identifies a product and enables a web link to the DPP, but it should not be confused with the data carrier, SKU, product page, database key, or passport itself.
A unique product identifier is the product identity string for ESPR DPP access. It identifies a product and enables a web link to the digital product passport; it is not the same as a data carrier, SKU, product page, database, or passport.
A unique product identifier is a unique string of characters assigned to identify a product in a way that also enables a web link to the digital product passport. It is part of the identity layer of a DPP system: the identifier distinguishes the product or relevant product record, while the data carrier provides a machine-readable access point and the passport contains or provides access to the required product-specific data.
The main mistake is to treat the unique product identifier as the whole DPP. It is not the passport; it is an identity string that helps connect the product to the passport. It is also not the same as a data carrier, because a QR code or barcode is the scannable medium and the identifier is the value used to distinguish the product. It is not the same as a SKU and should not automatically be equated with a SKU, model number, serial number, marketing product code, or internal database key unless the implementation and delegated act make that mapping valid.
ESPR Article 2, point 30 defines unique product identifier as a unique string of characters for the identification of a product that also enables a web link to the digital product passport. This makes the term narrower than a generic business identifier: it is specifically tied to product identification and DPP access.
For implementation, the key issue is identifier governance. Teams need to decide who assigns the identifier, what level it applies to, how it maps to product models, batches, or items, how duplicates are avoided, how identifiers remain stable over time, and how the identifier resolves to the correct DPP access point. Weak identifier governance breaks traceability even when the visible passport page looks polished.
Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for sustainable products
a unique string of characters for the identification of a product that also enables a web link to the digital product passport;
Reference: Article 2, point 30
This term matters when companies build product-passport, traceability, or registry systems that must keep the right information attached to the right product instance, product model, batch, or item. Reliable identity is foundational to trustworthy data exchange.
Unique product identifier is the anchor that keeps a DPP from becoming a loose product page. It helps distinguish the product being described from the data carrier that points to it, the database that stores its information, and the operator providing it. Without identifier governance, product evidence can become accurate in isolation but unreliable in use.