Why This Standards Update Matters
GS1 Digital Link is the mandated standard for DPP data carriers — the QR codes printed on products that link to their Digital Product Passports. Version 1.3 of the standard addresses several EU-specific requirements that were previously left to implementation interpretation. With the EU Central Registry launching in July 2026 and battery passports becoming mandatory in February 2027, this update provides the definitive technical reference for compliant QR code generation.
Key Technical Changes
Serial-Level Identification for Batteries
The EU Battery Regulation requires a unique passport per individual battery (not per product model). This means QR codes must encode both the GTIN (product model identifier) and a serial number. The v1.3 standard specifies the URI structure as:
https://id.example.com/01/{GTIN}/21/{serial}
For battery packs containing multiple modules, each module may also carry its own identifier using nested component URIs.
Resolver Conformance
Resolver services — the servers that receive a GS1 Digital Link URI when a QR code is scanned and return the appropriate data — must now support HTTP content negotiation. This means the same URI serves different responses depending on the requester:
- A browser receives the human-readable passport viewer (HTML)
- A machine client receives structured data (JSON-LD)
- A market surveillance authority system receives extended compliance data
EU Central Registry Alignment
The standard includes a new annex describing how GS1 Digital Link URIs should be registered with the EU Central DPP Registry, including the registration API payload format and the required metadata fields.
Impact Assessment
For manufacturers using a managed DPP platform, this update should be transparent — the platform handles QR code generation and resolver infrastructure. For companies building custom DPP systems or generating QR codes through ERP integrations, a technical review against the v1.3 specification is recommended before February 2027.