PASSAT — Austria's flagship DPP project as an international model
The ESPR Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 has applied directly in Austria since 18 July 2024. The first mandatory battery passport applies from 18 February 2027 to EV and LMT batteries and to industrial batteries above 2 kWh. Textiles and apparel follow from late 2028/early 2029, furniture from 2029/2030. From 19 July 2026, the ESPR destruction ban for unsold clothing and footwear applies first to large companies; medium-sized companies follow in 2030, while micro and small enterprises are exempt.
Austria is an EU leader through the BMK-funded PASSAT project (data-service ecosystems for the Digital Product Passport): companies including Atomic Austria, Löffler, voestalpine, Fronius and Grabher are jointly building real DPP use cases — including the world's first ski DPP, presented at Hannover Messe 2026 as an international industry benchmark.
Competent authorities in Austria
- BMK (Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology) — Lead ministry for ESPR/DPP; funds the PASSAT project with €2.9 million via FFG
- BEV (Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying) — Central contact point for market surveillance; coordinates enforcement across 15+ product sectors and the district administrative authorities
- Environment Agency Austria (UBA) — Scientific expert body for life-cycle assessments and environmental criteria in ESPR delegated regulations
- Austrian Standards International (ASI) — Coordinates Austrian contributions to CEN/CENELEC DPP standards; Otto Handle chairs JTC Working Group 4 (DPP technical standards); DPP training courses offered since October 2025
The national ESPR penalty framework act (Begleitgesetz) is currently being drafted. Existing sanctions under the Product Safety Act 2004 provide for fines of up to €25,000 per violation; repeated or intentional infringements may result in product bans, market withdrawals and exclusion from public procurement.
Funding for Austrian businesses
- FFG Flagship Project DPP — €2.9 million (BMK); consortia of at least 2 companies + 1 research institution; 9th call deadline: 3 March 2026
- FFG Green Frontrunner — ~€20 million budget (2025); up to €3 million per project; funding rates: large companies 25%, medium 35%, small 45%; rolling submissions
- aws ERP Loan 2026 — €500 million total volume; up to €37.5 million per project; 6–12 year terms; covers digitalisation, sustainability and clean technologies; sustainability declaration mandatory
- KMU.DIGITAL & GREEN — €35 million (2024–2026, BMWET/aws); up to €6,000 per company for digitally-supported sustainability transformation; valid until 31 December 2026
- Environmental Promotion (UFI/KPC) — Grants for circular economy projects; administered by Kommunalkredit Public Consulting on behalf of BMK
Associations and networks
- WKÖ (Austrian Chamber of Commerce) — 8+ ESPR/DPP webinars since May 2024 (all recorded); primary contact: heinrich.pecina@wko.at; FMTI industry federation hosts dedicated DPP information events
- Plattform Industrie 4.0 Austria — Leads PASSAT project communications; hosts bi-monthly DPP check-in sessions (14+ sessions by April 2026)
- GS1 Austria — 12,000+ member companies; GS1 Digital Link QR code as DPP data carrier (Sunrise 2027: classic barcodes replaced by GS1 QR codes)
- respACT — 360+ member companies; provides ESPR fact sheets, webinars, eLearning and networking events; supported by BMK, WKÖ and IV
DPP by industry sector
DPP requirements differ significantly by product category. Most relevant for Austrian companies — strong in timber, automotive supply and chemicals:
- Batteries & Accumulators — Battery passport from 18 February 2027 — the first and most concrete DPP obligation for Austria
- Furniture & Timber Products — EUDR timber obligation from December 2025, DPP for furniture 2027/2028 — relevant for Austria's strong timber industry
- Automotive & Mobility — EV battery passport 2027, ELV revision with recycled content quotas from 2030 — Austria as Tier-1/2 supplier affected
- Construction Products — CPR 2024/3110 — new DPP register from 19 July 2026, EPD to EN 15804 as basis
- All ESPR sectors → — Sector-specific deadlines, data requirements and associations at a glance
Frequently asked questions by Austrian companies
Are SMEs exempt from ESPR?
Micro and small enterprises (under 50 employees, maximum €10 million turnover) are fully exempt from the destruction ban on unsold products. There is no general SME exemption for DPP data obligations — once a delegated regulation for a product category enters into force, all manufacturers placing that product on the EU market must provide the DPP.
Which sectors are most affected in Austria?
Priority sectors in the ESPR Working Plan 2025-2030: iron and steel (voestalpine, Böhler-Uddeholm), textiles (Vorarlberg textile industry, Löffler), automotive suppliers (battery DPP from February 2027) and sports equipment (Atomic, Wintersteiger — PASSAT frontrunners). Concrete DPP obligations for ESPR product groups will only arise through later delegated acts. 99.8% of all Austrian companies are SMEs — supply chain data collection is the greatest practical challenge.
What is PASSAT and how can my company participate?
PASSAT is Austria's flagship DPP data-ecosystem project, funded by BMK with €2.9 million. Companies including Atomic, Löffler, voestalpine, Fronius and Grabher are developing real use cases. Interested companies can learn more through Plattform Industrie 4.0 (bi-monthly DPP check-in sessions) and contact the project team directly.
