What applies from 18 February 2027
Under the Batteries Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, a battery passport becomes mandatory from 18 February 2027 (Article 77). From the same date, batteries must carry a QR code (Article 13(6)).
Which batteries need a passport
The passport requirement covers three groups:
- batteries for electric vehicles
- batteries for light means of transport
- industrial batteries with a capacity above 2 kWh
Check each product against the definitions in the regulation. Borderline cases, such as a battery that could be classed as industrial or as another type, are worth settling early, because the category decides which obligations apply.
What is still open
The regulation sets 18 August 2026 as the date for an implementing act on who may access battery passport data, in particular parties with a legitimate interest. That act was not adopted by that date, and the Commission's timetable points to the fourth quarter of 2026. Our calendar was last checked on 31 October 2026, and you should confirm the current status on EUR-Lex.
In practice this means you can prepare the data and the process now, while the exact access rules may still change.
Due diligence is a separate date
Battery supply chain due diligence obligations are on a different timeline. They apply from 18 August 2027, after being postponed by Regulation (EU) 2025/1561. The two dates are easy to confuse, and they need different preparation.
What to do now
- Confirm which of your battery products are in scope.
- Map the information the passport requires against what you hold. Our guide to battery passport data requirements breaks it down by category.
- Find the gaps and the suppliers who can fill them.
- Decide how products will be identified and how the QR code will link to the passport.
- Set up review and approval, so each value has a named approver and a date.
Four months is not a long time to collect data from several tiers of suppliers. Starting with one battery line lets you test the process before the date.
Sources
Not legal advice. This guide explains the regulations in plain language. The regulations themselves are the authority, and responsibility for conformity stays with the economic operator.