Where this sector stands
Iron and steel and aluminium are both named in the ESPR Working Plan for 2025 to 2030. A product group has a passport requirement only once its delegated act is adopted and applies.
The delegated act for steel is expected around the end of 2026, with the passport indicated from about 2028. Aluminium follows. Customers will ask for product-level data and test certificates before any deadline arrives.
Indicative only. The delegated act for each metal will define the data fields, so this page names none. Check EUR-Lex for the current status of each act.
What to prepare now
The delegated act will define the data requirements, and they are not final. These steps do not depend on them.
Map products and suppliers
List which products are likely in scope and which suppliers feed each of them.
Start tier 2 and 3 collection
Ask mills, smelters and traders further up the chain for the data and documents they already hold, through a secure link.
Track evidence and validity
Keep test certificates linked to the products they cover and record when each one expires.
Set up approvals
Name who approves each value, so every entry has a reviewer and a date.
Indicative timeline
None of these dates is fixed in law. They come from the Commission's timetable and other sources, and other sources place some dates a year earlier or later. Calendar last checked on 31 October 2026.
This page explains the regulations in general terms and is not legal advice. AuditSci is a technology platform and does not certify conformity. Responsibility for conformity stays with the economic operator.
- Q4 2026Delegated act for iron and steel expected.Indicative
- Q3 to Q4 2027Delegated act for aluminium expected.Indicative
- 2028Passport expected to become mandatory for iron and steel.Indicative
- 2029Passport expected to become mandatory for aluminium.Indicative
Questions
Is there a legal date for the steel passport?
Not yet. A product group has a passport requirement only once its delegated act is adopted and applies. For iron and steel the act is expected around Q4 2026 and the passport is indicated from about 2028. These dates are indicative.
What data will the steel and aluminium passport need?
The delegated act for each product group will define it. Until it is published, the sensible preparation is to know your products, your suppliers and which evidence you already hold.
Can I start before the delegated act is published?
Yes. Product and supplier mapping, supplier collection, evidence tracking and approvals do not depend on the final field list. When the act is published, the work is mostly adding fields to a process that already runs.
Keep reading
The ESPR
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2024/1781.
Read moreGuide: ESPR timeline
Which product groups follow batteries, and how to plan around uncertain dates.
Read moreGuide: collecting supplier data
How to run supplier collection without spreadsheets and email chains.
Read more