Countries / Europe

European Union

Medicines, tobacco, alcoholChecked 17 Oct 2026
SystemFMD (medicines) + TPD (tobacco), with DPP, batteries and packaging next
Code on the productGS1 DataMatrix on medicines; unique identifiers from national ID issuers on tobacco; QR or other data carrier for DPP
AggregationTobacco: yes, aggregated up to the pallet. Medicines: not required by EU law.
First stepRegister your products and GTINs in the national system: FMD.
Supplier checklist (PDF)

Overview

Today the EU serializes medicines (since 2019) and tobacco (cigarettes since 2019, all tobacco since 2024). The next rules concern product data: the battery passport and battery QR codes from February 2027, Digital Product Passports for textiles, steel, tyres and furniture from 2027–2029, and harmonised packaging labels under PPWR from August 2028. Italy replaces its bollino with the EU unique identifier in February 2027.

If you supply this market

  1. Register your products and GTINs in the national system: FMD.
  2. Print a unique serialised code on every saleable pack.
  3. Verify every code on the line; aggregate into cases and pallets where required.
  4. Report production and shipments to the national system.

Typical steps for this type of regime. The exact rules are in the sources. Choosing equipment: printing methods.

DPP, PPWR, batteries and EUDR in detailRead the EU rules page →

Timeline

Coming next

  • 30 Dec 2026EUDR applies to large and medium operators (no on-pack code)
  • 9 Feb 2027Italy: bollino replaced by the EU unique identifier
  • 18 Feb 2027Batteries: QR code on all batteries, battery passport for EV, LMT and industrial > 2 kWh
  • 30 Jun 2027EUDR applies to micro and small operators
  • 2027DPP delegated acts expected: textiles and apparel, tyres, iron and steel
  • 12 Aug 2028PPWR harmonised material labels (or 24 months after the implementing act)
  • 2028–2029DPP delegated acts expected: furniture, aluminium, mattresses
  • Feb 2029PPWR: QR code or other data carrier on reusable packaging (depends on implementing act)

Already in force

  • 9 Feb 2019Medicines: unique identifier + anti-tampering device (Delegated Regulation 2016/161)
  • 20 May 2019Cigarettes and roll-your-own: unit-level traceability (TPD)
  • 8 Dec 2023Wine: ingredients and nutrition, allowed via e-label QR code
  • 20 May 2024All other tobacco products under traceability
  • 12 Aug 2026PPWR applies

What the code looks like

GS1 DataMatrix on the medicine pack

GS1 DataMatrix on the medicine pack

(01) 09506000134352
GTIN: the product number
(17) 271231
Expiry date, YYMMDD
(10) AB1234
Batch
(21) 7G4K9P2XQ5
Serial number, unique to this pack

The same data is printed next to the code as text (GTIN, SN, LOT, EXP). Illustration built on the GS1 example GTIN; the code does not identify any product.

How this code is built →
Tobacco unique identifier

Tobacco unique identifier

ID issuer code
Identifies the independent ID issuer of the country
Serial number
Unique to this pack
Product code
Links to brand, pack type and market
Time stamp
Date and time of manufacture

Printed on every unit pack (DataMatrix, QR or DotCode), plus a separate security feature. Cartons, cases and pallets get aggregated codes. Illustration built on the GS1 example GTIN; the code does not identify any product.

How this code is built →
GS1 Digital Link QR for a Digital Product Passport

GS1 Digital Link QR for a Digital Product Passport

https://id.gs1.org
Domain of the resolver (the brand can use its own)
/01/09506000134352
GTIN
/10/AB1234
Batch: the passport can differ per batch

A phone opens the passport; a 2D-ready till reads the same code as a product number. Illustration built on the GS1 example GTIN; the code does not identify any product.

How this code is built →

Seen on the shelf

Medicine pack in Poland: EU unique identifier with product code (PC), serial (SN), expiry and batch in human-readable form next to the DataMatrix
Medicine pack in Poland: EU unique identifier with product code (PC), serial (SN), expiry and batch in human-readable form next to the DataMatrixPhoto: Zylla · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Cigarette pack in Germany with the tax stamp across the top
Cigarette pack in Germany with the tax stamp across the topPhoto: Steinschreiber · Attribution · Wikimedia Commons
Italian wine excise label (DOCG Chianti) with a serial number
Italian wine excise label (DOCG Chianti) with a serial numberPhoto: Italian Ministry of Agriculture · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Moves to 2D at the checkout

  • Oct 2026Carrefour Polska, Kaufland, C&A, DOZ, H&M, Żabka, Selgros, Makro · Checkout ready. GS1 Polska market readiness list: chains whose checkouts read GS1 2D codes. GS1 DataMatrix: H&M, Żabka, Selgros, Makro, DOZ. QR with GS1 Digital Link: Carrefour Polska, Kaufland Polska Markety, C&A, DOZ. Based on the chains' own self-assessment, without certification Source ↗
  • Sep 2026Mercadona · Rollout. GS1 Digital Link QR codes on variable- and fixed-weight fresh items, read by the existing tills; if an item past its use-by date reaches the till, the sale is blocked. Cited by GS1 Portugal; GS1 Spain showed live qrtrack.mercadona.es codes in 2025 Source ↗
  • 24 Sep 2026HEMA · Rollout. QR Code powered by GS1 on HEMA textile products for more than a year; since mid-September 2026 shoppers scan it with a phone and land on the product page, where they can order a size that is out of stock in the store. Scanning the QR code at the checkout is the announced next step, to phase out the linear barcode step by step Source ↗
  • 11 Jul 2026ADEO (Leroy Merlin) · Pilot. GS1 augmented QR code on three Dexter own-brand tools (drill, hammer drill, sander), printed next to the EAN-13; scanning at the checkout tested. Products with the code in stores from December 2026, wider rollout planned for 2027 Source ↗
  • 7 Jun 2026METRO Österreich · Rollout. Uses GS1 DataMatrix in place of GS1-128 on fresh products: scanning error rate down about 40%, 98.3% readability at the checkouts (GS1 Austria expert interview) Source ↗
  • Jun 2026Skawa Wadowice, Seboradin, Bioelixire · Rollout. First products with QR codes powered by GS1 on shelves in Polish stores, in confectionery and cosmetics. Skawa (first in Polish confectionery) and Seboradin (cosmetics: product identification, logistics, anti-counterfeiting, automatic translations) were among the six GS1 Polska 2D pilots of 2024-2025 Source ↗
  • 28 May 2026ICA · Test. First product in Swedish grocery to reach stores with only a 2D code and no linear barcode: own-label ICA I love eco Fresh Salsiccia, tested in ICA stores; wider use planned from early 2027 Source ↗
  • 8 May 2026Carrefour · Rollout. About 50 private-label products carry QR codes powered by GS1, starting with wine; spirits, textiles and batteries named as next Source ↗
  • Mar 2026Talen Tools · Rollout. Dutch hand-tool maker (4,500 products, 75 staff): first products with the QR Code powered by GS1 in late 2025, almost all own-brand products about six months later, with GS1 partner Linnq. An inline printer at each assembly workstation prints labels on demand, so a new QR code with the batch number can be printed for each batch; batch data is on the list of next uses. The code fits on a 28 mm handle. Private-label products for retailers are next Source ↗
  • Mar 2026dm + Beiersdorf · Pilot. dm tests reading QR codes at checkout in selected stores with GS1 Germany; no national rollout decided yet. Beiersdorf has carried GS1 Digital Link on 8x4 since 2025, more brands in 2026 Source ↗
  • Mar 2026VB Traffic · Pilot. Road-safety products company, one of the six GS1 Polska 2D pilots of 2024-2025: added GS1 2D codes to meet EU battery rules (GS1 Polska implementation guidelines, Mar 2026) Source ↗
  • 20 Jan 2026Mondelez Italia + Conad Nord Ovest · Pilot. GS1 QR code on Oro Saiwa biscuits with GS1 Italy; Conad Nord Ovest tested scanning at its tills Source ↗
  • Sep 2025RetailPro (Pro7) · Rollout. New Pro7 private label built from scratch when RetailPro (Campania) launched its own banner after leaving Pam Franchising; shoppers scan the QR code on the pack to open a product page. About 250 own-label items at launch, target 1,000 by March 2026 (GDO News, 22 Sep 2025). GS1 standard not stated in the source. Reader report (Francesco Posa, Unichips, Oct 2026): Pro7 packs have no linear barcode, so the QR code is the only code scanned at checkout; not yet confirmed in a public source Source ↗
  • Jun 2025bonÀrea · Rollout. QR code 'Directo al origen' on fresh meat packs with a live tr.bonarea.com link, shown by GS1 Spain at GS1 InterACT 2025 Source ↗
  • Jun 2025Mango · Rollout. QR code on garments carries the same data as the EPC RFID tag, shown by GS1 Spain at GS1 InterACT 2025 Source ↗
  • Feb 2025Swapp! · Rollout. Polish start-up supplying reusable packaging to box caterers, restaurants and cafes put QR codes with GS1 Digital Link on reusable cups, giving access to the life-cycle data of each package; one of the GS1 Polska 2D pilots Source ↗
  • Jan 2025Carrefour (own-label wine) · Rollout. GS1 lists Carrefour's own wine brand as an early result of the 2D transition: QR codes powered by GS1 share nutrition data, about 148 million bottles carry the new code (EU wine e-label rules) Source ↗
  • Mar 2024Biedronka, Auchan, Carrefour Polska, Żabka, Makro, Hebe, DOZ + brands · Commitment. Letters of intent with GS1 Polska: the signatories back the CGF and GS1 decision to move from linear barcodes to GS1 2D codes and commit to support it in Poland. MAKRO signed on 25 Mar 2024; brands include Tymbark, Dr. Oetker Polska, Makarony Czarniecki, Skawa. A letter of intent is a commitment to support the move; for checkout readiness see the Oct 2026 Poland row Source ↗
  • Nov 2023H&M Group · Rollout. Moved from linear barcodes to QR codes with a serialised GTIN after RFID rollout exposed scanning problems; used first for real-time stock counts, and shoppers can scan the code in the H&M app for product info, stock and online ordering. Shown at a GS1 Sweden / Svensk Handel webinar Source ↗
  • 2023Żabka + Nowalijka · Rollout. GS1 case study: GS1 DataMatrix on all Nowalijka own-label products for 11,000+ Żabka stores; automated discounts, no sale past expiry, faster scanning. Franchisee satisfaction up 47% in a 2023 survey Source ↗
  • 2022Żabka + Pierre Baguette · Results. Żabka replaced GS1 DataBar with GS1 DataMatrix because linear codes on soft, irregular packs such as bread and sandwiches often failed to scan. On Pierre Baguette products (Slovak bakery), complaints about unreadable codes fell from 562 (Jan-Sep 2022) to 0 within 3 months; franchisee satisfaction with scanning up 47% vs DataBar Source ↗
Full 2D tracker →

Frequently asked questions

Is product marking mandatory in European Union?

Yes, for medicines, tobacco or alcohol, depending on the product: FMD. Other consumer goods are not marked unit by unit.

What is already in force?

9 Feb 2019: Medicines: unique identifier + anti-tampering device (Delegated Regulation 2016/161); 20 May 2019: Cigarettes and roll-your-own: unit-level traceability (TPD); 8 Dec 2023: Wine: ingredients and nutrition, allowed via e-label QR code; 20 May 2024: All other tobacco products under traceability; 12 Aug 2026: PPWR applies.

What code goes on the product?

GS1 DataMatrix on medicines; unique identifiers from national ID issuers on tobacco; QR or other data carrier for DPP.

Is aggregation required?

Tobacco: yes, aggregated up to the pallet. Medicines: not required by EU law.

What changes next?

30 Dec 2026: EUDR applies to large and medium operators (no on-pack code); 9 Feb 2027: Italy: bollino replaced by the EU unique identifier; 18 Feb 2027: Batteries: QR code on all batteries, battery passport for EV, LMT and industrial > 2 kWh; 30 Jun 2027: EUDR applies to micro and small operators; 2027: DPP delegated acts expected: textiles and apparel, tyres, iron and steel; 12 Aug 2028: PPWR harmonised material labels (or 24 months after the implementing act); 2028–2029: DPP delegated acts expected: furniture, aluminium, mattresses; Feb 2029: PPWR: QR code or other data carrier on reusable packaging (depends on implementing act).

Is the Digital Product Passport mandatory already?

Not yet. It becomes mandatory product group by product group, once the delegated act for that group applies. Batteries come first, from 18 February 2027.

Does PPWR require a QR code on every pack?

No. Material labels from August 2028 may be supplemented by a QR code. A QR code or other data carrier is required on reusable packaging.

Do I need a different code for each EU country?

Medicines carry the same EU unique identifier everywhere, plus a national reimbursement number where a country requires it. Tobacco identifiers come from the ID issuer appointed by each member state.

Where can I check the rules?

Start with EUR-Lex: Delegated Regulation 2016/161. All sources are listed at the end of this page.

Sources

Checked 17 Oct 2026. Seen something outdated? Send a correction.