Scope: Zalando Partner Program and Connected Retail in the European market. Last reviewed August 25, 2026.
Zalando battery EPR reactivation is a market-by-market compliance process, not one switch for the entire EU. Zalando says the temporary suspension of battery-containing articles introduced on August 18, 2025 remains in effect. In markets where the EPR feature is available in zDirect, a partner can submit the required national registration details. Articles remain deactivated until the information is validated against the relevant registry and, where applicable, checked by Zalando.
Separate the three questions before you spend money: Does the product contain a battery? Are you the legally responsible producer in the destination market? Is that market available for battery EPR submission in zDirect? A blocked assortment does not prove that the same registration, representative, or service is needed in every country.
What actually happened to your assortment
Zalando’s Platform Rules cover products that contain batteries, including a battery embedded in or supplied with another product. The rule is not limited to loose batteries or electronics departments. Watches, light-up footwear, heated garments, beauty devices, toys, and accessories can fall into the operational scope when a battery is included.
The platform layer has two connected controls:
- Partner-level EPR details. Zalando asks for national registration information for the markets where the partner offers affected products.
- Article-level data. Zalando asks partners to complete the attributes “contains batteries” and “electronic components” accurately.
A market can therefore stay blocked even after a number is entered if the registry record cannot be matched, the wrong supplier type was selected, a company identifier differs from the registry, or the article attributes remain incomplete. Conversely, an article attribute alone does not replace a registration that is legally required.
Four separate layers in the reactivation process
1. Product scope
Identify whether each affected SKU contains a battery or electronic component and whether the battery is embedded, supplied, or sold separately.
2. Producer role
Determine who first makes the battery or battery-containing product available in each destination market. The responsible producer is not automatically the brand owner or factory.
3. National registration
EU law uses Member State registers. The applicable identifier, legal-entity fields, representative arrangement, and producer-responsibility organisation can differ by market.
4. Zalando validation
zDirect collects market-specific data and checks it against official registers. Platform approval does not create the legal registration, and registration does not guarantee platform approval.
What EU law requires
Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 establishes battery producer registration and extended producer responsibility. Article 55 requires a producer to register in each Member State in which it first makes batteries available. Article 56 assigns extended producer responsibility to producers. These duties can apply to batteries incorporated into other products as well as batteries sold separately.
The regulation’s definition of “producer” depends on establishment, supply method, and the market where the product is first made available. A manufacturer, importer, distributor, marketplace seller, or distance seller can occupy the relevant role in different supply chains. Do not decide responsibility from the logo on the product alone.
The current regulation also contains an authorised-representative rule for certain distance sellers. An EU legislative proposal, procedure 2025/0395/COD, would change that rule for some EU-established cross-border producers, but the proposal is still ongoing as of this review. Treat the law currently in force and the destination country’s live registry instructions as controlling. This is separate from Zalando’s own verification workflow.
A separate due-diligence date: Regulation (EU) 2025/1561 postponed battery due-diligence obligations. It did not remove national EPR registration or Zalando’s battery-assortment controls.
Battery EPR availability in zDirect
Zalando’s EPR submission guide, updated August 12, 2026, lists battery fields for Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. Bulgaria is scheduled to become available by September 30, 2026.
Zalando says the technical implementation for the Netherlands and Portugal is on hold because official public battery-producer registries are not available for its automated verification flow. It says Norway’s battery requirements are still being clarified. Do not reuse the status of one market for another; check the live zDirect widget before submitting or paying a provider.
| Market status | Operational next step | What not to assume |
|---|---|---|
| Battery fields available in zDirect | Submit the exact national registry and entity data, then monitor validation | Availability does not mean instant approval |
| Scheduled rollout | Prepare the national registration and watch the announced release date | A future date is not a guarantee that every account field appears that day |
| Technical implementation on hold | Keep the legal obligation and platform status separate; follow current Zalando notices | The absence of a zDirect field does not automatically remove national legal duties |
| Status unclear in your account | Capture the affected market, article IDs, and current EPR widget before contacting Partner Care | A generic screenshot from another partner proves nothing about your account |
The reactivation sequence
- Export the affected assortment by market. Record the article ID, EAN or GTIN, destination market, current sales status, and whether the battery is embedded, supplied, or separate.
- Correct the article attributes. Confirm “contains batteries” and “electronic components” for the actual product. Do not change a truthful value merely to bypass a block.
- Map the producer for each market. Identify the legal entity responsible under the national rule and document why it is the producer.
- Confirm the national registry record. Check the legal-entity name, registration identifier, tax or company identifier, product category, and any representative or PRO relationship.
- Open the zDirect EPR task. Go to Settings → Business profile → EPR details → Manage.
- Select the supplier type that matches the supply chain. Zalando provides options for self-produced or imported goods, goods bought from suppliers in the market, and a combination of both.
- Enter details country by country. Use the same spacing, punctuation, and legal-entity text shown in the official registry. Zalando warns that exact spaces can affect a match.
- Submit and track the status. “Pending” means validation is not complete. “Approved” means the submitted details passed the current check. “Error” requires correction and resubmission.
- Verify the assortment after approval. Check the relevant market, article status, price, inventory, and sellability. Keep evidence of the before-and-after state.
Choose the correct supplier type in zDirect
| Your supply chain | What Zalando asks for | Evidence to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| You produce the goods or import them into the market | Your own applicable EPR details | Registry record, legal entity, national identifier, product category, and any required representation |
| You buy from one or more suppliers established in the market | The applicable supplier details | Supplier legal name, registry identifier, company or tax ID, and proof that the record covers the relevant category |
| You use both models | Your details plus the relevant supplier details | A SKU-to-supply-chain map so the records can be matched to the correct products |
Selecting a supplier because it has an EPR number is not enough. The record needs to match the correct legal entity, market, and battery category. If the brand, importer, and marketplace account holder are different entities, document the relationship rather than forcing one name into every field.
How to diagnose Pending, Approved, and Error
Pending
Zalando publishes validation estimates by country, not one universal service level. The August 12, 2026 guide lists examples from one business day in several markets to 31 business days in Czechia and Poland. Do not resubmit identical data repeatedly while the published window is still open. Save the submission time and check whether the official registry record is publicly visible.
Approved
Approval means the submitted EPR details passed the current platform check. It does not prove that each SKU attribute is correct, that all relevant product categories are covered, or that the legal registration will remain valid indefinitely. Verify the affected assortment in the specific market and retain the approved status as evidence.
Error
Zalando says an error can result from incomplete or mismatched information and sends an email requesting correction. Compare every field with the official registry: identifier, company name, tax or company ID, spacing, punctuation, supplier type, and country. If the registry itself is wrong or incomplete, correct that source record before repeating the platform submission.
Do not buy a duplicate registration to fix a data mismatch. First determine whether the existing record covers the correct legal entity, category, and market. A new provider cannot make inconsistent registry data match automatically.
Reactivation evidence checklist
- Affected article IDs and destination markets
- Product specification showing whether a battery is contained or supplied
- Correct battery and electronic-component attributes
- Producer-role decision for each market and supply chain
- Official national registry link or extract
- Exact EPR identifier and registered legal-entity name
- Company, tax, or commercial-register identifier requested by zDirect
- Authorised representative or PRO evidence where applicable
- zDirect submission timestamp and status screenshot
- Error email and corrected fields, if validation failed
- Post-approval assortment check for the specific market
When outside help is worth paying for
Outside support can be useful when the producer role is genuinely unclear, the business needs multiple national registrations, a country uses local representation or a PRO arrangement, the registry record needs correction, or an error persists after the submitted data exactly matches the public record.
A provider should identify the legal entity and market it is registering, the battery category covered, whether government and PRO fees are included, who serves as authorised representative where required, the expected evidence, renewal duties, and what happens if Zalando validation still fails. Avoid a package described only as an “EU battery EPR number”; Zalando and EU law use market-specific records.
XrdaGrid does not recommend a provider on this page. Compare verified service scope, operating models, and quote structure in our Battery EPR Providers in the EU comparison. See how XrdaGrid verifies marketplace and regulatory claims.
Frequently asked questions
Why was my battery assortment blocked on Zalando?
Zalando says the temporary suspension of battery-containing articles introduced on August 18, 2025 remains in effect. In a market supported by zDirect, restrictions can be lifted after valid market-specific EPR details are submitted and validated. Missing or incorrect battery attributes can also keep articles deactivated.
How do I reactivate battery articles on Zalando?
Open zDirect, go to Settings, Business profile, then the EPR details widget, choose the relevant supplier type, and submit the exact registry details for each market. Monitor the status for Pending, Approved, or Error, correct any mismatch, and confirm that the battery and electronic-component attributes are accurate on the affected articles.
Is there a single EU-wide battery EPR number?
No. The EU Battery Regulation uses national producer registers. A business may need a separate registration and identifier for each Member State where it qualifies as a producer and makes batteries or battery-containing products available.
How long does Zalando take to validate EPR details?
Zalando publishes country-specific estimates rather than one universal time. Its August 12, 2026 zDirect guide lists estimates from one business day in some markets to 31 business days in Czechia and Poland. An estimate is not an approval guarantee.
Why can’t I submit battery EPR details for the Netherlands or Portugal?
Zalando says its technical implementation for the Netherlands and Portugal is on hold because official public battery-producer registries are not available for its automated verification flow. Check the current zDirect status before acting because the rollout can change.
Do I need an authorised representative for battery EPR?
It depends on where the business is established, how it sells, and the law of the destination market. The current EU Battery Regulation contains an authorised-representative rule for certain distance sellers, while an EU proposal to change that rule is still pending. Verify the current national requirement before appointing or omitting a representative.
My product is a garment with a small battery. Does this apply?
It can. Zalando’s rules cover products that contain batteries, including batteries embedded in or supplied with a product. The battery size does not by itself remove the platform requirement; classify the article and your producer role using the actual product and market.
Does submitting my details guarantee reactivation?
No. Zalando states that battery-related products remain deactivated until the relevant national-register validation and any Zalando verification are complete. Accurate EPR details and article attributes are prerequisites, not a guarantee of a particular marketplace outcome.
Related XrdaGrid resources
- EPR Registration Number vs PRO Fees
- Authorized Representative for EPR
- Zalando EPR Reactivation Checklist
Sources and last reviewed
Last fact-checked: August 25, 2026.
- Zalando Partner Program Platform Rules
- Zalando: EU EPR batteries regulation and assortment reactivation
- Zalando: How to submit EPR details in zDirect
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries
- Regulation (EU) 2025/1561 on battery due-diligence dates
- EU procedure 2025/0395/COD
XrdaGrid provides general informational content, not legal advice. Requirements can vary by product, supply chain, market, and marketplace account. Verify the live registry and zDirect instructions before filing or purchasing a service.