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(EU) 2023/988

In force

General Product Safety Regulation

The EU's baseline safety law for consumer products, applicable since 13 December 2024. It replaces the General Product Safety Directive and adds duties around traceability, online selling, recalls and having a responsible economic operator in the EU.

Read the official text

Applies to

Consumer products placed or made available on the EU market — new, used, repaired or reconditioned, and including products sold online. It acts as a safety net where no sector-specific CE legislation covers a risk. Excluded: medicinal products, food and feed, living plants and animals, civil aircraft, antiques, and services themselves.

Key obligations

  1. 01Only place safe products on the market. Safety is assessed against the product's characteristics, packaging, instructions, the consumers who will use it, its appearance (food-imitating products) and, where relevant, cybersecurity features.source
  2. 02A product may only be placed on the EU market if there is a responsible economic operator established in the EU — an EU manufacturer, importer, authorised representative or fulfilment service provider (Article 16).source
  3. 03Carry out an internal risk analysis and draw up technical documentation; keep product identification and traceability information available (manufacturers, importers and distributors each have tiered duties).source
  4. 04Report accidents caused by your products and notify dangerous products to the authorities through the Safety Business Gateway.source
  5. 05For recalls: contact affected consumers directly where possible, use clear recall notices, and offer at least two of repair, replacement or an adequate refund — effective, cost-free and timely.source
  6. 06Online marketplaces must register with the Safety Gate portal, designate a single contact point, ensure minimum safety/traceability information appears with listings, and remove dangerous product listings expeditiously.source

Conformity routes

  • Self-assessment (internal risk analysis)Always — the GPSR has no notified-body procedure and no conformity marking. Manufacturers perform an internal risk analysis and compile technical documentation proportionate to the product's risks. Sector CE legislation (e.g. LVD, RED, Toy Safety) takes precedence for the risks it covers.source

Documentation

  • Technical documentationBased on an internal risk analysis; must describe the product and its safety-relevant characteristics. No EU Declaration of Conformity is required under the GPSR itself.source
  • Traceability informationProduct identification (type/batch/serial) plus manufacturer and EU responsible operator contact details must accompany the product.source

Marking requirements

  • No CE or other conformity marking is required by the GPSR. The product must instead be identifiable and carry the name and contact details (including postal address) of the manufacturer and of the responsible economic operator established in the EU, on the product, its packaging, the parcel or an accompanying document.source

Key dates

  • 2024-12-13GPSR applies; repeals the General Product Safety Directive 2001/95/EC and the food-imitating products Directive 87/357/EEC. Products conforming to the old directive placed on the market before this date may continue to be made available.source

Penalties

Member States determine their own penalties for infringements, which must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive — amounts therefore vary by country.source

Further guidance

Applies to these product types

Frequently asked

My product already has CE marking — does the GPSR still apply?+

Yes, partially. Sector CE legislation takes precedence for the risks it covers, but GPSR duties that go beyond it — such as the responsible EU economic operator, online marketplace rules, accident reporting and recall remedies — still apply to consumer products.

Can I sell into the EU from outside without any EU presence?+

No. Since 13 December 2024 a consumer product may only be placed on the EU market if there is a responsible economic operator established in the EU — an EU manufacturer, importer, authorised representative or fulfilment service provider — whose contact details accompany the product.

Does the GPSR cover second-hand or refurbished products?+

Yes. The regulation expressly covers new, used, repaired and reconditioned products made available on the EU market, including online, unless they are supplied as antiques or as products to be repaired before use where that is made clear.

What do I have to do if my product turns out to be dangerous?+

Notify the authorities via the Safety Business Gateway, cooperate with market surveillance, and if a recall is needed, contact consumers directly where possible and offer at least two of: repair, replacement or an adequate refund — free of charge and in a timely way.

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