European Union - Pet products
CE marking and compliance requirements for pet products
Accessories and equipment for pets, sold to consumers. General product safety and chemical rules form the base; powered and connected pet tech picks up the electronics bundles.
For example: dog leash, pet bed, automatic feeder, GPS pet tracker.
Pet toys are NOT toys under EU/UK toy law (toys are defined by children's play value) — they fall under general product safety instead, though a pet toy that appeals to children as a plaything could be assessed as a toy: verify borderline designs. Pet food, treats and supplements are feed/veterinary law — out of scope. EU food contact materials law covers materials contacting food for human consumption, so pet bowls sit outside it — general safety and REACH still apply; verify any national rules. GPS pet trackers are radio equipment (RED / UK Radio Equipment Regulations / FCC intentional radiator) and connectable products (CRA; PSTI where internet-connectable). Electric items like heated pet beds and aquarium heaters are mains electrical products with real fire-safety enforcement history — the mains bundle plus UKCA/CE marking applies.
Base requirements3 instruments
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.
Key obligations
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 04Report accidents caused by your products and notify dangerous products to the authorities through the Safety Business Gateway.source
The EU's enforcement framework for product rules. Its Article 4 is the practical blocker for online sellers: since 16 July 2021, most CE-marked goods can only be placed on the EU market if an economic operator established in the EU is responsible for compliance tasks — and that operator's contact details must accompany the product.
Key obligations
- 01A product covered by the Article 4 list may only be placed on the EU market if there is an economic operator established in the Union responsible for the Article 4 tasks (applies since 16 July 2021).source
- 02That operator can be: the manufacturer established in the EU; an importer (where the manufacturer is not established in the EU); an authorised representative with a written mandate; or an EU-established fulfilment service provider handling the products (Article 4(2)).source
- 03The operator's tasks (Article 4(3)): verify that the EU Declaration of Conformity and technical documentation exist and keep the DoC available; provide information and documentation to authorities on request; inform authorities when a product presents a risk; cooperate on corrective action.source
- 04The name, registered trade name or trade mark and contact details (including postal address) of the Article 4 operator must be indicated on the product or on its packaging, the parcel or an accompanying document (Article 4(4)).source
The EU's chemicals regulation. For physical-product (article) sellers the practical duties are: communicating Candidate List substances of very high concern (SVHCs) above 0.1% down the supply chain and to consumers, notifying ECHA in some cases, and respecting the Annex XVII restrictions. Full chemical registration applies to substance manufacturers/importers, not typical article sellers.
Key obligations
- 01Article 33(1): if an article contains a Candidate List SVHC above 0.1% weight by weight, provide recipients (businesses in the supply chain) with sufficient information for safe use — at minimum the name of that substance. This applies per article within a complex product.source
- 02Article 33(2): on request from a consumer, provide the same safe-use information (at minimum the substance name) within 45 days, free of charge.source
- 03Article 7(2): EU producers/importers of articles must notify ECHA when a Candidate List substance is present above 0.1% w/w AND its total quantity in those articles exceeds 1 tonne per producer/importer per year — no later than 6 months after the substance is added to the Candidate List. Notification is not required where exposure of humans and the environment can be excluded.source
- 04Notify articles containing Candidate List SVHCs above 0.1% w/w to ECHA's SCIP database (a duty under the Waste Framework Directive, submitted via ECHA).sourceUnverified — check source
If your product also...
Extra regulations triggered by specific features
Has radio / wireless (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, GPS, RFID/NFC)
Radio Equipment DirectiveRestriction of Hazardous Substances DirectiveWaste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive
Contains a battery
Batteries RegulationElectromagnetic Compatibility DirectiveRestriction of Hazardous Substances DirectiveWaste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive
Plugs into mains power (50–1000 V AC)
Low Voltage DirectiveElectromagnetic Compatibility DirectiveRestriction of Hazardous Substances DirectiveWaste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive
Connects to the internet / runs updatable software
Documents you will need
Deduplicated across the regulations above
- 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
- Written mandate (when using an authorised representative)The authorised representative must hold a written mandate covering the Article 4 tasks.source
- EU Declaration of Conformity + technical documentation availabilityThe EU operator must be able to verify these exist and produce them for authorities on request.source
- Supplier declarations / full material disclosuresEvidence that Candidate List SVHCs are below 0.1% w/w per article, or the basis of your Article 33 communications.source
- Article 33 safe-use communicationsRecords of the information passed to recipients and provided to consumers within the 45-day deadline.source
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.
I sell CE-marked products online from outside the EU — do I need someone in the EU?+
Yes, for products on the Article 4 list (most CE-marked consumer goods). Since 16 July 2021 they can only be placed on the EU market if an EU-established economic operator — importer, authorised representative or fulfilment service provider — is responsible for the compliance tasks, and their details must accompany the product.
I sell finished products, not chemicals — does REACH really apply to me?+
Yes, in a limited way. You don't register chemicals, but you must know whether any Candidate List substance of very high concern exceeds 0.1% by weight in any article you supply, tell business customers proactively, and answer consumer requests within 45 days.
Other markets, same product
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