EU Regulation
GPSR – General Product Safety Regulation
Background
Background
GPSR (General Product Safety Regulation), formally Regulation (EU) 2023/988, replaced the previous General Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EC) and has been directly applicable in all EU member states since 13 December 2024.
The regulation aims to ensure that all consumer products placed on the EU market are safe. Unlike the older directive, which needed to be transposed into national legislation, GPSR applies directly and uniformly across the EU – creating a level playing field for all economic operators.
The regulation was driven by the rapid growth of e-commerce and online marketplaces, which has meant that products increasingly reach consumers without traditional control chains. GPSR addresses these new challenges with requirements for traceability, marketplace responsibility, and strengthened product recall measures.
Scope
Who is affected?
The regulation affects all economic operators in the supply chain for consumer products:
- Manufacturers – responsible for ensuring the product meets safety requirements
- Importers – must verify that the manufacturer has fulfilled their obligations
- Distributors – must act with due care
- Authorised representatives – act on behalf of the manufacturer within the EU
- Fulfilment service providers (i.e. companies handling warehousing, packaging and/or shipping on behalf of another operator) – new in GPSR
New in GPSR is that online marketplaces have specific obligations – they must, among other things, ensure that product listings contain mandatory safety information and that dangerous products are delisted promptly.
The regulation applies to all consumer products not covered by sector-specific EU harmonisation legislation. Products falling under sector-specific legislation may, however, be covered by GPSR for aspects not regulated by the sector-specific law – for example, a toy regulated by the Toy Safety Directive (2009/48/EC) may still be covered by GPSR for risks not specifically addressed by the toy directive.
Requirements
Key requirements
The central requirements in GPSR include:
- General safety requirements: Products must be safe, taking into account their characteristics, packaging, labelling, instructions, target group, and presentation
- Traceability: Manufacturers must ensure products can be identified (e.g. batch/serial numbers), and supply chain information must be documented
- Internal risk analysis: Economic operators shall conduct risk assessments and take action when risks are identified
- Technical documentation: Manufacturers shall prepare and maintain technical documentation demonstrating the product's compliance with safety requirements
- Accident reporting: Operators must notify competent national authorities of products posing a serious risk, who in turn notify via Safety Gate (formerly RAPEX)
- Online marketplace requirements: Marketplaces must have internal product safety processes, cooperate with authorities, and act promptly upon notification of dangerous products
Timeline
Timeline and milestones
- 10 May 2023: GPSR was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council
- 23 May 2023: GPSR was published in the Official Journal of the EU
- 12 June 2023: The regulation entered into force
- 13 December 2024: The regulation became applicable – requirements are fully in force for all operators
There are no further transitional provisions – GPSR has been fully applicable since December 2024. National market surveillance authorities are actively enforcing the regulation.
Compliance
Consequences of non-compliance
Non-compliance can lead to serious consequences:
- Sales bans and withdrawal of products from the market
- Product recalls with requirements to inform consumers
- Sanctions and fines in accordance with national legislation (each member state sets its own penalties, but they must be effective, proportionate, and dissuasive)
- Liability claims for personal injuries caused by unsafe products (under product liability legislation)
- Notification via Safety Gate, which can affect sales across the entire EU/EEA
- Reputational damage and loss of consumer trust
Action plan
What should you do now?
- Map your product portfolio: Identify which products fall under GPSR versus sector-specific legislation
- Update internal risk assessments: Ensure all consumer products have a documented risk analysis
- Review traceability: Verify that products have batch/serial numbers and that the supply chain is documented
- Check product labelling: Manufacturer name, address, warnings, and instructions must be on the product or its packaging
- Implement monitoring routines: Establish processes for handling complaints, reporting accidents, and responding to Safety Gate notifications
- If you sell via marketplaces: Ensure product listings meet the information requirements
- Ensure complete documentation: Technical documentation must be available to market surveillance authorities for at least 10 years
Verca
How Verca helps
Verca helps you navigate GPSR requirements by automatically identifying which regulations apply to your products – including whether GPSR is applicable as a complementary or primary framework.
The platform's classification engine maps your product's characteristics against GPSR's requirement structure and flags documentation needs. You receive support in creating and maintaining technical documentation, traceability information, and risk assessments in a structured, version-controlled workflow.
When the regulation is updated or interpreted differently by authorities, Verca monitors the changes and notifies you of what affects your products.