A GPSR compliance service helps you organise the product-safety, traceability and information checks needed before selling consumer products in the European Union. It can review your route to market and online listings, but it does not replace the manufacturer’s duties or formally appoint an EU economic operator on its own.
Key takeaways
- Regulation (EU) 2023/988 requires consumer products placed on the EU market to be safe.
- A GPSR compliance service structures checks, but the manufacturer remains responsible for product design, safety and the evidence supporting it.
- A distance-selling offer must make required product, manufacturer and, where applicable, EU responsible-person information accessible.
- A GPSR responsible-person service becomes active only after acceptance, entity assignment, a signed mandate and active payment.
- Products covered by sector-specific rules, such as toys or certain electrical equipment, may have CE requirements separate from the GPSR.
What is a GPSR compliance service?
A GPSR compliance service helps you organise the checks required before placing a consumer product on the EU market. It identifies the information, documents and roles you need to confirm; it does not automatically certify a product or relieve the manufacturer of its legal responsibilities.
The general framework is Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety, commonly called the GPSR. It has applied since 13 December 2024. It covers consumer products where sector-specific rules do not fully regulate the risk in question.
In practice, this is a common situation: you buy from a manufacturer outside the EU, store goods in Germany or France, then sell through Amazon, Etsy, eBay or your Shopify store. You need to check product safety, the identity of economic operators, labelling, online information and rules specific to the product category.
An EU market-entry compliance assessment is useful at the outset if you do not yet know whether your product is mainly subject to the GPSR, CE legislation, packaging obligations, VAT or import requirements. It builds a review plan from your business, products and trade flows; it does not complete regulatory registrations on your behalf.
What a service can cover in practice
Depending on the agreed scope, the work can include:
- initial classification of the product and its route to market;
- identifying documents to request from the manufacturer or supplier;
- reviewing traceability elements, such as type, batch, serial number or another appropriate identifier;
- checking warnings, instructions and safety information to be supplied;
- reviewing information visible in a distance-selling offer;
- directing you towards the relevant EU economic-operator role.
This turns scattered files into a more usable product record. If a marketplace or market-surveillance authority asks questions, you can more readily identify who holds each piece of evidence and what information needs correcting.
Who needs GPSR compliance support?
Manufacturers, importers, distributors and online sellers may all need GPSR checks when they make consumer products available in the EU. The need is usually greater where the manufacturer is established outside the EU or several parties sit between the factory and the final customer.
The GPSR distinguishes economic roles. A manufacturer designs or has a product made under its name or trade mark. An importer places a product from a third country on the EU market. A distributor makes a product available without being its manufacturer or importer. Those roles carry different obligations, as explained in the European Commission’s 2022 Blue Guide on the implementation of EU product rules.
Imagine a US brand having kitchen accessories made in China and shipped to an Amazon FBA warehouse in Germany. If it sells under its own brand, it must first act as the manufacturer: it must be able to show that the product is safe, properly identified and supplied with the necessary information. Amazon storing or displaying the product does not transfer that responsibility.
Situations that justify a review before publication
A review is particularly useful if:
- you are launching a new product or brand in the EU;
- you import directly from China, the United States, the United Kingdom or another third country;
- your supplier provides vague certificates, documents not tied to the exact product, or evidence that is difficult to verify;
- a marketplace requests safety data or blocks a listing;
- you sell in several countries and need to adapt languages, warnings or local information;
- you do not know whether the product is subject only to the GPSR or also to CE marking.
Before placing an order, you can centralise a manufacturer’s identity, payment and delivery details with Supplier Check. It helps identify inconsistencies that need review; it does not validate regulatory compliance or a product’s inherent safety.
What must you check before selling a product in the EU?
Before placing a product on the market, check that it is safe, traceable and supplied with information consumers can understand. The depth of the review depends on the product, foreseeable users, risks and applicable sector-specific rules.
The GPSR requires an internal risk analysis for products within its scope. That assessment considers, among other things, product characteristics, packaging, instructions, intended users and reasonably foreseeable risks. To structure safety evidence and the documents to collect, use this guide to technical documentation and compliance evidence.
Check the applicable regime first
The GPSR does not displace sector-specific rules. A toy is subject in particular to Directive 2009/48/EC on the safety of toys. Radio equipment may be subject to Directive 2014/53/EU on radio equipment. In such cases, CE marking, conformity assessment and technical documentation may be required.
CE marking is therefore neither a universal sticker nor an alternative to the GPSR. It applies only to product categories covered by harmonised legislation that requires it. To identify requirements for your category, consult the practical guide to CE marking and, where technical uncertainty remains, check the sector-specific legislation or seek advice from a qualified professional.
Checklist before your first sale
- Identify the actual manufacturer, its postal address and the exact product concerned.
- Determine whether sector-specific legislation and CE marking apply.
- Collect suitable safety evidence: risk assessment, test reports, specifications, quality controls and manufacturer documents.
- Check that the product or batch is identified on the product, packaging or an accompanying document where appropriate.
- Prepare warnings, instructions and safety information in the languages required by your target markets.
- Identify the EU-established economic operator where the rules require one.
- Check the information that will appear on every online product listing.
- Set up an internal process for complaints, incidents and corrective action.
A common mistake is relying solely on a factory document called a “certificate of compliance”. Its title does not show that it covers your model, version, components or applicable rules. Match every item of evidence to the product you actually sell.
EU Seller Kit — Start with an EU market-entry compliance assessment if you need to map your obligations, then use the guide to technical documentation and compliance evidence to organise safety materials before sale.
How do a diagnostic, listing check and responsible person differ?
These services meet different needs: a diagnostic maps obligations, a listing check reviews published information, and a responsible person is an EU economic-operator role. Confusing them can leave a gap between the product file and the information a buyer can actually see.
| Need | What the support provides | What it does not replace |
|---|---|---|
| Overall diagnostic | A review plan based on product, trade flows and countries | Decisions and registrations made by competent authorities |
| GPSR listing review | Identification of traceability and safety information to complete | Evidence that the product is safe or compliant with every sector-specific rule |
| GPSR responsible person | An EU-established economic operator, subject to activation conditions | The manufacturer’s obligations for the product and its documentation |
| CE authorised representative | Written representation where applicable CE legislation permits it | Testing, conformity assessment and the manufacturer’s EU declaration of conformity |
The diagnostic: choosing the right route
An EU product-compliance review should begin with the facts: category, composition, country of manufacture, storage countries, sales channels and brand identity. The EU market-entry compliance assessment can highlight checks to consider for GPSR, CE, packaging, electrical equipment or data preparation for certain future obligations.
Do not treat that result as permission to sell. It is a roadmap: you must still gather evidence, correct gaps and complete steps that fall to you or the competent authority.
The listing check: reviewing what the buyer sees
Distance selling requires certain information to be accessible in the online offer. Article 19 of the GPSR covers, among other matters, product identification, manufacturer contact details and, where the manufacturer is not established in the EU, details of the EU responsible person, as well as relevant warnings and safety information. See the explanation of GPSR Article 19 listing obligations when preparing marketplace fields.
The Marketplace Product Compliance Scanner analyses a product listing and flags traceability, safety and compliance information to check before publication. It is suitable when you are preparing an Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Shopify or other marketplace listing; it does not replace a risk assessment or a full legal or technical review.
The responsible person: a role, not a box to fill in
A GPSR responsible person is an economic operator established in the EU. Depending on the circumstances, it must be identifiable on the product, packaging, parcel or accompanying documents, and in the distance-selling offer. Its role forms part of the safety and authority-cooperation framework under the GPSR and Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance.
The GPSR Responsible Person service may be relevant if you are a non-EU seller or manufacturer needing an EU-established economic operator for consumer products. It becomes active only after product review, entity assignment, a signed mandate and active payment. A SaaS subscription alone does not appoint a representative.
What does a GPSR compliance service not replace?
A GPSR compliance service does not replace safe product design, necessary testing or the documents the manufacturer must prepare and retain. It helps you organise and check; it cannot turn an inadequately documented product into a compliant one.
The manufacturer remains responsible for safety assessment, compliant production and appropriate documentation. If a risk emerges after the product is marketed, economic operators must cooperate and take suitable measures. The GPSR provides for information and corrective-action duties, while authorities have enforcement powers under Regulation (EU) 2019/1020.
What GPSR representation does not do
GPSR representation in the EU does not make the representative the manufacturer of your product. It does not automatically write your instructions, conduct laboratory testing, certify a supplier report or guarantee that a marketplace will accept a listing.
Likewise, a GPSR responsible person and a CE authorised representative are not necessarily the same role. The overview of EU representation services helps distinguish the two. Where a CE-marked product needs an authorised representative, a CE Authorised Representative service may be considered only under a written mandate and where applicable legislation permits it. It never replaces the manufacturer’s conformity assessment, technical file, testing or EU declaration of conformity.
Example: a connected lamp made outside the EU may raise GPSR issues, but also electrical-safety, electromagnetic-compatibility and, depending on its functions, radio-equipment requirements. A basic review of its Amazon listing cannot demonstrate the product’s technical compliance.
How do you check a marketplace listing for GPSR information?
Check your product listing before publication by comparing every visible field with the product, its packaging and your compliance file. The aim is for the buyer and an authority to identify the product, manufacturer and, where needed, EU economic operator without having to request that information afterwards.
For distance-selling offers, Regulation (EU) 2023/988 requires specific information. The exact content depends on the product and the manufacturer’s situation, but your review must at least connect the listing to the model actually being sold.
GPSR product-listing review procedure
- Record the trade name, model, reference and batch or serial identifier used on the product and packaging.
- Confirm that the listing describes the same product. Variant, dimensions, power supply, material, intended age group and included accessories must match.
- Add the manufacturer’s name, registered trade name or registered trade mark, together with its postal and electronic address.
- Where the manufacturer is not established in the EU, provide the EU responsible person’s contact details if that designation is required.
- Publish relevant warnings and safety information clearly and in the languages required by the target countries.
- Check visual content. A photograph of an old label or different packaging can contradict the marketplace fields.
- Keep a dated copy of the listing and the documents supporting its information.
A blocked listing often results from a simple mismatch: the responsible person’s address appears on the packaging but not in the structured data requested by the platform, or a warning is present only in an image that cannot be read on a mobile screen. The Amazon GPSR information checklist can supplement this review for that channel.
When is an EU-established responsible person needed?
An EU-established responsible person is needed where no other appropriate EU-established economic operator fulfils that role for the product, including certain situations involving a non-EU manufacturer. Assess the real supply chain, not simply the address shown by a marketplace.
The GPSR provides for an economic operator responsible in the EU for products within its scope. Article 16 addresses economic-operator obligations; the GPSR Article 16 explainer sets out the practical implications.
Check your position before appointing a service
If you are a manufacturer established in France, Spain or another Member State, you are already established in the EU: an external responsible person is not automatically required under the GPSR alone. If you are a Chinese or US brand with no EU entity or EU-established importer, the issue becomes central.
Be careful: an EU-established importer may be the relevant economic operator in some arrangements. Check contracts, the importer’s identity and the customs route. A non-EU seller shipping directly to consumers should not assume that a marketplace fulfils this role on its behalf.
For sellers established outside the EU, the practical guide to the EU responsible person helps you assess roles by product and sales channel. Where your arrangement is complex, for example involving several importers or brands, ask a qualified adviser or the competent authority to confirm the analysis.
How should you choose the right compliance route for your products?
Choose your route based on the product, manufacturer identity, where economic operators are established and the sales channel. Start with the points that determine everything else: the regulatory regime, safety evidence, an EU operator and distance-selling information.
If you ship from Shenzhen to Amazon FBA stock in Germany for the first time, do not artificially separate product compliance from import compliance. You will also need to establish who imports, prepare customs documents, identify the tariff code and deal with VAT. The GPSR does not replace these requirements.
A practical working order
Start by classifying the product and checking manufacturer documents. Next, determine the roles in the distribution chain and requirements for storage and sales countries. Finally, prepare labels, listings and after-sales procedures before activating the offer.
Country Compliance helps you organise customs, tax and product checks by origin, storage and destination country. For products subject to sector-specific legislation, also review requirements by category in the guide to compliance for toys, cosmetics, electronics and textiles.
Do not select a service solely because a marketplace asks for a “Responsible Person” field. First check whether your product falls under the GPSR, whether an EU-established importer already participates, and whether sector-specific CE legislation requires a different form of representation. This prevents unsuitable contact details being published or a technical-document request going unanswered.
Tools and services to take action
- EU Market Entry Compliance Assessment: use this before your first launch or a new category to build a review plan covering GPSR, CE, customs, VAT and checks linked to your trade flows.
- Marketplace Product Compliance Scanner: use it before publishing an Amazon, eBay, Etsy or Shopify listing to identify safety and traceability information that needs checking.
- GPSR Responsible Person (EU): use this service if you are a non-EU seller or manufacturer needing an EU-established economic operator, subject to acceptance, entity assignment, a signed mandate and active payment.
- EU compliance tools: consult the tool catalogue to select self-service tools for country checks, supplier checks, tariff classification, VAT or customs.
- Pricing and plans: consult this page to compare SaaS plans and add-on services without assuming that a subscription appoints a representative.
Frequently asked questions
Does a GPSR compliance service make my product automatically compliant?
No. It can help identify checks, documents and information to complete, but it does not replace the manufacturer’s responsibility for product safety and compliance. Evidence must always relate to the exact model being sold.
Can I use the same GPSR responsible person for all my brands?
That depends on the accepted scope, products, appointed entity and mandate. A responsible person must not be added as a generic contact detail: the service must be activated for the relevant products and entity after the required steps are completed.
Is a marketplace my responsible person in the EU?
Not automatically. The role depends on the route to market and the identity of economic operators, not merely on a platform hosting your listing or storing stock. Check contractual terms and your specific regulatory position.
Must I show the manufacturer’s address on an online product listing?
For GPSR distance sales, the offer must make the manufacturer’s contact details accessible, including postal and electronic address, alongside other applicable information. If the manufacturer is not established in the EU, the EU responsible person’s contact details must also be provided where required.
Is CE marking enough to sell a product in the EU?
No. CE marking addresses harmonised rules for certain product categories, but it does not remove other relevant duties, including consumer information, traceability and distance-selling requirements. Consult Your Europe guidance on CE marking to confirm whether it applies to your product.
What should I do if my supplier will not provide the required documents?
Pause market placement until you can verify the necessary information. Request documents tied to the exact product, check that they match its characteristics and, where the risk or category warrants it, arrange appropriate technical checks before selling.
Official sources
- Regulation (EU) 2023/988 — General Product Safety Regulation — the GPSR framework for consumer products, economic operators and distance sales.
- Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 — market surveillance and compliance of products — market-surveillance powers and requirements connected with products placed on the EU market.
- Commission Notice — The ‘Blue Guide’ on the implementation of EU product rules (2022) — explanation of manufacturer, importer and distributor roles under EU product rules.
- Directive 2009/48/EC — safety of toys — sector-specific requirements for toys.
- Directive 2014/53/EU — radio equipment — sector-specific requirements for radio equipment.
- Your Europe — CE marking — official overview of the scope and principles of CE marking.
This content provides general information and is not legal advice.