The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR, Regulation (EU) 2023/988) replaced the EU’s older product safety directive and has applied since 13 December 2024. It covers consumer products that are not regulated by more specific EU product rules, and it explicitly includes products sold online.
For Amazon sellers, three things matter most: who is responsible for the product in the EU, what must be on the product, and what must be on the listing. This guide is an overview; check the rules for your product category with a specialist.
1. A responsible economic operator in the EU
A consumer product may only be placed on the EU market if there is an economic operator established in the EU who is responsible for it. That can be:
- the manufacturer, if it is based in the EU,
- an importer based in the EU,
- an authorised representative appointed in writing by the manufacturer, or
- a fulfilment service provider, where none of the above exists.
For brands based in the US or elsewhere outside the EU, this usually means appointing an EU authorised representative or working with an EU importer. Their name and contact details must be available to customers and authorities.
2. What must be on the product
- A product identifier, such as a type, batch or serial number
- The manufacturer’s name and postal and electronic address
- The responsible person in the EU, where the manufacturer is outside the EU
- Warnings and safety information in a language consumers in that country can understand
Where the product is too small, the information can go on the packaging or an accompanying document.
3. What must be on the listing
Online offers must show the same essential information before the purchase: manufacturer details, the responsible person in the EU, information that identifies the product, including an image, and any warnings or safety information. Amazon has added fields in Seller Central for this information and lets you upload safety documents and images.
What sellers should do now
- Map your catalog. List the products you sell in EU stores and the manufacturer of each.
- Settle the responsible person. If the manufacturer is outside the EU, appoint an authorised representative or confirm who acts as importer.
- Check labels and packaging for the identifier, contact details and warnings in the right languages.
- Complete the listing fields for manufacturer and responsible person, and upload safety information.
- Set up a process for incidents. GPSR requires businesses to act on safety problems, including recalls and notifying authorities where needed.
For large catalogs, adding this information product by product is slow. Bulk updates through category templates are faster and easier to check. Our catalog management service handles exactly this kind of update.
Related rules
GPSR sits alongside other European requirements such as packaging EPR and VAT. Brands that do not want to set up their own EU entity can look at our Merchant of Record service.