EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) practical guidance for exporters and brands

This page gives a clear, practical route to meet Regulation (EU) 2023/988 if you sell non-food consumer products into the EU or Northern Ireland. It reflects what FOLOUP sees daily across online marketplaces and our consultancy work with SMEs and brands.

FOLOUP’s main mission is consumer protection and marketplace safety. We monitor platforms for unsafe or non-compliant listings and support rapid takedown where needed. We also provide consultancy for exporters and brands to close compliance gaps quickly and proportionately.

Quick start checklist

  • Name your EU-based Responsible Person or economic operator and put their contact details on the product, packaging, or documentation.
  • Assemble a lean technical file you can produce on request: risk assessment, applicable standards, test reports, user instructions, labelling proofs, and traceability.
  • Fix labelling and warnings: product ID or batch code, manufacturer/importer details, language, and any needed safety statements.
  • Audit each online listing: images show labels, text matches instructions, and Responsible Person details are correct.
  • Set up post-market monitoring and incident reporting workflows so you can respond quickly to platform or authority requests.

Who GPSR applies to

GPSR applies to nearly all non-food consumer products placed on the EU market. Depending on how you sell, you may be treated as:

  • Manufacturer if you sell under your own brand or modify the product.
  • Importer if you bring products into the EU.
  • Distributor if you make products available without changing them.
  • Online marketplace providers also have specific obligations.

Key obligations at a glance

Responsible Person
EU-based contact named on product, packaging, or documentation, able to provide the technical file on request.
Technical documentation
Risk assessment, standards and test reports, instructions, warnings, and traceability evidence, kept up to date.
Labelling and warnings
Manufacturer/importer contact, product ID or batch code, local language requirements, and any mandatory safety statements.
Online listings
Accurate images and text that reflect physical labels and instructions. Missing details can trigger delisting.
Post-market duties
Monitor incidents and complaints, cooperate with authorities and platforms, and act quickly on risks.

Marketplaces and enforcement

Online marketplaces cooperate with authorities and will remove listings that lack a named economic operator, traceability, correct labelling, or documentation on request. Common outcomes include delistings, frozen payouts, and account holds until evidence is provided. Respond fast with a structured pack and a clear remediation plan.

Common failures we see

  • No EU economic operator on the product or packaging.
  • Technical file missing or fragmented across suppliers.
  • Incorrect CE marking or no conformity statement where required.
  • Listings and images that do not match physical labels or warnings.
  • No batch code or traceability on the item or packaging.
Warning Do not wait for an audit. Most marketplace actions give little notice. Prepare your documentation and listing evidence now.

If your listing is removed

  1. Capture the notice verbatim and note which claims or images triggered removal.
  2. Prepare a single technical file index that references risk assessment, standards, test reports, labels, and instructions.
  3. Correct the physical labels and warnings if needed, then update listing images and text to match.
  4. Respond through the platform channel with a short cover note, the file index, and dated evidence of fixes.
  5. Set a repeat audit cadence so issues do not reoccur.
What about the UK?

FOLOUP maps actions so exporters can meet EU GPSR and the UK framework in one workflow. This avoids duplication where obligations overlap, and highlights the gaps where they do not.

Templates and tools

  • One page SME GPSR checklist.
  • Technical file index template.
  • Pre-listing audit steps for Amazon, eBay, Etsy and Shopify.
  • Rapid recovery plan for delisted products.

Ask us for editable copies or use the print button below to save this page as a PDF.

How FOLOUP can help

  • Continuous monitoring of marketplaces and rapid takedown support for unsafe or non-compliant listings.
  • Consultancy for brands and SMEs: pre-listing audits, documentation and labelling checks, corrective actions, and marketplace liaison.
  • Plain-English templates and checklists sized for SMEs.
  • Proportionate guidance for low-risk categories such as books and print.

To discuss how this applies to your products, contact us via Contact us.

Last updated: 11 August 2025

This page is for general guidance. It does not replace legal advice or official guidance from EU or UK authorities.

Last updated: 15 August 2025

This page is for general guidance. It does not replace legal advice or official guidance from EU or UK authorities.