If you sell consumer products to EU shoppers, the General Product Safety Regulation applies, and it changes what your listing has to show. It has applied since December 13, 2024.
The rule in one sentence
A consumer product can’t be sold in the EU unless a business based in the EU is responsible for its safety checks and paperwork. That can be the manufacturer, an importer, an authorized representative or, in some cases, a fulfillment provider.
What your online listing must show
- The manufacturer’s name, trade name or trademark, with a postal and electronic address.
- If the manufacturer is outside the EU, the same contact details for the responsible person in the EU.
- Information that identifies the product, such as a picture and its type.
- Any warnings and safety information, in a language shoppers in that country can easily understand.
The European Commission’s guidance is clear that the manufacturer’s details and the responsible person’s details are both needed where the manufacturer is outside the EU.
Why marketplaces care
Marketplaces have their own duties under the regulation. They must register on the EU’s Safety Gate portal, have a contact point for product safety, and act within two working days on orders from authorities to remove a product. In practice, a listing missing these details is at risk of being taken down.
What to prepare
- A responsible person. Agree who it is before stock moves, and make sure their details reach every listing.
- Technical documentation. A manufacturer’s internal risk analysis and product file, normally kept for 10 years.
- Product and packaging details. A type, batch or serial number, plus the required contact details.
- Translated warnings. One language version isn’t enough for every market.
Good to know
- Products already on the EU market before December 13, 2024 can generally stay on sale.
- Northern Ireland follows these EU rules. Great Britain has its own.
- Certain products, such as cosmetics and toys, have further rules of their own on top.
Sources: Regulation (EU) 2023/988, European Commission FAQ. General information, not legal or tax advice. Last checked November 2026.
