Selling into the EU: GPSR, CE marking and customs

Course outline

The first lesson is open to read. The rest are included when you enrol.

1. 1GPSR: the EU safety net for consumer products16 min Preview

   General information, not legal advice. Rules change; check the sources below before you act.

   The General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (GPSR) has applied since 13 December 2024. It replaced the General Product Safety Directive and applies directly in every member state, and in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.

   What it covers

   GPSR covers consumer products: products intended for consumers, or likely to be used by them, supplied or made available in the course of a commercial activity, whether for payment or free of charge. Branded merchandise given away to customers or event visitors is in scope. Where specific EU legislation (for example on toys) covers a safety aspect with the same objective, that legislation takes priority for that aspect, and GPSR fills the gaps.

   Manufacturers (Article 9)

   Manufacturers must:

   • carry out an internal risk analysis and draw up technical documentation, kept for 10 years
   • make sure the product carries a type, batch or serial number or other identification
   • show their name, registered trade name or trade mark, and a postal and electronic address
   • provide instructions and safety information in a language consumers can easily understand, as decided by the member state
   • act on accidents and risks, including notifying authorities

   Importers (Article 11)

   Importers must check that the manufacturer has done its part, and add their own name, registered trade name or trade mark, and postal and electronic address to the product, or where that is not possible to the packaging or an accompanying document.

   The responsible person (Article 16)

   A product covered by GPSR may not be placed on the EU market unless there is an economic operator established in the EU responsible for the tasks in Article 4 of the Market Surveillance Regulation (EU) 2019/1020. That operator can be:

   • a manufacturer established in the EU
   • an importer
   • an authorised representative appointed in writing by the manufacturer
   • a fulfilment service provider, where none of the others is established in the EU

   Its details must be on the product, the packaging, the parcel or an accompanying document. For a UK or Chinese business selling directly to EU customers, this usually means appointing an EU authorised representative.

   Online listings (Article 19)

   Where products are sold at a distance, the listing must show the manufacturer's details, the responsible person's details where the manufacturer is outside the EU, information to identify the product (including a picture), and any warnings or safety information.

   Accidents and recalls

   GPSR requires businesses to notify authorities of accidents caused by a product through the Safety Business Gateway, and it sets rules for recall notices and remedies for consumers. The Commission has published guidance on applying GPSR; read it alongside the Regulation.

   Where this sits in the 13 steps

   Decide the responsible person at step 2 (Define), check documentation at step 3 (Check), approve marking and warnings at step 7 (Approve), and check them on goods at step 10 (Inspect).

   Checklist

   • EU economic operator named for each product
   • Manufacturer, importer and responsible person details on product, packaging or document
   • Product identification (type, batch or serial) agreed
   • Technical documentation file started
   • Warnings translated for each target market
   • Online listings updated with the Article 19 information
2. 2CE marking and the product-specific rules16 min
3. 3EU customs: the Union Customs Code, EORI and TARIC14 min
4. 4Import VAT across member states, IOSS and low-value parcels12 min
5. 5What is changing: green claims, ecodesign and forced labour16 min
6. 6References5 min