The EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), Regulation (EU) 2023/988, has applied since 13 December 2024. It is not a 2026 novelty, but 2026 is the year in which marketplaces, customers and authorities expect it to be handled as routine. For a brand based outside the EU, that means one thing above all: every product needs a product file that someone in the EU can stand behind.
What every EU listing needs
- A responsible economic operator in the EU. Products sold by non-EU manufacturers need an EU-based operator, such as an importer or an authorised representative, whose name and contact details are available.
- Traceability. Manufacturer name and address, a product identifier such as a model or batch reference, and the responsible person, shown on the product or its packaging.
- Online information. Distance-sales offers must show the manufacturer, the responsible person, product identification and any warnings or safety information.
- A risk assessment and technical documentation kept up to date and available on request.
How we keep it routine
We treat GPSR data as part of the product master, not as a marketplace form. Each product record holds the operator details, identifiers, warnings in every required language and the location of its documentation. When a listing is created or changed in any EU marketplace, it draws from that one record, so Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Poland and Sweden all show the same, correct information.
Common gaps we still see
- Warnings translated for one marketplace but not for the others.
- Responsible-person details on the listing that do not match the label on the product.
- Bundles and variations created without their own identifiers.
None of these are difficult to fix. They are simply easier to prevent once, in the master record, than to correct listing by listing.