GPSR stands for the General Product Safety Regulation— formally Regulation (EU) 2023/988. It is the EU's baseline product-safety law for consumer goods: if no other specific safety law covers your product, GPSR does. It has applied since 13 December 2024, replacing the General Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EC) that had been in place since 2001.
Who does GPSR apply to?
GPSR covers almost every non-food consumer productplaced on the EU market — from clothing and toys to electronics, furniture and cosmetics accessories — whether it's new, used, repaired or reconditioned. It applies no matter where the product was manufactured and no matter how it's sold: in a shop, on your own website, or through a marketplace.
It binds every business in the supply chain — manufacturers, importers, distributors and online marketplaces — and it explicitly reaches sellers outside the EU who ship to European consumers. The small set of exclusions includes food, medicines, live animals, antiques and products clearly marked for repair before use.
What does GPSR require you to do?
At a practical level, GPSR asks for four things on (or with) every product you sell into the EU:
- Manufacturer identification.The manufacturer's name, registered trade name or trademark, and a postal and electronic address.
- An EU responsible economic operator. If the manufacturer is outside the EU, there must be an EU-based importer or an appointed EU Responsible Person whose name and address appear on the product. No responsible operator, no sale.
- Warnings and instructions. Clear safety warnings and usage instructions in a language easily understood by consumers in the country of sale.
- Traceability. A type, batch or serial number (and a product identifier such as a model name) so a specific product can be traced and recalled if needed.
Online listings carry the same duties: before a consumer buys, your product page must show the manufacturer and responsible-person details, product identifiers, and any warnings — not just the box.
What is the Safety Gate, and what are accident-reporting duties?
The Safety Gate(formerly RAPEX) is the EU's rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products. Authorities publish recalls and warnings there every week. Under GPSR, if you become aware that a product you sell is dangerous, you must take corrective action and notify authorities through the Safety Business Gateway. You're also expected to monitor whether products you sell have become subject to a recall.
GPSR deadlines and timeline
- 12 June 2023 — GPSR enters into force.
- 13 December 2024 — GPSR starts to apply; the old directive is repealed.
- From 13 December 2024 onward — every in-scope product placed on the EU market must meet GPSR. There is no general grace period for stock placed on the market after this date.
How Conformica helps
Conformica is a Shopify app that handles the product-facing side of GPSR for you: it stores your manufacturer, EU Responsible Person and importer details, lets you add warnings and traceability per product (or in bulk by vendor), and renders a storefront safety widget on every product page — automatically translated into all 24 official EU languages. It also checks your catalogue against the EU Safety Gate every night and emails you if anything matches. See GPSR for Shopify for the step-by-step.