The GPSR Regulation Explained: A Complete Reference to Regulation (EU) 2023/988

Last updated: 2026-06-24. This article is for general information and does not constitute legal advice. For specific compliance questions, consult a qualified professional.

The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) is the central piece of EU product safety law for consumer goods. If you have been searching for what the GPSR regulation actually requires — article by article, obligation by obligation — this is a structured reference to Regulation (EU) 2023/988, written for the businesses that have to comply with it.

If you are new to the topic and just want a plain-language introduction, start with our introduction to what GPSR is. If you already understand the basics and want the detail of the regulation itself, keep reading.

What the GPSR regulation is, in one paragraph

The General Product Safety Regulation is Regulation (EU) 2023/988, adopted on 10 May 2023 and applicable across the EU from 13 December 2024. It sets a general safety requirement for all non-food consumer products placed on the EU market, defines the obligations of every economic operator in the supply chain, and modernises EU product safety law for online selling. It repealed and replaced the older General Product Safety Directive (GPSD, Directive 2001/95/EC).

Because it is a regulation rather than a directive, GPSR applies directly and identically in all 27 member states without national transposition. There is one set of rules across the entire EU.

Scope of the regulation: what it covers

GPSR applies to non-food consumer products placed or made available on the EU market, whether new, used, repaired, or reconditioned. The general product safety regulation covers products that are not already fully regulated by sector-specific EU legislation.

Where harmonised EU legislation (for example the Toy Safety Directive or the Low Voltage Directive) governs specific safety aspects of a product, that legislation takes precedence for those aspects. GPSR then operates as a safety net, covering risks and obligations the sector-specific rules do not address.

Products outside the scope of the GPSR regulation include:

• Food, feed, and living plants and animals
• Medicinal products for human or veterinary use
• Medical devices
• Plant protection products
• Products covered entirely by equivalent sector-specific safety rules
• Antiques

The core obligation: the general safety requirement

At the heart of the regulation is a single principle: only safe products may be placed on the market. A product is considered safe when, under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use, it presents no risk or only the minimum acceptable risk to the health and safety of consumers.

When assessing whether a product is safe, the regulation requires economic operators and authorities to consider factors including:

• The product's characteristics, composition, packaging, and instructions
• The effect on other products where it is reasonably foreseeable they will be used together
• The presentation, labelling, age-appropriateness, and warnings
• The categories of consumers using the product, especially vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly
• The appearance of the product, particularly where it may be mistaken for food (look-alike products)
• Cybersecurity features where relevant, and evolving, learning, or predictive functionalities

Obligations by economic operator

A defining feature of the GPSR regulation is that it assigns clear, role-specific duties to each economic operator. Most ecommerce businesses are importers or distributors; some are manufacturers.

Manufacturers

Manufacturers carry the primary responsibility. Under GPSR they must:

• Ensure products are designed and manufactured to be safe
• Carry out an internal risk analysis and prepare technical documentation
• Keep that documentation for 10 years after placing the product on the market
• Mark products with a type, batch, or serial number for identification
• Provide their name, registered trade name or trade mark, postal address, and electronic contact
• Provide clear instructions and safety information in a language easily understood by consumers
• Take corrective action and notify authorities through the Safety Business Gateway when a product is dangerous

Importers

Importers must verify that the manufacturer has met its obligations before placing a product on the EU market. They must check that technical documentation exists, that the product carries the required identifiers and manufacturer details, and that it is accompanied by the right instructions and warnings. Importers must also add their own name and contact details, and keep records.

Distributors

Distributors — which includes most resellers and many online sellers — must act with due care. They must verify that the product bears the required labelling and documentation, that the manufacturer and importer have met their obligations, and that they do not supply a product they know or should presume to be dangerous.

The EU Responsible Person requirement

A product covered by GPSR may not be placed on the market unless there is an economic operator established in the EU who is responsible for it. This "responsible person" may be the manufacturer, the importer, an authorised representative, or a fulfilment service provider. Their name and contact details must appear on the product, its packaging, or an accompanying document. This requirement is one of the most significant practical changes the regulation introduced for non-EU sellers.

Obligations for online marketplaces and distance selling

The general product safety regulation was written for the reality of ecommerce, and it imposes specific duties for online selling and online marketplaces.

For any product offered online, the listing (the offer for distance sale) must clearly display:

• The manufacturer's name, registered trade name or trade mark, and contact details
• The name and contact details of the responsible person established in the EU (if different)
• Information identifying the product, including a picture, its type, and any identifiers
• Any warning or safety information required, in the relevant national language

Online marketplaces have additional obligations: registering with the EU Safety Gate Portal, designating a single point of contact for authorities, acting on takedown orders without undue delay (in principle within two working days), and cooperating to trace dangerous products and notify affected consumers.

Recalls, corrective action, and Safety Gate

The GPSR regulation establishes a structured process for what happens when a product turns out to be dangerous.

• Corrective action: Economic operators who consider, or have reason to believe, that a product is dangerous must immediately take corrective measures — withdrawal from the market or recall from consumers, as appropriate.
• Notification: They must alert authorities through the Safety Business Gateway and inform affected consumers.
• Recall notices: A product recall notice must be clear, must describe the product and the risk in plain language, must tell consumers what to do, and must offer an effective remedy (repair, replacement, or refund). For a ready-to-use structure, see our EU product recall notice template.
• Safety Gate: Dangerous products are published on the EU Safety Gate rapid alert system. Businesses are expected to monitor relevant alerts as part of meeting their obligations — see how Safety Gate recalls reach businesses.

Continuous monitoring matters because the obligation does not end at the point of sale. Read more on why continuous product safety monitoring is now expected under GPSR.

Penalties for non-compliance

The regulation does not set fixed fines. Instead, it requires each member state to lay down penalties that are "effective, proportionate and dissuasive." In practice, non-compliance with the GPSR regulation can lead to:

• Administrative fines imposed by national market surveillance authorities
• Mandatory withdrawal or recall ordered by authorities
• Removal of listings by online marketplaces acting on authority orders
• Civil liability if a consumer is harmed by an unsafe product
• Reputational damage from public association with a recalled product

For many small and medium ecommerce businesses, the operational cost of a forced recall — contacting buyers, processing returns, managing communications — is greater than the fine itself.

Key dates and the transition from GPSD

The regulation replaced the General Product Safety Directive that had been in force since 2001. The directive predated mainstream ecommerce and left online selling responsibilities ambiguous. For a side-by-side breakdown of exactly what changed, see GPSD vs GPSR: what changed for EU product safety.

GPSR compliance in practice

Understanding the regulation is the first step; meeting it operationally is the harder part. A practical compliance programme under the general product safety regulation typically covers:

1. Confirming a responsible person established in the EU for every product
2. Auditing online listings for the required manufacturer details, identifiers, images, and warnings
3. Maintaining traceability records of suppliers and customers
4. Monitoring Safety Gate for alerts matching your catalogue
5. Holding a documented recall and corrective-action procedure
6. Keeping records that demonstrate due diligence to authorities

For a step-by-step version you can work through item by item, use our GPSR compliance checklist for online sellers.

Frequently asked questions about the GPSR regulation

What is the GPSR regulation?

The GPSR regulation is Regulation (EU) 2023/988, the EU's General Product Safety Regulation. It sets a general safety requirement for non-food consumer products, defines the obligations of manufacturers, importers, distributors, and online marketplaces, and has applied across all EU member states since 13 December 2024.

Is GPSR a regulation or a directive?

GPSR is a regulation, which means it applies directly and identically in every EU member state without needing national laws to implement it. This is a deliberate change from the previous General Product Safety Directive (GPSD), which each country had to transpose into its own legislation.

What is the official reference number of the GPSR regulation?

The official reference is Regulation (EU) 2023/988 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 on general product safety.

When did the GPSR regulation come into force?

GPSR was adopted on 10 May 2023 and became fully applicable on 13 December 2024, the same date the old General Product Safety Directive was repealed.

Who must comply with the GPSR regulation?

Every economic operator placing or making available non-food consumer products on the EU market — manufacturers, importers, distributors, fulfilment service providers, and online marketplaces. There is no exemption for small or low-volume sellers.

What is the difference between GPSR and GPSD?

GPSD (Directive 2001/95/EC) was the older directive from 2001. GPSR (Regulation (EU) 2023/988) replaced it in December 2024, adding explicit obligations for online sellers and marketplaces, a mandatory EU responsible person, listing information requirements, and stronger traceability and recall rules — all applied uniformly across the EU.

How SafeCart helps with GPSR compliance

Meeting the operational side of the GPSR regulation — continuous Safety Gate monitoring and documentation — is where most ecommerce businesses struggle. SafeCart monitors the EU Safety Gate database against your product catalogue, alerts you to matches, and keeps a record of your product safety status and recall communications.

It does not replace legal advice or official authority notifications, but it handles the continuous monitoring and record-keeping that the regulation expects. See our plans and pricing for what is included.