EU General Product Safety Regulation
Regulation (EU) 2023/988 -- modernising EU product safety rules with new obligations for online marketplaces, strengthened recall procedures, and enhanced Safety Gate alerts.
Every consumer product sold in the European Union must be safe. That is the core principle behind the General Product Safety Regulation, which took full effect on 13 December 2024. It applies to anything a consumer can buy -- from furniture and clothing to kitchen gadgets and children's toys -- unless the product is already fully covered by its own EU safety law (like medical devices or food). If you make, import, distribute, or sell consumer products to people in Europe, this regulation sets the rules you must follow.
The biggest change from the old rules is that online marketplaces are now directly responsible for product safety on their platforms. They must verify seller identity, display safety information on product listings, monitor Safety Gate alerts for dangerous products, and notify customers directly when something they bought is recalled. Products sold online from outside the EU must have a responsible person established within the Union -- closing a longstanding gap where no one was accountable when things went wrong.
The regulation also requires that every product can be traced back to its maker. Manufacturers must put their name, postal address, and an electronic contact (like an email or website) on the product itself. If a safety problem is discovered after sale, the company must act immediately: notify authorities, recall the product if needed, and contact affected consumers directly. Consumers must be offered a real remedy -- repair, replacement, or refund -- at no cost.
This is not a directive that each country interprets differently. It is a regulation that applies identically in all 27 Member States. One set of rules, one standard, no exceptions. Companies that relied on favourable national readings of the old directive no longer have that option.
The explosive growth of e-commerce fundamentally changed how consumers buy products. By the early 2020s, over 70% of EU consumers regularly purchased goods online, often from sellers established outside the European Union. The 2001 General Product Safety Directive was designed for a pre-digital market. It relied on national transposition, had no specific provisions for online marketplaces, and lacked effective tools for removing dangerous products sold through digital channels.
GPSR closes these gaps. As a regulation -- not a directive -- it applies directly and uniformly across all 27 Member States, eliminating the patchwork of national implementations that allowed inconsistent enforcement. For the first time, online marketplaces are named as obligated parties with specific duties: verifying sellers, displaying safety information on product listings, processing Safety Gate alerts, and directly notifying consumers about recalled products purchased through their platforms.
The regulation also modernises the concept of product safety itself. Products with digital elements, AI capabilities, or cybersecurity vulnerabilities can now be addressed under GPSR. A product that was safe when sold may become unsafe due to a software update or newly discovered vulnerability. GPSR requires ongoing post-market safety monitoring and corrective action throughout a product's lifecycle.
For businesses, GPSR compliance is not optional and not transitional -- it has been applicable since 13 December 2024. Every consumer product placed on the EU market must meet the general safety requirement. Every product must be traceable, including through a new requirement for electronic contact information. Every economic operator in the supply chain has defined obligations. And every online marketplace must maintain internal product safety processes that go far beyond passive listing.
GPSR assigns specific duties to each actor in the supply chain. Select an operator type to see their obligations.
Articles 22 and 23 of GPSR introduce the most significant regulatory change for digital commerce platforms. For the first time, online marketplaces are explicitly named as obligated parties under EU product safety law, with specific duties that go far beyond the DSA's general intermediary liability framework.
The EU rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products. GPSR strengthens its role and integrates it with marketplace obligations.
GPSR strengthens recall obligations with direct consumer notification duties and structured remedy requirements.
A safety issue is identified through internal testing, consumer complaints, market surveillance, accident reports, or Safety Gate alerts.
GPSR operates alongside -- not in place of -- EU harmonisation legislation. Understanding the boundary is critical for compliance.
Select your company type for tailored compliance guidance.
Conduct a comprehensive GPSR gap analysis across your product portfolio: verify traceability markings (including new electronic contact requirement), review risk assessment documentation, and update recall procedures to meet direct consumer notification obligations.