If your business is based outside the European Union and sells products to customers in the EU, you have probably seen the acronym GPSR more and more often. It is still frequently presented as an Etsy-specific issue or as a rule for sellers from one particular country. That misses the point. What matters is not whether your company is in Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, India or elsewhere. What matters is whether you offer a consumer product on the EU market.
What the GPSR is and when it started applying
The Regulation (EU) 2023/988, known as the General Product Safety Regulation or GPSR, sets general safety requirements for consumer products. It has applied since 13 December 2024. For a seller outside the EU, the key point is simple: changing the sales channel does not remove the underlying duties. A marketplace listing, your own online shop and a direct sale through your website can all place a product on the EU market.
Who is covered outside the EU
The GPSR is not limited to large factories. It can apply to manufacturers, businesses selling products under their own brand and commercial online sellers as soon as their consumer products are offered in the EU. The size of the catalogue does not change that basic position.
- Manufacturers outside the EU: you make a product and offer it for the EU market.
- Brand owners: you sell a product under your own name or trade mark.
- Marketplace sellers: you list consumer products on Etsy, Amazon, eBay or a similar platform.
- Independent store owners: you sell through Shopify or directly through your own website to customers in the EU.
There is no exemption based solely on business size. A one-person business still needs to assess the GPSR duties that apply to its products. This is important for small makers and niche brands that may be used to rules where turnover or employee numbers create a separate exception.
The Responsible Person under Article 16
Under Article 16, a product within scope cannot be placed on the EU market unless there is an economic operator established in the EU for that product. For many manufacturers outside the EU, this role is fulfilled by a Responsible Person. This is the named point of contact in the EU, carrying out the relevant tasks for the product. Merely using a postal address with no clear appointment does not fulfil the role.
Being established outside the EU does not exclude a seller. But without a responsible economic operator in the EU, a central link in product accountability is missing.
What Article 19 requires in an online offer
Article 19 covers distance sales. The required information must be clearly and visibly displayed in the online offer. It is not enough for it to appear only on a label, inside the parcel or in an internal file that buyers cannot see before ordering.
- Manufacturer details: the name, postal address and electronic address.
- When the manufacturer is outside the EU: the name, postal address and electronic address of the Responsible Person as well.
- Clear product identification: a picture and other information that makes the product identifiable.
- Safety information: any warnings and safety information required for the product, in a language the consumers being addressed can understand.
This requirement is platform-neutral. It applies to an Etsy listing just as it does to an offer on Amazon or eBay, a product page in your own Shopify store or a direct sale through your website. If the same item appears on several channels, check each listing separately rather than assuming information entered on one platform will appear on another.
Technical documentation under Article 9
The information visible in the shop is only part of the work. Article 9 requires the manufacturer to draw up technical documentation for the product. This includes a general description and the essential characteristics relevant to assessing its safety; depending on the product, the internal risk analysis and the measures resulting from it also need to be documented. The file should match the specific item and be kept coherent. A generic template with no product-specific assessment is not a substitute.
What can happen when the requirements are not met
- An online listing can be removed or blocked when required information is missing.
- Goods can be stopped at the border when the conditions for the EU market are not shown to be met.
- A product can be withdrawn from the market when safety or labelling duties have not been followed.
Any further sanctions depend on the EU Member State and the facts of the case, so there is no single monetary figure that would be accurate for every seller. The practical first move is to close information and responsibility gaps before a listing or shipment is affected.
GPSR and the EAA are different subjects
The GPSR concerns consumer product safety, traceability and the information that accompanies a product. The EAA concerns the digital accessibility of certain products and services, such as whether an online service can be used accessibly. An accessible shop does not complete the product-safety work, and complete GPSR information does not by itself make a website accessible.
A practical order of work
- Identify the manufacturer for every consumer product and the name or brand under which it is offered.
- Confirm which economic operator established in the EU fulfils the role under Article 16.
- Match the product description, risk analysis and technical documentation under Article 9 to the correct item.
- Add the Article 19 information to every online offer and every language version aimed at EU consumers.
- Keep the details current when the product, an address or a sales channel changes.
One point is worth making clearly: there is no single official GPSR certificate that completes every duty at once. What matters is evidence at product level: a clear responsible party, suitable technical documentation, complete offer information and the warnings the product requires.
Product safety and shop delivery, with clear roles
GPSR work and the Responsible Person service are handled through EU GPSR (eugpsr.de), the specialist site of Grüner Baum GmbH. GB Design handles the store and website side, including the clear presentation of the product information supplied. Both brands belong to the same company, Grüner Baum GmbH. Product safety and technical shop delivery therefore remain distinct tasks, while still being coordinated when needed.
Frequently asked questions
Does the GPSR apply if my business is not established in the EU?
Yes, when you offer consumer products within scope on the EU market. Being based outside the EU does not remove the sale from scope; relevant requirements include an economic operator in the EU and complete product information.
Is my small business exempt?
There is no general exemption based only on small size. A small business or individual commercial seller must still assess the GPSR duties for each product it offers.
Are the rules different for Etsy, Amazon and my own store?
The core distance-sales requirements are platform-neutral. Review every listing because manufacturer, Responsible Person, product and warning information must be visible on every sales channel you use.
Which Responsible Person details belong in the online offer?
When the manufacturer is outside the EU, the offer must show the Responsible Person's name, postal address and electronic address alongside the required manufacturer and product information.
Is this article legal advice?
No. It is a practical overview of central GPSR duties. Seek qualified legal advice for a binding assessment of your particular product and sales route.