EU General Product Safety Regulation · Reg (EU) 2023/988
Do you need an EU responsible person?
Since 13 December 2024, a product covered by the GPSR may not be placed on the EU market unless an economic operator established in the EU is responsible for it. Describe your case and find out whether you need one, who can act as it, the obligations it takes on, and what drives the cost.
The rule, in one line
Under the GPSR (Regulation (EU) 2023/988, applicable from 13 December 2024), a covered product may not be placed on the EU market unless an economic operator established in the EU is responsible for it (Article 16). That responsible person can be the EU manufacturer, the EU importer, an authorised representative with a written mandate, or a fulfilment service provider — and its name and address must appear on the product or its packaging. It applies to online and offline sales alike.
Official sources: Regulation (EU) 2023/988 · European Commission GPSR FAQ · EUR-Lex summary
You must appoint a responsible person
6Article 16(2) obligations it takes on
As an online seller without an EU operator covering the product, you must ensure a responsible person exists — typically by appointing an authorised representative (or relying on an EU importer / fulfilment service).
Who can be your responsible person
- An EU importer
- An authorised representative with a written mandate
- A fulfilment service provider established in the EU
What the responsible person must do (Art 16(2))
- Keep the technical documentation / declaration of conformity available to authoritiesReg (EU) 2023/988, Art. 16(2)
- Ensure the product carries the required safety information and instructionsReg (EU) 2023/988, Art. 16(2)
- Have the responsible person's name, postal and electronic address on the product or its packagingReg (EU) 2023/988, Art. 16
- Inform the market surveillance authorities of any product presenting a riskReg (EU) 2023/988, Art. 16(2)
- Cooperate on corrective actions (e.g. recall / withdrawal) to eliminate risksReg (EU) 2023/988, Art. 16(2)
- Act as the contact point for authorities on product-safety mattersReg (EU) 2023/988, Art. 16(2)
What drives the cost
Responsible-person service prices vary by provider — this tool does not quote a price. Use these drivers to compare quotes.
- Number of SKUs / product models covered
- Product risk category and the depth of technical-documentation review
- Whether recall / incident handling and authority correspondence are included
- Storage and availability of the documentation over the retention period
- Languages and Member States the service must cover
Per-product export
GPSR responsible-person decision pack (PDF) · €29
A print-ready pack: your responsible-person decision, who can act as it, the Article 16(2) obligations checklist, and a quote-comparison worksheet with the cost drivers — built from the answers above.
This is guidance, not legal advice. The export restates the GPSR requirements for your inputs; confirm the mandate and details with your responsible person.
What this tool is — and isn't
This checker restates the GPSR (Regulation (EU) 2023/988) responsible-person requirement and obligations for the case you describe. It is an estimate and orientation, not legal advice, and it does not quote a market price for responsible-person services. Verify against the linked official sources.
How the determination works
1. Is a responsible person required?
A GPSR-covered product may not be placed on the EU market unless an economic operator established in the EU is responsible for it (Article 16). If an EU operator already covers it, you're set; otherwise one must exist.
2. Who can it be?
The responsible person can be the EU manufacturer, the EU importer, an authorised representative with a written mandate, or a fulfilment service provider. If the manufacturer is outside the EU and you only sell online, you typically appoint an authorised representative.
3. The obligations + the cost
The responsible person takes on the Article 16(2) obligations (documentation, safety information, contact point, informing authorities, corrective actions) and its details go on the product. Service costs vary by provider — compare quotes using the cost drivers.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a GPSR responsible person?
- An economic operator established in the EU responsible for a product under Article 16 of Regulation (EU) 2023/988. A GPSR-covered product may not be placed on the EU market without one.
- Who can act as the responsible person?
- The EU manufacturer, the EU importer, an authorised representative with a written mandate, or a fulfilment service provider established in the EU.
- I sell online and my manufacturer is outside the EU. What do I do?
- You must ensure a responsible person exists for the product. If there's no EU importer or fulfilment service taking the role, you typically appoint an authorised representative with a written mandate.
- What does the responsible person have to do?
- Keep the technical documentation available, ensure safety information and instructions, put its name and address on the product, inform authorities of risks, cooperate on corrective actions, and be the contact point (Article 16(2)).
- How much does a responsible person cost?
- It varies by provider — this tool does not quote a price. Cost drivers include the number of SKUs, product risk category, documentation review, recall handling, and the languages/Member States covered. Compare quotes using those.
- Is this legal advice?
- No. This tool restates the GPSR responsible-person requirement for the case you describe. It is orientation, not legal advice. Verify against the linked official sources.