GPSR Responsible Person: a detailed guide for the EU market

The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) sets baseline safety rules for consumer products placed or made available on the EU market. It covers online and other distance sales and, subject to exclusions and product-specific EU rules, new, used, repaired, and reconditioned products. It has applied since 13 December 2024.

Official GPSR text (EUR-Lex)

Under Article 16, a product covered by the GPSR may not be placed on the market unless an economic operator established in the EU is responsible for the specified tasks for that product. Whether the role is held by the EU manufacturer, importer, a representative with written authority, or another eligible operator depends on the actual supply chain.

A manufacturer established outside the EU, or a brand owner offering a product under its own name or trade mark, needs the role arranged when no eligible EU economic operator in the chain already performs the Article 16 tasks. Marketplace sellers targeting EU consumers should check the arrangement for every product. The obligation can apply to a one-person shop as well as a larger business.

An online or other distance-sales offer must clearly and visibly show the manufacturer’s name, registered trade name or trade mark, postal address, and electronic address. If the manufacturer is not established in the EU, the Responsible Person’s name, postal address, and electronic address must also appear. The offer must also include product identification and a picture, its type or another identifier, and applicable warnings or safety information.

Each product is assessed separately. The six tasks summarised on the homepage are expanded below:

1. 1. Product-specific initial review

   The product category, applicable GPSR and sector rules, risk assessment, technical documentation, traceability details, labelling, and warnings are reviewed together. The result determines whether the product can proceed within the service.

2. 2. Written product-specific agreement

   After a positive review, the role, covered products, tasks, and information flows between the parties are defined in writing. The Responsible Person engagement does not begin before that agreement is in place.

3. 3. Article 19 listing details

   The distinct names, postal addresses, and electronic addresses of the manufacturer and Responsible Person are prepared for online product offers. The manufacturer is also told where product identification, imagery, and required warnings need to be visible.

4. 4. Technical file review and retention

   The manufacturer’s technical file is checked for the product description, risk assessment, and applicable safety evidence. The agreed file is kept available for authority requests throughout the statutory retention period.

5. 5. Contact point for market surveillance authorities

   Information and document requests from market surveillance authorities are received. Available evidence is presented in the official language of the Member State concerned, and necessary follow-up is coordinated with the manufacturer.

6. 6. Safety Gate monitoring

   EU Safety Gate notices are monitored for the covered product categories. When a notice may relate to a product, the manufacturer is informed and the next steps within the agreed scope are assessed.

The role is not assumed automatically through an enquiry or a website visit; a positive product review and written agreement are required. Acceptance by a platform, a particular authority decision, or a sales outcome is not promised. Responsibility for product safety and the manufacturer’s own obligations remains with the manufacturer.

For product information, required documents, and details of a possible Responsible Person engagement, open the relevant in-depth guide on the specialist site operated by Grüner Baum GmbH.

Responsible Person details on eugpsr.de →