This article is provided by BRC Partner, UL Solutions.
European General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR)
On May 23, 2023, the European Commission published Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on General Product Safety, also known as the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR). The new regulation will replace the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD) 2001/95/EC after a transitional period that will end on Dec. 13, 2024.
This new regulation applies to new, repaired, used and reconditioned consumer products placed on the European market, including:
- Textiles, apparel and footwear
- Furniture
- Juvenile products
- General merchandise
What are the key changes of the GPSR?
Key changes of this new regulation include:
- Economic operators — including manufacturers, importers, distributors, authorized representatives and fulfillment service providers — are clearly defined along with their duties, including obligations in case of distance sales.
- Online marketplace providers will have new and detailed rules, and they are requested to identify their single point of contact for the EU Safety Gate portal and for consumer communication.
- Manufacturers must carry out a risk analysis and provide technical documentation that contains, at minimum, their product’s essential characteristics and its general description. Where appropriate, they also need to carry out an analysis of the possible risks related to the product and the solutions adopted to eliminate or mitigate such risks. It must include a list of all relevant European standards and report the outcome of tests conducted to meet general safety requirements.
- Other changes are available on the UL Solutions website here.
EU GPSR frequently asked questions answered by UL Solutions
As this new regulation impacts retailers, manufacturers and online marketplaces, UL Solutions’ expert Matt Edmonds clarified some of the confusion for consumer product businesses and replied to the most frequently asked questions from the industry.
Q: Are any products specifically exempted from the requirements of the EU GPSR?
A: Yes. The EU GPSR does not apply to:
- Medicinal products for human or veterinary use
- Food
- Feed
- Living plants and animals, genetically modified organisms and genetically modified microorganisms in contained use, as well as products of plants and animals relating directly to their future reproduction
- Animal by-products and animal-derived products
- Plant protection products
- Equipment on which consumers ride or travel where that equipment is directly operated by a service provider within the context of a transport service provided to consumers and is not operated by the consumers themselves
- Aircraft and their parts — including remote-controlled aircraft — used in military, customs, police, search and rescue, firefighting, border control, coast guard, and similar activities
- Antiques
Q: Does the additional requirement of an “electronic address” within the EU GPSR apply to the manufacturer/importer of products covered by their own product-specific safety legislation — for example, toys?
A: The physical labelling obligations for manufacturers/importers under Section 1 of Chapter 3 of the EU GPSR would not apply to products subject to Union harmonization safety legislation (Union legislation listed in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and any other Union legislation harmonizing the safety conditions for the marketing of products to which that regulation applies), e.g., toys, aerosols, batteries, cosmetics, electrical equipment, etc.
You can read more FAQs answered by UL Solutions experts by visiting UL Solutions’ website here.
We at UL Solutions remain at your disposal for other clarification and to provide technical support to help you bring compliant products to the European market.
The above UL Solutions interpretation is subject to the European Commission publishing guidance on the EU GPSR, including further clarification on the scope of the Regulation with respect to specific product categories.