| Title | Regulation (EU) 2023/988 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 on general product safety |
| Applies from | 13 December 2024. Repeals Directives 2001/95/EC and 87/357/EEC |
| Where it applies | EU Member States and Northern Ireland. Not Great Britain |
| GB equivalent | The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/1803) |
What it covers
The GPSR requires consumer products placed on the EU and Northern Ireland markets to be safe. It sets obligations for manufacturers, importers, distributors, authorised representatives, fulfilment service providers and online marketplace providers.
It covers new, used, repaired and reconditioned products, and digital products, supplied in the course of a commercial activity.
A product is in scope if it is intended for consumers, or is likely under reasonably foreseeable conditions to be used by them. Business-to-business supply is outside scope unless the product is expressly intended for, or likely to be used by, consumers.
Article 2(2) excludes, among others, medicinal products, food, feed, living plants and animals, animal by-products, plant protection products and antiques. UK government guidance also treats packaging used to transport and deliver a product to a consumer as outside scope.
Relationship to sector legislation
Article 2(1) makes the GPSR a safety net. Where Union law sets specific safety requirements for a product, the GPSR applies only to the aspects, risks or categories of risk those requirements do not cover.
For products subject to EU harmonisation legislation, Chapter II applies only to risks that legislation does not cover. Chapter III Section 1 (Articles 9 to 18, including the manufacturer, importer and Article 16 duties), Chapters V and VII and Chapters IX to XI do not apply (Article 2(1)).
Economic operator in the EU (Article 16)
A product covered by the GPSR cannot be placed on the market unless an economic operator established in the EU, or in Northern Ireland for the NI market, is responsible for set compliance tasks. ‘Established’ means a real presence, not a PO box. Article 16 does not apply to products subject to EU harmonisation legislation.
| Responsible economic operator | When |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | If established in the EU or NI |
| Authorised representative | If appointed by the manufacturer under a written mandate |
| Importer | If there is no manufacturer or authorised representative established in the EU or NI |
| Fulfilment service provider | If there is no manufacturer, authorised representative or importer established in the EU or NI |
Under Article 16(1) it carries out the tasks in Article 4(3) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020: checking the technical documentation, keeping it available to authorities, supplying information on request, reporting risks and cooperating on corrective action. Article 16(2) adds regular checks that the product matches the technical documentation and Article 9(5) to (7). UK government guidance gives the retention period as 10 years.
Its name, registered trade name or registered trade mark and contact details, including the postal and electronic address, must be shown on the product, its packaging, the parcel or an accompanying document (Article 16(3)).
Product information and traceability
Articles 9 and 11 do not apply to products subject to EU harmonisation legislation.
| Requirement | Article | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Product identification | 9(5) | A type, batch or serial number or other identifier, easily visible and legible. If size or nature prevents this, on the packaging or an accompanying document |
| Manufacturer details | 9(6) | Name, registered trade name or registered trade mark, postal and electronic address, and a single contact point if different |
| Importer details | 11 | Importers add their own name, trade name or trade mark, and postal and electronic address |
Online and distance sales (Article 19)
Offers made online or through other distance sales must show clearly and visibly:
- The manufacturer’s name, registered trade name or registered trade mark, and postal and electronic address
- Where the manufacturer is not established in the EU, the responsible person’s name, and postal and electronic address
- Information identifying the product, including a picture of it, its type and any other product identifier
- Any warning or safety information to be affixed to the product or to the packaging or included in an accompanying document, in a language consumers can easily understand
Accident notification
Under Article 20(1), the manufacturer must ensure that accidents caused by its product are notified through the Safety Business Gateway without undue delay, to the authorities of the Member State where they occurred. This covers accidents causing death or serious adverse effects on health and safety. Importers and distributors that learn of an accident must inform the manufacturer.
Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| Area | Position |
|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | The EU GPSR applies from 13 December 2024. A single EU or NI responsible economic operator can cover both markets |
| Great Britain | The EU GPSR does not apply. The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/1803) apply, with sector-specific regulations on top |
Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025
The Act received Royal Assent on 21 July 2025. Section 1 lets the Secretary of State make product regulations, for example to reduce or mitigate risks.
Section 2 lists what product requirements may cover, including marking, information, online marketplaces and authorised representatives. It allows EU requirements to be treated as meeting them.
OPSS consulted from 31 March to 23 June 2026 on a new product safety framework to replace the approach based on the 2005 Regulations.
What it means in practice
- Check sector law first. For products subject to EU harmonisation legislation, the GPSR covers only risks that legislation does not, and Articles 9 to 18 do not apply.
- For GB-only supply, the 2005 Regulations still apply. Watch for regulations made under the 2025 Act.