GPSR: get to grips with the EU’s new safety regulations for retailers

We’re only a couple of months into 2025 and already, small business owners selling to the European Union (EU) and Northern Ireland (NI) are finding themselves stung by an unpleasant surprise known as the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR). 

GPSR is designed to improve product safety standards across the EU. All UK businesses selling to EU countries must comply.

The regulatory change hits small businesses and sole traders hardest, the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has warned. “For smaller firms or sole traders, the new obligations will be a big change and will incur additional costs or compliance burdens,” says William Bain, the BCC’s Head of Trade Policy. “For some SMEs and sole traders, the new rules will act as a further barrier to sending goods to NI and the EU and EEA [European Economic Area].”

We’ve looked into the biggest question marks surrounding the new EU rules to help your business stay compliant… and keep selling. 

Okay, let’s start at the beginning… what is the General Product Safety Regulation?

The General Product Safety Regulation is a new law that applies to all consumer items (with limited exceptions) being sold within the European Union. It has replaced the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD) with more stringent rules aimed at “improving product safety standards across the EU”. 

GPSR has applied to all relevant consumer products from 13th December 2024. It gave national authorities within the EU more powers to inspect products and take action against makers of unsafe ones. RAPEX (the EU’s rapid alert system) has been renamed Safety Gate and will quickly alert national governments of any non-food dangerous consumer products.

While GPSR doesn’t apply to goods sold within most of the UK, it does apply to any products sold to customers in Northern Ireland.

Wait, what? Why Northern Ireland?

Because of the Northern Ireland Protocol and Windsor Framework agreement, Northern Ireland has to follow some EU regulations on products. This ensures there are no physical checks on products moving between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland - and therefore no need for a hard border on the island of Ireland. 

All consumer items? What does that mean?

Basically, GPSR applies to any non-food products mostly bought by consumers for personal use. This includes second-hand and recycled products, which weren’t previously covered by GPSD. The only consumer items exempt from GPSR are:

• food (and animal feed)
• medicinal products for humans and animals
• living plants and animals (including genetically modified organisms and microorganisms in contained use)
• animal-derived and by-products
• plant protection products
• antiques
• transport equipment operated by a service provider
• low-risk aircraft
• products clearly marked to be repaired or reconditioned prior to use (products already repaired or reconditioned are not exempt)

Safety regulations for products exempt from GPSR can be found here.

What do I need to do to keep selling to the EU and NI?

To keep your business selling now, your business will need to designate a 'responsible economic operator' inside the EU or NI.  

You may also need to review your products to make sure they can be traced and identified, including having clear contact details that consumers can use to make a complaint or ask questions. You’ll also need to make sure all your products have adequate instructions and technical documentation. 

Any products that were already on the market in the EU or NI before 13th December 2024 can still be sold - as long as they are compliant with the 2005 UK GPSR. This sets out obligations for UK producers and distributors of consumer goods. You can find more information on the UK GPSR here. 

“Your products may well meet quite a lot of the requirements in the EU’s GPSR already, as EU GPSR expands on the UK’s product safety rules - adding the requirement for digital contact information as well as postal, for example,” says Emily Coltman FCA, FreeAgent’s Chief Accountant. “Getting your head around these regulations may also give your business a headstart on complying with upcoming changes to UK rules, as there is a UK bill on product regulations on the horizon.”

Hang on, what is a responsible economic operator and how do I get one?

You might already have one! A responsible economic operator could be:

• the manufacturer
• the importer
• the distributor
• the fulfilment service provider
• or any other authorised representative in the EU or NI who is responsible for making the products available on the market

What’s important is that your responsible economic operator must be based in the EU or NI and be happy to take on responsibilities including:

• verifying product technical documentation
• verifying that the product can be identified (for example, by a serial number), that the manufacturer can be contacted (by a postal and electronic address) and that there are clear instructions and safety information available on the product (if required)
• keeping technical documentation for Market Surveillance Authorities (MSAs) for at least 10 years from the date the product is placed on the market
• sharing data with MSAs, including providing documentation, notifying them if a product risk is identified, and cooperating with them to mitigate risks or correct risks

Who are these ‘Market Surveillance Authorities’?

Market Surveillance Authorities (MSAs) enforce product safety laws and regulations. MSAs are national organisations, so they check products being sold within their country and may withdraw, recall or destroy products which present a serious risk. An example might be toys that contain small parts and could pose a choking hazard to young children and babies. MSAs also alert users in their country of any serious product risks and share information with MSAs in other countries. 

What else does my business have to do differently?

You need to investigate complaints and keep detailed records on them for 10 years. Any accidents caused by a product must be reported on Safety Gate. 

All products also need to have instructions, safety information and technical documentation - unless the product can be used safely without these. 

TL;DR: what do I have to do now?

You can keep selling products already on the market in the EU and NI (as long as they are compliant with UK GPSR). 

You will need to ensure that you have a representative based in the EU or NI who can take on the additional responsibility. This might be a company you already have a relationship with or you might need to find a new business for the role of responsible economic operator. 

You may also need to review your product packaging to make sure it displays the required information (in the requisite languages). 

With even more rules to follow, how can I lessen my admin burden?

FreeAgent can help handle those everyday admin tasks, so you can focus on meeting all your legal responsibilities. Send invoices, manage expenses, check your cashflow and complete monthly payroll - all from one smart software. Try FreeAgent free for 30 days.