What Is GPSR? Scope, Products and EU Duties
The General Product Safety Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/988) has applied since 13 December 2024. It is the EU's general safety framework for consumer products and supplements product-specific EU rules for safety aspects those rules do not cover.
What is the GPSR?
The General Product Safety Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2023/988, is the EU framework for the safety of consumer products placed or made available on its market. It applies directly where a product risk is not covered by equally specific EU safety rules and supplements sector legislation for aspects those rules do not address. The GPSR has applied since 13 December 2024.
What does GPSR compliance mean?
GPSR compliance means showing that a product is safe under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions and that the relevant economic operators have fulfilled their duties. In practice, that requires product identification, appropriate safety analysis, current technical documentation, traceability, suitable warnings and instructions, correct online-offer information and a process for incidents or corrective action. Product-specific EU legislation must also be checked separately.
This page reflects the product-scope, documentation and Article 16 review practice of Germany-based Grüner Baum GmbH. Reviewed by Hatice Muazzez Bodur →
GPSR in Brief
The General Product Safety Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/988) has applied since 13 December 2024. It is the EU's general safety framework for consumer products and supplements product-specific EU rules for safety aspects those rules do not cover.
- Consumer products are covered subject to the GPSR's scope rules and stated exclusions.
- Both physical retail and online sales channels are covered.
- Second-hand, repaired, and refurbished products can also be within scope.
- Software and applications relevant to the product's function are also assessed.
- A product subject to Article 16 needs an EU-established responsible economic operator before it is placed on the market.
“We specialise exclusively in EU GPSR.”
If you sell consumer products in the EU, you must be able to document and demonstrate product safety. Statutory exclusions include medicinal products, food and feed, living plants and animals, plant-protection products and antiques; exact scope still requires a product-specific review.
Which Products Does GPSR Cover?
The GPSR applies to consumer products subject to its exclusions. Where specific EU legislation covers the same safety objective, those rules prevail for that risk and the GPSR can still apply to other aspects.
✓ Product groups requiring a scope review
- Furniture.
- Clothing and textile products.
- Household goods and kitchen accessories.
- Decorative products.
- Hand tools.
- Simple electronic devices without specific regulation.
- Children’s products and toys.
- Jewellery and accessories.
- Sports and leisure equipment.
- Garden and outdoor products.
- Second-hand, repaired, and refurbished products.
- Software and applications necessary for product function.
✗ Products Out of Scope (Exceptions)
- Human and veterinary medicinal products (pharmaceuticals).
- Food and animal feed.
- Live plants and animals.
- Animal by-products and derived products.
- Plant protection products (pesticides).
- Service-provider-operated transport equipment on which consumers ride or travel.
- Aircraft referred to in Article 2(2)(h).
- Antiques.
- Products clearly marked as needing repair or reconditioning before use.
The same scope assessment applies to products offered in physical shops and through distance sales. The required documents and duties depend on the product, its risks and each actor's role in the supply chain.
How did GPSR change the former GPSD rules?
The GPSR replaced Directive 2001/95/EC on 13 December 2024. The change introduced a directly applicable regulation and explicit rules for technical records, online offers and the EU-based responsible economic operator.
Updated 1 September 2026. This comparison follows the binding legislation and the European Commission's 2025 business guidance.
| Point | GPSD — Directive 2001/95/EC | GPSR — Regulation (EU) 2023/988 |
|---|---|---|
| Legal form | An EU directive implemented through national law. | An EU regulation directly applicable in every EU Member State. |
| Applicable period | The transitional rule still protects conforming products placed on the market before 13 December 2024. | Applicable since 13 December 2024, subject to the product- and risk-specific scope rules. |
| Safety records | Set general product-safety duties for producers and distributors. | Article 9 expressly requires manufacturers to perform an internal risk analysis, draw up technical documentation and keep it available for 10 years. |
| Online sales | General product-safety duties applied across sales channels. | Article 4 defines when an online offer targets EU consumers; Article 19 sets listing information and Article 22 sets marketplace duties. |
| EU responsible operator | Directive 2001/95/EC itself contained no rule equivalent to GPSR Article 16. | Article 16 requires a responsible economic operator established in the EU for covered products before they are placed on the market. |
The product and risk scope remains decisive. GPSR does not replace product-specific EU safety law for risks that law already covers.
Who Falls Under GPSR Responsibility?
The GPSR assigns different duties to defined supply-chain roles. A business can occupy more than one role, depending on what it actually does for a product.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the GPSR become applicable?
Regulation (EU) 2023/988 has applied since 13 December 2024. As an EU regulation, it is directly applicable in the Member States. Whether a particular product or risk is governed by the GPSR, by product-specific EU safety law, or by both for different aspects must still be assessed from the product's characteristics and the scope rules.
What does GPSR stand for?
GPSR stands for General Product Safety Regulation. It commonly refers to Regulation (EU) 2023/988, the EU's directly applicable general safety framework for consumer products, which has applied since 13 December 2024.
What is the scope of the GPSR?
The GPSR applies to consumer products placed or made available on the EU market unless a stated exclusion applies. Where specific EU law covers a particular safety risk, that specific law governs that risk and the GPSR complements aspects it does not cover. Scope must therefore be assessed by product and risk, not from a broad category name alone.
Did the GPSR replace the GPSD?
Yes. Regulation (EU) 2023/988 repealed the General Product Safety Directive 2001/95/EC, commonly called the GPSD, with effect from 13 December 2024. The transitional rule protects products that were placed on the market before that date in conformity with the GPSD; products placed on the market from that date must be assessed under the current applicable rules.
Which products fall within the GPSR?
The GPSR is the general safety framework for consumer products, subject to its stated exclusions. Where specific EU law pursues the same safety objective for a particular risk, those specific provisions apply to that risk; the GPSR can continue to govern aspects not covered by them. Scope therefore cannot be decided from a broad product-category label alone.
Who has duties under the GPSR?
Manufacturers, importers and distributors have duties corresponding to their roles, and Article 16 requires an EU-established responsible economic operator for covered products. Providers of online marketplaces have separate duties under Article 22. A seller's role is determined by what it actually does in the supply chain; using a marketplace does not erase manufacturer, importer or distributor obligations.
Does the GPSR create one standard compliance certificate?
No. The GPSR does not establish one official certificate for all products. Compliance is supported by product-specific safety evidence, technical documentation, traceability and labelling, plus any tests, declarations or conformity-assessment records required by other applicable EU product legislation. A commercial document called a GPSR certificate does not replace that underlying evidence.
Legal Basis
- Regulation (EU) 2023/988 — EUR-Lex — The binding text on which our product-specific GPSR review is based.
- Directive 2001/95/EC — EUR-Lex — The repealed directive and its provisions used for the transition comparison.
- European Commission Notice C/2025/6233 — The Commission's role-specific guidance used in our operational compliance review; the legislation remains authoritative.
Key terms in this guide, defined
Each term links to its definition in the GPSR glossary, with the article it comes from.
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