---
title: "EU GPSR FAQ: scope, listings, recalls, reporting"
canonical_url: "https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq"
source_url: "https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/items/page/2"
author: "Sorena AI"
description: "FAQ on GPSR consumer-product scope, economic operator duties, EU responsible person, online marketplace listings, Safety Business Gateway reporting, recalls, and evidence."
published_at: "2026-05-09"
updated_at: "2026-05-09"
keywords:
  - "EU General Product Safety Regulation"
  - "EU GPSR"
  - "Regulation (EU) 2023/988"
  - "FAQ"
  - "EU GPSR compliance"
  - "EU GPSR evidence"
---
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# EU GPSR FAQ: scope, listings, recalls, reporting

FAQ on GPSR consumer-product scope, economic operator duties, EU responsible person, online marketplace listings, Safety Business Gateway reporting, recalls, and evidence.

*Artifact Guide* *EU*

## EU General Product Safety Regulation FAQ

The GPSR is the EU baseline product-safety framework for consumer products, with practical duties for safety assessment, traceability, online marketplaces, accident reporting, and recalls.

Use this FAQ to answer common GPSR questions with the rule, the responsible actor, the reporting channel, and the evidence to keep.

This FAQ answers common GPSR implementation questions for consumer products sold in or into the EU, including scope, economic operator roles, the EU responsible person, online marketplace listings, dangerous-product reporting, recalls, Safety Gate, and evidence records.

## Browse sub-FAQ modules

### [How are dangerous product risk levels assessed under the EU GPSR?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/dangerous-product-risk-levels.md)

FAQ on GPSR and Safety Gate dangerous-product risk levels: serious risk, evidence, corrective measures, recall, withdrawal, and notification records.

- 4 items

### [How does the GPSR apply to used or refurbished products? | EU GPSR FAQ](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/used-and-refurbished-products.md)

FAQ on when used, repaired, reconditioned, or refurbished consumer products fall under the EU GPSR, including exclusions, operator duties, evidence, and online listings.

- 5 items

### [What GPSR information must appear in online Product Listings? | EU GPSR FAQ](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/product-listings.md)

Direct EU GPSR FAQ answer on Article 19 online offer content: manufacturer details, EU responsible person, product identifiers, warnings, and listing evidence.

- 4 items

### [What must online marketplaces do when a GPSR product safety issue is reported? | EU GPSR FAQ](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/marketplace-takedowns.md)

EU GPSR FAQ on marketplace takedown orders, product-safety notices, Safety Gate Portal checks, Safety Business Gateway reporting, and evidence records.

- 4 items

### [What should a GPSR recall notice include? | EU GPSR FAQ](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/recall-notices.md)

What EU GPSR recall notices must tell consumers, how the EU model notice structures the message, and how Safety Business Gateway and Safety Gate evidence fits the recall record.

- 4 items

### [What should a GPSR safety evidence pack include? | EU GPSR FAQ](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/safety-evidence-packs.md)

EU GPSR FAQ covering the records to keep for product risk assessment, technical documentation, traceability, tests, warnings, incidents, recalls, online listings, and marketplace operators.

- 4 items

### [When must businesses report GPSR product accidents? | EU GPSR FAQ](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/accident-notification.md)

EU GPSR FAQ explaining accident notification triggers, who reports, Safety Business Gateway use, required information, evidence to keep, and timing without fixed day-count claims.

- 4 items

### [Which products does the EU GPSR cover? | General Product Safety Regulation FAQ](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/covered-products.md)

Direct EU GPSR FAQ on covered consumer products, exclusions, online offers, used and refurbished products, and how GPSR interacts with specific EU product-safety law.

- 4 items

### [Who is the GPSR Article 16 responsible person? | EU GPSR FAQ](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/responsible-person.md)

Direct FAQ answer on when the GPSR requires an EU-based responsible economic operator, which operator can fill the role, and what contact details must appear online.

- 4 items

Browse all indexed questions: [/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/items](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/items.md)

## All FAQ items

*Page 2 of 2. Showing 17 of 37 items.*

### [How do Safety Business Gateway and Safety Gate fit?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/recall-notices.md#how-do-safety-business-gateway-and-safety-gate-fit)

*Module: [What should a GPSR recall notice include?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/recall-notices.md)*

Do not treat the public recall notice and the authority notification as the same artifact. The recall notice is consumer-facing. The Safety Business Gateway is the submission route for economic operators and online marketplace providers notifying authorities about dangerous products or accidents when the GPSR requires notification.

- Use Safety Business Gateway records to support the authority-facing case, not as a substitute for a clear consumer recall notice.
- Keep consumer alert wording consistent with the Gateway corrective-action record and the company or marketplace recall page.
- Expect the public Safety Gate alert, if created, to expose selected product, risk, and action information rather than the full business submission.
- Check Safety Gate alerts before and during recall work when marketplace providers or distributors need to identify affected products already flagged by authorities.

Sources for this answer:

- [Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/3173 on Safety Gate operation and risk criteria](https://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2024/3173/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Sets rules for Safety Gate Rapid Alert System operation, notification requirements, and risk assessment criteria; it is not the recall-notice template.
- [Safety Business Gateway user manual for economic operators and online marketplaces](https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/safety-business-gateway/?ref=sorena.io) - Explains how economic operators and online marketplaces prepare notifications and how selected case fields can later appear in public Safety Gate alerts.
- [Safety Gate: the EU rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products](https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate/?ref=sorena.io) - Commission page explaining that national authorities send Safety Gate alerts with product, risk, and measure information and that follow-up measures are shared.

### [What should a GPSR product safety evidence pack include?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/safety-evidence-packs.md#what-should-a-gpsr-product-safety-evidence-pack-include)

*Module: [What should a GPSR safety evidence pack include?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/safety-evidence-packs.md)*

Build the pack around one product, model, batch, software or firmware version, and EU market route. The file should show the manufacturer or responsible operator, the product identifiers used by consumers and authorities, the risk analysis, the technical documentation, and the controls used before the product was placed or made available on the EU market.

- Risk assessment: hazards, foreseeable use and misuse, affected consumers, severity, probability, risk level, chosen mitigations, and residual-risk decision.
- Technical documentation: general product description, essential safety characteristics, model or batch scope, design or material changes, and the technical means used to eliminate or reduce risks.
- Test and standards evidence: laboratory or visual test reports, dates, certificates where available, standards or other assessment elements applied, and notes where a standard was applied only in part.
- Warnings and instructions: product, packaging, accompanying-document, and digital safety information in the required consumer language for each market.
- Traceability: type, batch, serial or other product identifiers, manufacturer/importer/responsible-person contact details, supplier and downstream operator records, and affected stock counts where known.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/988/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Primary GPSR source for manufacturer technical documentation, product identification, warnings, complaint logs, accident reporting, traceability, distance-sale listings, marketplace duties, recalls, and Safety Business Gateway notifications.
- [Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/3173 on Safety Gate risk assessment](https://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2024/3173/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Source for Safety Gate notification information, risk descriptions, test reports, accident or incident information, corrective measures, and risk-level assessment criteria.

### [Which monitoring, incident, and recall records belong in the pack?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/safety-evidence-packs.md#which-monitoring-incident-and-recall-records-belong-in-the-pack)

*Module: [What should a GPSR safety evidence pack include?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/safety-evidence-packs.md)*

The pack should not stop at pre-launch evidence. GPSR records should also show what happened after the product entered the market: consumer complaints, accident information, safety issues reported through public communication channels, internal investigations, recalls, withdrawals, and other corrective measures.

- Complaint and accident register: safety complaints, accident circumstances, injury or harm information where known, investigation result, product identifiers, and personal-data minimisation notes for complaint records.
- Incident reporting evidence: Safety Business Gateway submission, submitter role, Member States notified, accident facts known at the time, and later updates requested by authorities.
- Corrective-action file: stop-sale, withdrawal, recall, repair, replacement, refund, online-content removal, authority correspondence, and completion criteria.
- Recall evidence: written recall notice, product pictures and identifiers, hazard explanation, consumer action, remedies, free phone number or online service, language coverage, and publication channels.
- Authority and marketplace follow-up: Safety Gate notification references where available, marketplace takedown or warning orders, affected-consumer notifications, and supply-chain response records.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/988/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Primary GPSR source for manufacturer technical documentation, product identification, warnings, complaint logs, accident reporting, traceability, distance-sale listings, marketplace duties, recalls, and Safety Business Gateway notifications.
- [European Commission Safety Business Gateway](https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/safety-business-gateway/?ref=sorena.io) - Commission portal source for dangerous-product and accident notifications by economic operators and online marketplace providers under the GPSR.
- [Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1435 on recall notices](https://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2024/1435/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Source for the GPSR recall notice template and the recall fields that should be preserved with corrective-action evidence.
- [Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/3173 on Safety Gate risk assessment](https://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2024/3173/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Source for Safety Gate notification information, risk descriptions, test reports, accident or incident information, corrective measures, and risk-level assessment criteria.

### [What online listing and marketplace evidence should be preserved?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/safety-evidence-packs.md#what-online-listing-and-marketplace-evidence-should-be-preserved)

*Module: [What should a GPSR safety evidence pack include?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/safety-evidence-packs.md)*

For products sold online or by other distance sales into the Union, keep snapshots of the offer as consumers saw it. The listing evidence should prove that the product page displayed the manufacturer, responsible person where required, product identification information, product image, and warnings or safety information in the required language.

- Listing snapshot: URL, capture date, EU country or language variant, product image, type, model, batch or identifier, manufacturer contact details, and responsible-person details when the manufacturer is outside the Union.
- Warning snapshot: safety warnings, instructions, age or vulnerable-consumer limits, language coverage, packaging references, and any linked digital safety information.
- Marketplace records: trader identity, single contact point, Safety Gate Portal registration evidence, notice-and-action timestamps, removed or disabled offers, explicit warnings, and repeat-offender suspension decisions where applicable.
- Operator coordination: messages to manufacturers, importers, distributors, fulfilment providers, marketplaces, and authorities about safety issues, accidents, recalls, and corrective measures.
- Change history: listing edits after test failures, complaints, authority notices, product changes, stock changes, or recall decisions.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/988/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Primary GPSR source for manufacturer technical documentation, product identification, warnings, complaint logs, accident reporting, traceability, distance-sale listings, marketplace duties, recalls, and Safety Business Gateway notifications.
- [Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1459 on Safety Gate marketplace interface](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2024/1459/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Source for the Safety Gate Portal interoperable interface available to online marketplace providers and related marketplace follow-up records.
- [European Commission Safety Business Gateway](https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/safety-business-gateway/?ref=sorena.io) - Commission portal source for dangerous-product and accident notifications by economic operators and online marketplace providers under the GPSR.

### [When should the GPSR evidence pack be reopened?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/safety-evidence-packs.md#when-should-the-gpsr-evidence-pack-be-reopened)

*Module: [What should a GPSR safety evidence pack include?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/safety-evidence-packs.md)*

Reopen the pack when the evidence no longer matches the product or the market route. A dated test report, supplier declaration, or listing screenshot is weak evidence if the component, batch, firmware, warning text, target market, marketplace, or operator role changed after it was captured.

- Product changes: design, material, component, software, firmware, packaging, age grading, instructions, warnings, or expected use changes.
- Supply-chain changes: new manufacturer, importer, responsible person, distributor, fulfilment provider, marketplace, supplier, factory, or batch source.
- Evidence changes: new or failed test, changed standard or safety requirement, partial standard application, new authority guidance, or missing certificate discovered during review.
- Market feedback: consumer complaint, accident, injury report, near miss, Safety Gate alert, marketplace notice, authority request, recall, withdrawal, or online-content removal.
- Distance-sale changes: new EU country, language, listing template, product image, warning placement, or checkout route targeted at consumers in the Union.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/988/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Primary GPSR source for manufacturer technical documentation, product identification, warnings, complaint logs, accident reporting, traceability, distance-sale listings, marketplace duties, recalls, and Safety Business Gateway notifications.
- [Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/3173 on Safety Gate risk assessment](https://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2024/3173/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Source for Safety Gate notification information, risk descriptions, test reports, accident or incident information, corrective measures, and risk-level assessment criteria.
- [Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1435 on recall notices](https://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2024/1435/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Source for the GPSR recall notice template and the recall fields that should be preserved with corrective-action evidence.

### [Who reports a GPSR product accident?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/accident-notification.md#who-reports-a-gpsr-product-accident)

*Module: [When must businesses report GPSR product accidents?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/accident-notification.md)*

Article 20 puts the primary reporting duty on the manufacturer: it must ensure that the accident is notified through the Safety Business Gateway to the competent authorities of the Member State where the accident occurred.

- Assign a reporting owner for the manufacturer or EU responsible person before a serious incident occurs.
- Route importer, distributor, marketplace, support, and quality-team accident intake to that owner immediately.
- Record who first learned of the accident, when they learned it, and whether the manufacturer, importer, distributor, responsible person, or marketplace provider submitted or escalated the notification.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02023R0988-20230523&ref=sorena.io) - Article 20 identifies the manufacturer, importer, distributor, and responsible-person roles for accident notification.
- [European Commission Safety Business Gateway](https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/safety-business-gateway/?ref=sorena.io) - Commission gateway page confirming that notifications are reserved for the concerned economic operators and online marketplace providers.

### [What accidents trigger GPSR notification?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/accident-notification.md#what-accidents-trigger-gpsr-notification)

*Module: [When must businesses report GPSR product accidents?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/accident-notification.md)*

The Article 20 threshold is specific. The accident must be an occurrence associated with the use of the product, and it must have resulted in a person's death or in serious adverse effects on that person's health and safety.

- Capture the product use context, the harm alleged or confirmed, and whether the harm involved death, injury, body damage, illness, or chronic health effects.
- Separate Article 20 accident triage from ordinary complaint handling, corrective action, recall, and marketplace takedown workflows.
- Keep unresolved facts visible, including unknown product identifiers, unknown accident circumstances, or missing medical details.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02023R0988-20230523&ref=sorena.io) - Article 20 defines the accident threshold as death or serious adverse health and safety effects associated with product use.
- [European Commission Safety Business Gateway](https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/safety-business-gateway/?ref=sorena.io) - Commission gateway page confirming that businesses use the gateway to report dangerous products and accidents.

### [What goes into the Safety Business Gateway notification?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/accident-notification.md#what-goes-into-the-safety-business-gateway-notification)

*Module: [When must businesses report GPSR product accidents?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/accident-notification.md)*

Article 20 requires the notification to include the type and identification number of the product and the circumstances of the accident, if known. Competent authorities may request other relevant information.

- Minimum legal content: product type, product identification number, and accident circumstances if known.
- Useful internal packet: product master data, complaint or support ticket, photos, incident chronology, injury or health-effect description, sales or batch traceability, and any risk assessment or corrective action record.
- Submission evidence: gateway case or submission identifier, submitted PDF or confirmation, submitting entity and role, recipient Member State authority, and any follow-up request from authorities.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02023R0988-20230523&ref=sorena.io) - Article 20 states the required product type, identification number, accident circumstances, and follow-up information obligation.
- [European Commission Safety Business Gateway](https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/safety-business-gateway/?ref=sorena.io) - Commission gateway page identifies the Safety Business Gateway as the business reporting channel for dangerous products and accidents.

### [Internal evidence to keep after notification](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/accident-notification.md#internal-evidence-to-keep-after-notification)

*Module: [When must businesses report GPSR product accidents?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/accident-notification.md)*

Keep an evidence record that lets product safety, legal, quality, support, and regulatory teams reconstruct the reporting decision without relying on memory. The record should show why the incident did or did not meet the Article 20 accident threshold and who was responsible for each escalation step.

- Accident intake: source of report, time of knowledge, affected person facts available to the business, product use context, and harm description.
- Product evidence: type, model, serial or batch identifiers, barcode, photos, sales channel, country or Member State facts, and traceability records.
- Decision trail: Article 20 threshold assessment, reporting actor, Safety Business Gateway submission evidence, authority follow-up, manufacturer or responsible-person instructions, and any importer, distributor, or marketplace escalation.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02023R0988-20230523&ref=sorena.io) - Article 20 supports keeping evidence around knowledge timing, product identification, accident circumstances, and requested follow-up information.
- [European Commission Safety Business Gateway](https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/safety-business-gateway/?ref=sorena.io) - Commission gateway page supports preserving Safety Business Gateway submission evidence for dangerous-product and accident reports.

### [Which products does the EU GPSR cover?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/covered-products.md#which-products-does-the-eu-gpsr-cover)

*Module: [Which products does the EU GPSR cover?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/covered-products.md)*

The GPSR covers products placed or made available on the EU market when they are intended for consumers or are likely, under reasonably foreseeable conditions, to be used by consumers. It applies to products supplied for payment or free of charge, including products supplied in the context of a service.

- In scope: consumer products placed or made available on the EU market in the course of a commercial activity.
- Also in scope: products not originally designed for consumers when foreseeable use means consumers are likely to use them.
- Residual scope: products under specific EU safety requirements remain subject to GPSR for risks or aspects not covered by those requirements.
- Not a scope shortcut: CE marking or another sector label does not by itself answer every GPSR risk question.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/988/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Article 1 and Article 2 ground the baseline GPSR scope for consumer products placed or made available on the EU market.

### [What products are excluded from GPSR?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/covered-products.md#what-products-are-excluded-from-gpsr)

*Module: [Which products does the EU GPSR cover?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/covered-products.md)*

Article 2 lists exclusions that should be checked before treating a product as covered. The exclusions are product-category exclusions, not general business-model exceptions.

- Food and feed are outside GPSR, but materials and articles intended to come into contact with food may still need a separate risk analysis where food-specific law does not cover the risk.
- Antiques are excluded because consumers cannot reasonably expect them to meet current safety standards.
- Products clearly marked as needing repair or reconditioning before use are not covered as ready-to-use products.
- Do not add national exclusions or informal carve-outs unless they are grounded in the EU text or another applicable EU product law.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/988/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Article 2(2) lists the product categories excluded from GPSR, while Article 2(3) excludes products clearly marked for repair or reconditioning before use.

### [Are online, used, repaired, or refurbished products covered?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/covered-products.md#are-online-used-repaired-or-refurbished-products-covered)

*Module: [Which products does the EU GPSR cover?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/covered-products.md)*

Yes, where the Article 2 scope test is met. GPSR expressly applies to products placed or made available on the market whether they are new, used, repaired, or reconditioned.

- Used products can be covered when they re-enter the commercial supply chain for EU consumers.
- Repaired or reconditioned products can be covered when sold or supplied as products ready for use.
- Products offered as needing repair or reconditioning before use are treated differently when they are clearly marked that way.
- Online listing controls should identify whether the offer targets EU consumers, not just where the seller is established.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/988/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Article 2(3) covers new, used, repaired, and reconditioned products; Article 4 treats online or distance-sale offers targeting EU consumers as made available on the market.

### [How should teams document a covered-products answer?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/covered-products.md#how-should-teams-document-a-covered-products-answer)

*Module: [Which products does the EU GPSR cover?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/covered-products.md)*

Keep the record short and product-specific. A useful GPSR scope record names the item, intended and foreseeable consumer use, route to the EU market, whether the sale is online or offline, any Article 2 exclusion considered, and any sector-specific EU product-safety law that covers the same risk.

- Record the product identifier, model or version, seller role, EU market route, and consumer-use facts.
- List each exclusion considered and state why it does or does not apply.
- Map each specific EU product law to the risks it covers, then identify any residual GPSR risks.
- For online listings, record why the offer is or is not targeted at consumers in the Union.
- Review the answer after design changes, new sales channels, refurbishing programs, marketplace expansion, or a change in applicable EU product law.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/988/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Article 2 requires a product, market, risk, and specific-law analysis; Article 4 adds the EU-targeted online offer test.

### [Short answer: who is the GPSR responsible person?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/responsible-person.md#short-answer-who-is-the-gpsr-responsible-person)

*Module: [Who is the GPSR Article 16 responsible person?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/responsible-person.md)*

The GPSR responsible person is the EU-established economic operator tied to a covered consumer product before it is placed on the Union market. Article 16 points to the Article 4 task model in Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, so the operator must be able to hold or make available compliance documentation, respond to market-surveillance authorities, inform authorities when there is a product risk, and support corrective action.

- Do not treat a customer-service address, marketplace account, or brand page as enough unless it identifies the EU-established economic operator responsible for the legal tasks.
- For a non-EU manufacturer selling into the EU, confirm the importer or written-mandate authorised representative before the offer goes live.
- If the file relies on a fulfilment service provider, record why no EU manufacturer, importer, or authorised representative is available for the product.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/988/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Article 16 states that a covered product may not be placed on the market unless there is an EU-established economic operator responsible for the Article 4(3) tasks from Regulation (EU) 2019/1020.
- [Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/1020/2024-05-23/eng?ref=sorena.io) - Article 4 identifies the eligible EU economic operators and the documentation, authority-response, risk-notification, and corrective-action tasks that GPSR Article 16 imports.

### [When the EU contact is needed for market availability](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/responsible-person.md#when-the-eu-contact-is-needed-for-market-availability)

*Module: [Who is the GPSR Article 16 responsible person?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/responsible-person.md)*

The trigger is EU market availability, not only physical stocking in an EU warehouse. GPSR recitals explain that a product offered online or through other distance sales is considered made available on the market when the offer is targeted at consumers in the Union.

- Check the sales channel before launch: EU shipping, EU language checkout, EU currency, EU domain, and marketplace listing settings can all matter.
- Put the responsible-person decision in the launch gate for every EU-targeted product offer, including direct-to-consumer listings and marketplace listings.
- Recheck the mapping when a non-EU product gains EU dispatch options or is newly listed on a marketplace interface targeted at EU consumers.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/988/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Recital 21 explains when online or distance-sales offers are treated as targeted at consumers in the Union and therefore made available on the EU market.
- [Access2Markets overview of the GPSR](https://trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/en/news/eus-general-product-safety-regulation-gpsr-new-era-consumer-protection?ref=sorena.io) - Commission Access2Markets overview states that a responsible EU economic operator must be entrusted with safety-related tasks for each covered product.

### [What must appear on online offers](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/responsible-person.md#what-must-appear-on-online-offers)

*Module: [Who is the GPSR Article 16 responsible person?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/responsible-person.md)*

For online and other distance sales, Article 19 requires the offer itself to clearly and visibly indicate manufacturer contact details. If the manufacturer is not established in the Union, the offer must also show the name, postal address, and electronic address of the responsible person under GPSR Article 16 or Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 Article 4.

- For non-EU manufacturers, display the responsible person's name, postal address, and electronic address before checkout, not only in back-office records.
- Include product identifiers and a picture on the listing so the displayed contact can be tied to the exact product type or model.
- Keep screenshots or exports of live listings because Article 19 is about what the consumer-facing offer clearly and visibly indicates.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/988/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Article 22 requires online marketplace interfaces to enable traders to provide responsible-person information and make it displayed or easily accessible on product listings.

### [Evidence to keep for the operator decision](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/responsible-person.md#evidence-to-keep-for-the-operator-decision)

*Module: [Who is the GPSR Article 16 responsible person?](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/responsible-person.md)*

Keep evidence that proves the named operator is eligible, established in the Union, reachable, and able to perform the legal tasks. The record should connect the product, sales channel, manufacturer location, selected EU operator, mandate or contract basis, displayed contact details, and authority-response process.

- Operator proof: EU establishment evidence, importer records, authorised-representative mandate, or fulfilment-service-provider contract and scope.
- Task proof: who keeps declarations or technical documentation, who answers authority requests, who reports risk, and who coordinates corrective action.
- Display proof: product label, packaging, parcel, accompanying-document copy, online listing screenshot, and marketplace data export showing the responsible-person contact.
- Review triggers: new product model, changed manufacturer, changed importer, new EU marketplace, changed fulfilment route, incident, complaint pattern, or authority request.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/988/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Article 16(2) adds GPSR-specific regular checks and requires documented evidence of those checks upon market-surveillance authority request.
- [Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/1020/2024-05-23/eng?ref=sorena.io) - Article 4(3) supports the evidence list for documentation availability, authority responses, risk notification, and corrective-action cooperation.

## FAQ Pagination

- Canonical index (page 1): [/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/items](/artifacts/eu/general-product-safety-regulation/faq/items.md)
- Page 1 rule: `/page/1` is intentionally not generated; use the canonical index markdown URL.
- Current page: 2 of 2

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*Recommended next step*

*Placement: after implementation section*

## Use this EU GPSR guide as a cited evidence workflow

Turn this EU General Product Safety Regulation page into a repeatable workflow for product, legal, quality, procurement, support, and engineering teams. Keep citations, owners, evidence, and review triggers together.

- [Open Research Copilot](/solutions/research-copilot.md): Answer EU GPSR scope, timing, and interpretation questions with cited outputs.
- [Talk through implementation](/contact.md): Review your scope, evidence model, controls, and next actions.


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