Regulation (EU) 2023/988 · In force since January 13, 2024
EU General Product Safety Regulation — GPSR Compliance Guide.
The GPSR replaced the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD) and introduced new digital documentation, traceability, and rapid recall requirements for all consumer products placed on the EU market — including toys, furniture, electronics, and household goods.
GPSR at a glance
Regulation number
Regulation (EU) 2023/988 of the European Parliament and of the Council, published May 10, 2023.
Entry into force
January 13, 2024. Replaces the General Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EC) in all EU Member States.
Who is affected
All manufacturers, importers, distributors, and online marketplaces placing consumer products on the EU market.
Products covered
All consumer products not covered by sector-specific EU safety legislation. Toys, furniture, household goods, clothing, personal care products.
At a glance
EU General Product Safety Regulation 2023/988 (GPSR) entered into application on 13 December 2024, replacing the 2001 General Product Safety Directive. It requires all non-food consumer products on the EU market to be safe, traceable, and documented. GPSR introduces mandatory product information files, economic operator registration, risk assessment documentation, online marketplace obligations, and digital product traceability — applying to every manufacturer, importer, and distributor selling to EU consumers.
- Replaces the 2001 GPSD — applied from 13 December 2024, no transition for new obligations.
- All non-food consumer products placed on the EU market must be safe and traceable.
- Manufacturers must maintain a product information file and register a responsible EU entity.
- Online marketplaces have new obligations to verify product compliance before listing.
- GPSR sits alongside, not instead of, the ESPR DPP obligation for in-scope products.
What GPSR requires from manufacturers
1. Product traceability (Article 9)
Manufacturers must maintain full economic operator chain documentation — who produced it, who imported it, who distributed it — to enable rapid market surveillance response.
2. Digital product documentation (Article 9)
Technical product information must be accessible online — specifications, safety warnings, and compliance declarations. This is a direct precursor to mandatory DPPs under ESPR.
3. Internal accident reporting (Article 12)
Manufacturers and distributors must report accidents and safety incidents involving their products to the relevant national authority within defined timeframes.
4. Online marketplace obligations (Article 22)
Platforms selling consumer products must verify that products meet safety requirements and must act on recall and removal notices — a new and significant obligation.
5. Rapid recall capability
GPSR requires manufacturers to have the product identification and traceability data ready to issue an effective recall immediately. Without a digital product record, this is extremely difficult.
6. ICSMS and Safety Gate coordination
Product safety data is shared across EU Member States via the ICSMS platform. A digital product record makes this coordination faster and more accurate.
How GPSR connects to DPPs
GPSR and ESPR are converging — build once, comply with both.
GPSR requires digital product documentation and traceability now. ESPR mandates full Digital Product Passports for specific product categories from 2026–2030. A DPP built for ESPR compliance satisfies GPSR's documentation requirements at the same time. Build the digital product record once — it covers both.
Product traceability, economic operator chain, accessible digital documentation, rapid recall capability.
Standardised DPP format, GS1 Digital Link QR code, sustainability data, public accessibility, verifier infrastructure.
One platform builds GPSR-compliant product records that are ESPR-ready as delegated acts come into force per category.
GPSR — frequently asked questions
Is GPSR the same as a Digital Product Passport?
No, but they overlap. GPSR requires digital product documentation and traceability. ESPR introduces full standardised Digital Product Passports (DPPs) for specific product categories. A DPP satisfies GPSR's documentation obligations and goes further with standardised data fields and GS1 QR codes.
What products does GPSR not cover?
GPSR does not apply to products with specific EU safety legislation already in force: medicines, medical devices, food and beverages, antiques, second-hand products sold for repair, and aircraft. It does apply to most toys, furniture, household electronics, personal care items, and fashion accessories.
Do online marketplaces need to comply with GPSR?
Yes — this is one of GPSR's most significant new elements. Online marketplaces (Article 22) are now treated as fulfilment service providers with active product safety obligations: checking product listings, acting on authority notices, and maintaining communication channels for recalls.
What are the penalties for GPSR non-compliance?
Member States set their own penalties, but GPSR requires they be effective, proportionate, and dissuasive. Market surveillance authorities can order product withdrawals, recalls, and restrict sales. Products can be banned from the EU market. For deliberate violations, criminal sanctions are possible.
Related EU product regulations
GPSR works alongside sector-specific regulations. Understand the full landscape.
ESPR — Ecodesign Regulation
Regulation (EU) 2024/1781. Mandatory DPPs for 19 product categories from 2026. Builds on GPSR traceability foundations.
Read guide →Battery Regulation 2023/1542
Mandatory Battery Passport for industrial, EV, and LMT batteries from February 2027. The most advanced DPP requirement in force.
Read guide →What is a Digital Product Passport?
Plain-language explanation of DPPs — what they are, what they contain, who reads them, and which regulations require them.
Read guide →GPSR Compliance — Common Questions
The EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), Regulation 2023/988, is the horizontal product safety framework for all non-food consumer products sold in the EU. It replaced the 2001 General Product Safety Directive from 13 December 2024. GPSR introduces stronger obligations for manufacturers, importers, and distributors — including mandatory product information files, economic operator registration, enhanced traceability, and specific duties for online marketplaces.
GPSR (Regulation 2023/988) entered into application on 13 December 2024. It directly replaces the 2001 General Product Safety Directive (GPSD) with no further national transposition needed. Products placed on the EU market from 13 December 2024 must comply with GPSR's new obligations. Products that were already legally on the market before that date have a limited grandfathering window, but any product sold to a new consumer from that date must comply.
GPSR Article 9 requires every manufacturer to hold a product information file (PIF) that demonstrates product safety. The PIF must include: a product description and specifications, a risk assessment, test reports, traceability identifiers, and a conformity declaration. The file must be kept for 10 years and provided to market surveillance authorities on request. Traceable stores all PIF-required fields as structured data and generates audit-ready documentation automatically.
GPSR creates a chain of responsibility across all economic operators who place or make products available on the EU market. Manufacturers bear primary responsibility — product safety, PIF maintenance, traceability, and market surveillance cooperation. Importers must verify manufacturer compliance before importing. Distributors must check that products carry required markings. Every economic operator in the chain must have a registered EU responsible person if the manufacturer is based outside the EU.
Yes. GPSR directly replaces the 2001 General Product Safety Directive (Directive 2001/95/EC) from 13 December 2024. Unlike the Directive, GPSR is a directly applicable Regulation — it does not require national transposition and is identical across all 27 EU member states. GPSR introduces new obligations that were not in the Directive, including online marketplace duties, product information files, and digital traceability requirements. Sector-specific safety legislation (Toy Safety Directive, Medical Devices Regulation, etc.) continues to take precedence in its own scope.
Further reading
Regulatory Guide
ESPR 2024/1781 — Complete Guide
ESPR sits alongside GPSR for most product categories — how the two regulations divide obligations for manufacturers placing products on the EU market.
Regulatory Guide
What Is a Digital Product Passport?
GPSR's product information file is a precursor to the full DPP. How they relate and how one platform can serve both obligations.
Regulatory Guide
EU Central DPP Registry
The central registry under ESPR will eventually receive GPSR product information — what's confirmed, what's still pending in the implementing acts.
Other industries: Building Materials DPP · Furniture DPP · Toys DPP
GPSR is in force. Start building your compliant product records today.
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