GPSR is coming on 13 December – ARE YOU READY? Here is some help if you are a small UK product business.
You’ve probably seen a lot of businesses say they will no longer ship to the EU and NI due to GPSR. But what is it and does it apply to you?
The short answer is probably YES and here is a rough overview I have put together to help.
But PLEASE speak to an expert and do your own research.
Download this GPSR blog post as a PDF guide to save for later.
WHAT IS GPSR?
GPSR applies if you are selling products into the EU and Northern Ireland (as this has the same regulations as the EU.)
It is there to ensure all products sold are safe and to prevent hard to consumers, and regardless of your business size, you need to comply.
It replaces the current: General Product Safety Directive
The UK and EU businesses currently follow the same product safety standards, but as the EU changes it rules and due to Brexit, GPSR has come into place for UK businesses to follow.
It is effective from the 13th December 2024.
PRODUCTS THAT GPSR DOES NOT APPLY TOO
- Medicines
- Food & feed products
- Living animals & plants
- Antiques
- Products that need to be repaired, reconditioned, or recycled prior to being used and are clearly marked as such
There are more products but these are most applicable to my small business audience.
CONDUCT & RECORD RISK ASSESSEMENTS
Identify any potential hazards from using your products, from misuse to everyday use. Document, record and regularly update any risks from your assessment. You should be doing this anyway.
SAFE MATERIALS, TESTING & TECH DOCUMENTATION
Ensure all materials and components have compliance certificates. Contact your suppliers for this information.
If you need to test your products (E.g. toys, electricals) then ensure you have the relevant testing certificates in place.
Some products such as toys, electrics, cosmetics and food already need extra compliance so ensure any CE or UKCA markings are in place.
TRACEABILITY IS KEY
Products need to be traceable so will need to include serial and batch numbers in case they need to be recalled or traced if safety issues arise.
Also keep up to date records which include:
- Risk assessments
- Supplier compliance
- Testing certificates
- Customer complaints related to product safety
HOW TO DISPLAY PRODUCT SAFETY INFORMATION
GPSR safety information needs to be on the product/packaging itself and the online product description, that includes:
- How to use the product safely
- Age restrictions
- Warnings about potential hazards
Information needs to be in the local language of the country the product is sold too. Which will include an additional cost to have it translated.
GPSR EU REPRESENTATIVE
I see this as the hardest one for you guys to get around.
If you are not based in the EU, you need an EU representative based in the EU or NI. They are there to check product safety and compliance. There are currently companies you can hire to provide this for you but they may charge per product.
WHAT ABOUT PRODUCTS SOLD BEFORE 13 DECEMBER 2024
From what I have read, and as laws have varying interpretations, it looks like products sold before the 13 December 2024 and were covered and fully comply with the General Product Safety Directive, you won’t need to provide GPSR related information for this listing.
But again, you will need to ensure you do comply with existing regulations.
GPSR is CONFUSING and it’s come at a terrible time (in the middle of the Christmas rush) so no time for businesses to implement it.
But I wanted to create this guide so it gives you a clearer understanding.
Etsy, Ebay, Amazon our government have been pretty bad at sharing this change. So I can imagine a lot will evolve on this as it comes into place, especially in 2025.
What will you do?
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Some links I have found useful:
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