The GPSR Responsible Person: what non-EU brands must have on every product sold in the EU

What the GPSR changed

The General Product Safety Regulation replaced the old EU product safety directive and closed the loophole that mattered most for e-commerce: products shipped directly from outside the EU to European consumers, with nobody inside the EU accountable for their safety. Now every consumer product needs an EU-established responsible person — manufacturer, importer, fulfilment provider or an appointed Authorised Representative — whose name and contact details appear on the product or its packaging and in the online listing.

Who needs an Authorised Representative

• Non-EU brands selling directly to EU consumers (own webshop or marketplaces) without an EU importer
• Sellers whose products reach the EU through fulfilment models where no other operator takes legal responsibility
• Brands that want one consistent EU contact across all member states rather than relying on whichever importer handles a given shipment

Marketplaces enforce this at listing level: missing or invalid responsible-person details lead to blocked or removed listings.

What the Responsible Person actually does

This is not a mailbox service. Under the regulation, the responsible person must be able to act — which is why serious providers check documentation before accepting a mandate:

1. Verifies that the technical documentation and declarations for your products exist and are accessible
2. Keeps documentation available for the authorities for ten years
3. Acts as the contact point for EU market-surveillance authorities — in their language, on their deadlines
4. Cooperates on corrective measures — and coordinates recalls if a safety issue ever arises

How this fits with Germany's packaging and battery rules

GPSR is EU-wide product-safety law; VerpackG and BattDG are German waste-law obligations. Three different laws, three separate representative appointments — but nothing prevents one provider from holding all three mandates. That is the entire logic of our bundles: one intake, one contract package, one partner, instead of three providers who don't talk to each other.

What it costs to get wrong

Blocked listings are the immediate consequence — and for most sellers the expensive one, because every day offline is lost revenue. Beyond that: fines under national enforcement laws, product recalls at your cost, and liability exposure if an unsafe product reaches a consumer with no EU operator on record.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Regulatory details can change; obligations depend on your specific setup. MainCompliance UG (haftungsbeschränkt) i.G., Bad Kreuznach, Germany.