What is a GPSR EU Responsible Person?

A GPSR Responsible Person is an eligible EU-established individual or business responsible for specified product-safety tasks. These include checking compliance documentation, cooperating with authorities and helping ensure safety problems are addressed. The role can be filled by a manufacturer, importer, appointed authorised representative or, in defined circumstances, a fulfilment service provider.

“Person” does not mean you must hire an individual employee. A company can perform the role. What matters is that it qualifies legally and actually carries out the required work—not simply that it supplies an address.

GPSR stands for General Product Safety Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2023/988. It has applied since 13 December 2024. Northern Ireland has specific arrangements, explained in the FAQs below.

Is GPSR mandatory for online sellers?

Yes, where your products and sales fall within its scope. It is not an optional marketplace programme. Selling through your own website does not remove the obligation, and shipping directly from outside Europe does not create an exemption.

GPSR covers a broad range of non-food consumer products, including clothing, furniture and household accessories. There is no general exemption based on small-business status, low sales value or handmade production.

However, not every product follows identical rules. Food, medicines and legally defined antiques are among the exclusions. Products such as toys and electrical goods have specific legislation: the Responsible Person requirement for relevant harmonised products comes from Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020. GPSR's online-information requirements can still apply alongside those rules.

Do I need to pay for a separate Responsible Person?

Check these three points first:

1. Your products: identify the applicable product-safety rules and the legal manufacturer.
2. Your supply chain: check whether a qualifying manufacturer, importer or appointed representative already performs the role for those products.
3. Your evidence: obtain the operator's correct contact details and confirmation of the products covered. Do not copy another seller's listing details.

For a non-EU brand selling directly to EU consumers without an existing qualifying operator, appointing an EU authorised representative is a practical route. For a reseller buying from an established EU supply chain, the right first step is to ask the supplier who already holds the role.

Who can act as a GPSR Responsible Person?

The role follows the actual supply chain and legal appointment. A VAT number, EU mailing address or marketplace account does not, by itself, establish eligibility.

Private-label sellers: if you have products made and sell them under your own brand, your business can be the manufacturer for product-law purposes. That affects who signs the mandate and whose details appear on the product.

Do not assume a warehouse or fulfilment contract automatically provides a complete Responsible Person service. Confirm the legal role and the operational arrangements explicitly.

What does a Responsible Person actually do?

The role involves continuing safety-related work, not just an address for your label. For products subject to GPSR Article 16, the responsibilities include:

• Checking documentation: verify that the required technical documentation exists and can be made available to authorities; check declarations where the product's specific legislation requires them.
• Cooperating with authorities: supply requested information and support action to address non-compliance or risks.
• Escalating safety risks: inform the relevant authorities when there is reason to believe a product presents a risk.
• Supporting corrective action: help ensure the necessary measures are taken, including withdrawal or recall where appropriate.
• Performing appropriate checks: regularly check documentation conformity, product identification, manufacturer details and safety information where appropriate to the product's risks, and retain evidence of those checks.

Where a non-EU manufacturer's Responsible Person knows of an accident that must be reported, it must ensure the required notification is made. An appointment does not remove the manufacturer's or seller's own obligations.

Ask how documents and incident requests will be handled after renewal, termination or a provider change. Under GPSR Article 9, manufacturers must keep technical documentation available for 10 years after placing the product on the market; an annual subscription does not shorten that duty.

Where must Responsible Person details appear?

You need to check both the physical goods and the online offer. Adding information to a product page does not correct missing information on the goods, and a compliant label does not complete your listing.

The placement options for Responsible Person details do not automatically apply to every other label field. Check importer details and any additional category-specific markings separately. A QR code can supplement required information; it does not replace mandatory physical information.

How does this work across different selling channels?

Use each marketplace's product-safety fields and check the buyer-facing result. eBay's GPSR guidance covers manufacturer and Responsible Person details; Etsy's guidance explains its economic-operator and listing fields. Amazon sellers should follow the relevant compliance prompts in Seller Central.

For a Shopify store or another independent website, make the required information clearly visible in the relevant product offer. Do not assume a general contact page covers every product. Keep one master record for each product, then use it to update every channel where you sell it.

Source: GPSR Articles 9, 16, 19 and 21.

How do you appoint a GPSR Responsible Person?

If you need an external provider, complete the appointment before using its details on products or listings.

1. Confirm eligibility and scope. Ask which legal entity performs the role, where it is established, and which categories, countries and sales channels the service covers.
2. Prepare a product file. Include the manufacturer, brand, models/SKUs, product photos, risk assessment, technical documentation, relevant test reports, label artwork and instructions.
3. Resolve missing evidence. A service agreement cannot replace a missing risk assessment or a product-specific conformity requirement. Not every product needs the same tests or declarations.
4. Complete the written mandate. For an authorised representative, the manufacturer must grant a written mandate covering the relevant tasks and products.
5. Update labels and listings. Use the agreed details consistently and check the live pages, physical packaging and any enclosed documents.
6. Maintain the arrangement. Review new models, supplier changes, expired appointments and safety complaints rather than treating onboarding as the final step.

How much does a GPSR Responsible Person cost?

There is no single official tariff. Providers charge by product type, product family or catalogue size, so compare quotes for the same product list, not just the headline fee.

Ask for a quote based on your actual products and support needs, then compare what is included:

• The number of brands, products and legal entities covered.
• Coverage for all your intended sales channels and markets.
• Document review versus preparation of missing documents.
• Additional charges for testing, translations, new products or label work.
• Support for authority requests, safety incidents and corrective action.
• Renewal, cancellation and document-handover terms.

EU Responsible Service Pricing at a glance

Frequently asked questions

Need help with your Responsible Person requirements?

Share your product categories and target markets with VATAi to discuss the right appointment and service scope.

Sell on Amazon? Find our RsP service via Seller Central → Compliance Services Store (CSS) → search VATAi.

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