GPSR labelling requirements: what goes where
Your product needs GPSR information and you do not know what goes on the label, the box or the listing.
Three places, three duties. On the product: a type, batch or serial number, plus the maker's name, postal and electronic address. With it: instructions and safety information. On the listing: those details, a picture and any warnings.
Three places, and each one is required on its own. ON the product: an identifier - a type, batch or serial number (Art. 9(5)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.) - and the maker's name and postal and electronic address (Art. 9(6)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 6Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.); an importer adds its own name and address without covering the maker's (Art. 11(3)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.); where the maker sits outside the EU, the responsible person's name and contact details go on the product, its packaging, the parcel or a paper that travels with it (Art. 16(3)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). WITH the product: clear instructions and safety information, in the language the EU country where you sell picks, unless the product can be used safely without them (Art. 9(7)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 7Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 11(4)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). ON the listing: the maker's details, the responsible person where the maker is not EU-based, an identification of the product including a picture of it, and any warning or safety information - clearly and visibly, in every distance-sales offer (Art. 19Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 19Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
GPSR wants the same information in three places, and each place is its own duty: printed on the product, packed with the product, shown in the offer where you sell it. Doing one does not discharge the others. A faultless label with nothing in the box fails Art. 9(7)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 7Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.. A faultless box with a bare listing fails Art. 19Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 19Click opens the article on EUR-Lex..
GPSR has to reach the product before any of this applies. The page on whether GPSR applies to you is that test, and the GPSR guide covers the Regulation itself. Which of the three duties lands on you depends on the role you hold for that product, and that is what GPSR requires of you, by role.
A toy, an electrical appliance or a cosmetic has its own EU law, and for it only the listing duty below stays with GPSR (Art. 19Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 19Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). What goes on and with the product comes from that law (Art. 2(1)(b)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (b)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. switches off Art. 9Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 11Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 11Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. and Art. 16Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.): see when another EU law sets the marking. One exception: a risk that law does not cover stays under GPSR’s safety requirements, so a warning needed for that risk is still a GPSR matter (Art. 2(1)(a)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (a)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 5Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 6(1)(d)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 6, paragraph 1, point (d)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
One thing before the detail. Where other Union law imposes specific safety requirements for your product, GPSR applies only to the aspects and risks that law leaves uncovered (Art. 2(1)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). A toy, an electrical appliance or a cosmetic carries its own marking rules instead of what is on the product and in the box below. Nothing here replaces Union harmonisation legislationArt. 3(27)Union legislation listed in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and any other Union legislation harmonising the conditions for the marketing of products to which that Regulation appliesClick the term for the full definition for a product that has it.
What goes ON the product
Manufacturer: name, postal address, electronic address
Art. 9(6)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 6Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.
A type, batch or serial number that identifies the product
Art. 9(5)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.
An importer adds its own name and address, without covering the manufacturer’s
Art. 11(3)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.
Maker outside the EU? The responsible person’s name and contact details as well
Art. 16(3)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.
What goes WITH it, and what the listing shows
Assembly, use, care, warnings, disposal
Art. 9(7)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 7Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.
Picture
Art. 19(c)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 19, point (c)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.
- Manufacturer’s name and address
- Responsible person, if non-EU
- Type and other identifiers
- Warnings and safety information
What has to be on the product
Two things, and both of them are the manufacturerArt. 3(8)any natural or legal person who manufactures a product or has a product designed or manufactured, and markets that product under that person’s name or trademarkClick the term for the full definition’s job.
- An identifier. A type, batch or serial number, or another element that lets the product be identified, easy for a consumer to see and read (Art. 9(5)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
- The maker’s details. Its name, registered trade name or registered trade mark, its postal and electronic address, and - where that differs - the address of the single contact point where it can be reached (Art. 9(6)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 6Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
If the product is too small or its nature does not allow it, the identifier moves to the packaging or to a paper that travels with the product (Art. 9(5)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.), and the maker’s details move the same way where printing them on the product is not possible (Art. 9(6)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 6Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
An importerArt. 3(10)any natural or legal person established within the Union who places a product from a third country on the Union marketClick the term for the full definition adds its own name and address by the same rule. Its label must not cover anything Union law requires on the maker’s label (Art. 11(3)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
Where the maker is not EU-based, the responsible person’s name and contact details, postal and electronic address included, go on the product, its packaging, the parcel or a paper that travels with it (Art. 16(3)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
Drawn out element by element - a plain product, an imported one, one with a responsible person - that is the GPSR label page. It carries what an “electronic address” is allowed to be, and the rule for products too small to print on.
What has to go with the product
The product comes with clear instructions and safety information, in a language consumers can easily understand, and the EU country where the product is sold picks that language (Art. 9(7)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 7Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). An importer owes the same for what it imports (Art. 11(4)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). Each EU country sets its own language rule, and it covers the warnings on the listing and any digital copy too (Art. 19(d)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 19, point (d)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 21Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 21Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). France’s, French, is on France product safety (DGCCRF). Italy’s, Italian, is on Italy product safety (MIMIT). Spain’s, at least Castilian, is on Spain product safety (Consumo).
There is one exemption, in the same paragraph: none of it applies where the product can be used safely and as the maker intended without instructions and safety information (Art. 9(7)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 7Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
What a compliant instruction set contains, which countries name a language in their own statute, and when the manual can be left out altogether, are the EU user manual requirements.
What has to be on the listing
This is the one most often missed, because none of it is on the product. Where economic operatorsArt. 3(13)the manufacturer, the authorised representative, the importer, the distributor, the fulfilment service provider or any other natural or legal person who is subject to obligations in relation to the manufacture of products or making them available on the market ...Click the term for the full definition sell online or at any other distance, the offer has to show, clearly and visibly, at least these four things (Art. 19Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 19Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.):
- (a) the maker’s name, registered trade name or registered trade mark, and the postal and electronic address where it can be reached;
- (b) where the maker is not EU-based, the name, postal and electronic address of the responsible person - the one meant by Art. 16(1)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. of GPSR or by Art. 4(1)Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020;
- (c) information that identifies the product, including a picture of it, its type and any other product identifier;
- (d) any warning or safety information that has to go on the product, on the packaging or in a paper travelling with it, in a language consumers can easily understand, picked by the EU country where the product is sold.
“Clearly and visibly” is the standard. The duty sits on economic operators, so it catches a maker selling direct, an importer selling on and a distributorArt. 3(11)any natural or legal person in the supply chain, other than the manufacturer or the importer, who makes a product available on the marketClick the term for the full definition with a web shop alike.
Your own address does not take you out of it. An offer is making the product availableArt. 3(6)any supply of a product for distribution, consumption or use on the Union market in the course of a commercial activity, whether in return for payment or free of chargeClick the term for the full definition on the EU market if it is targeted at consumers in the Union (Art. 4Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
Who the responsible person in point (b) can be, and what the role costs, is the EU Responsible Person. If a marketplace or a customer has named something that sounds like it, the three roles are untangled in EU authorised representative.
What the picture on the listing has to show
Point (c) is the only place the Regulation asks for an image, and it asks for three things at once: information that identifies the product, including a picture of it, its type, and any other product identifier (Art. 19(c)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 19, point (c)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). The picture is part of identifying the product, not decoration. The same three items come back in the list a marketplace has to let its traders supply for each offer (Art. 22(9)(c)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 22, paragraph 9, point (c)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
The Regulation stops there: no resolution, no number of images, no angle, no background, and no rule on whether the picture has to show the label itself. The Commission’s GPSR FAQ and the 2022 Blue Guide carry no passage on it either, as they stood on 5 October 2026. Marketplace image rules do exist, but they are Amazon’s, Etsy’s and eBay’s policy, not this Regulation - see GPSR marketplace requirements.
Which of the three each role owes
| Role | What it must do | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Puts the product identifier and its own name, postal address and electronic address on the product, or on the packaging or a paper travelling with it where the product does not allow it. Sends the product out with clear instructions and safety information in the language the selling country picks, unless the product can be used safely without them. | Art. 9(5)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 9(6), 9(7) |
| Importer | Before placing the product on the market, checks that the manufacturer did what Art. 9(2)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., (5) and (6) require. Adds its own name, postal address and electronic address without covering the manufacturer's. Makes sure the imported product carries instructions and safety information in the required language. | Art. 11(1)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 11(3), 11(4) |
| Distributor | Before making the product available, checks that the manufacturer and, where there is one, the importer did what Art. 9(5)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., (6) and (7) and Art. 11(3)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. and (4) require. Must not make it available where it believes they did not, until the product has been brought into conformity. | Art. 12(1)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 12, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 12(3) |
| Responsible person | Where the risks make it appropriate, regularly checks that the product still meets Art. 9(5)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., (6) and (7), and hands over documented evidence of those checks on request. Its own name and contact details go on the product, its packaging, the parcel or a paper travelling with it. | Art. 16(2)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 16(3) |
| Anyone selling at a distance | Shows the manufacturer's details, the responsible person where the manufacturer is not EU-based, the identification of the product including a picture of it, and any warning or safety information, clearly and visibly in the offer itself. | Art. 19Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 19Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
One business can hold several of those rows for the same product. And a business that puts its own name or trademark on somebody else’s product is treated as the manufacturer, taking the whole of Article 9Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. with it (Art. 13(1)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 13, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). That trap is laid out in what GPSR requires of you, by role.
When another EU law sets the marking
A toy, an electrical appliance, radio equipment, machinery, a medical device or a cosmetic has its own EU law, and that law sets the marking instead of GPSR: the on-product and in-box articles above do not apply to it (Art. 9(5)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.-(7), Art. 11(3)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.-(4), Art. 16(3)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., switched off by Art. 2(1)(b)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (b)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). Most often it asks for the same things and adds a CE marking and set warnings. The listing duty stays (Art. 19Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 19Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.), and so does a warning for a risk that law does not cover (Art. 2(1)(a)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (a)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 6(1)(d)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 6, paragraph 1, point (d)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). Where such a law imposes specific safety requirements, GPSR applies only to the aspects and risks it leaves uncovered (Art. 2(1)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). Where the law is on the list in Art. 4(5)Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, the EU operator’s name and postal address go on the product, its packaging, the parcel or an accompanying document (Art. 4(4)Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
The GPSR baseline is an identifier, the maker’s name with a postal and an electronic address, and instructions and safety information in the language the selling country sets. Each of these six laws sets its own version of it:
| Product | Its law | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical equipment | Directive 2014/35/EU | The same three things: identifier, name and postal address (naming a single contact point), and instructions and safety information. Plus CE marking. |
| Toys | Directive 2009/48/EC | The same three things, plus mandatory warnings, some worded by the law itself, plus CE marking (CE marking for toys). |
| Radio equipment | Directive 2014/53/EU | The same three things. The instructions describe accessories and software. Each item comes with a copy of the EU declaration of conformity or a simplified one. The packaging shows any national restrictions on use. CE marking. |
| Machinery, from 20 January 2027 | Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 | Model, series or type, year of construction and an identifier. Name, postal address and a website, email or other digital contact. Instructions may be digital, but paper comes free on request within one month, and safety information for non-professional users is always on paper. The EU declaration of conformity, or a link to it, comes with the product. CE marking. |
| Medical devices | Regulation (EU) 2017/745 | A label and instructions to that law’s own content list, in the official language or languages the EU country sets. CE marking. |
| Cosmetics | Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 | On the container and the packaging: the responsible person’s name and address, nominal content, date of minimum durability or period after opening, precautions, batch number, function and the ingredient list. |
The articles: electrical equipment, Art. 6(5)Directive 2014/35/EU, Low Voltage Directive (consolidated text of 30 May 2026)The whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office.-(7) and Arts. 16-17 of Directive 2014/35/EUDirective 2014/35/EU, Low Voltage Directive (consolidated text of 30 May 2026)The whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office.; toys, Art. 4(5)Directive 2009/48/EC, Toy Safety DirectiveThe whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office.-(7), Art. 11Directive 2009/48/EC, Toy Safety DirectiveThe whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office. with Annex V, and Arts. 16-17 of Directive 2009/48/ECDirective 2009/48/EC, Toy Safety DirectiveThe whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office.; radio equipment, Art. 10(6)Directive 2014/53/EU, Radio Equipment Directive (consolidated text of 30 May 2026)The whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office.-(10) and Arts. 19-20 of Directive 2014/53/EUDirective 2014/53/EU, Radio Equipment Directive (consolidated text of 30 May 2026)The whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office.; machinery, Art. 10(5)Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, Machinery Regulation (consolidated text of 27 July 2026)The whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office.-(8) and Arts. 23-24 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, Machinery Regulation (consolidated text of 27 July 2026)The whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office.; medical devices, Art. 10(11)Regulation (EU) 2017/745, Medical Devices Regulation (consolidated text of 19 July 2026)The whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office., Annex I Section 23 and Art. 20Regulation (EU) 2017/745, Medical Devices Regulation (consolidated text of 19 July 2026)The whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office. of Regulation (EU) 2017/745Regulation (EU) 2017/745, Medical Devices Regulation (consolidated text of 19 July 2026)The whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office.; cosmetics, Art. 19(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationThe whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office. of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationThe whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office.. The toys Directive is repealed from by Regulation (EU) 2025/2509, which applies from that date.
The machinery rule on paper, in its own words: “The instructions may be provided in a digital format. […] However, at the request of the user at the time of the purchase, the manufacturer shall provide the instructions for use in paper format free of charge within one month” (Art. 10(7)Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, Machinery Regulation (consolidated text of 27 July 2026)The whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office. of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, Machinery Regulation (consolidated text of 27 July 2026)The whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office.). What a machine needs on it before that date, under the Machinery Directive, is in Machinery Regulation and Machinery Directive.
EU labelling is the GPSR baseline plus the marks your product’s own law adds
What are the labeling requirements in Europe? There is no single EU label. GPSR sets the baseline: an identifier and the maker’s name, postal and electronic address on the product, instructions and safety information with it, and the same details in the online offer. A product with its own EU law takes its marking from that law, and a few kinds of product carry an extra mark.
The baseline, for a product GPSR covers:
- On the product: a type, batch or serial number (Art. 9(5)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.); the maker’s name, trade name or trade mark, and its postal and electronic address (Art. 9(6)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 6Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.); where the product does not allow it, both go on the packaging or a paper with it. An importer adds its own (Art. 11(3)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). Where the maker is outside the EU, the responsible person’s name and contact details go on the product, its packaging, the parcel or an accompanying document (Art. 16(3)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). The layout is on the GPSR label page.
- With the product: clear instructions and safety information in a language consumers can easily understand, as the EU country of sale determines (Art. 9(7)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 7Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 11(4)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). What they contain is on the EU user manual page.
- In the offer: the maker’s details, the responsible person where the maker is outside the EU, a picture of the product, its type and any other product identifier, and any warning or safety information (Art. 19Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 19Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). See what has to be on the listing.
A product with its own EU law, such as a toy or an electrical appliance (clothing is not one of them), does not take the on-product and in-box duties from GPSR (Art. 2(1)(b)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (b)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.); see when another EU law sets the marking. Beyond that, these marks come from other laws:
| Your product | The mark it adds | Where it comes from | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any product whose EU law provides for it | The CE marking, put on by the manufacturer or its authorised representative, only on a product whose law provides for it | Art. 30(1)Regulation (EC) No 765/2008, accreditation and market surveillance (CE marking)Article 30, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 30(2)Regulation (EC) No 765/2008, accreditation and market surveillance (CE marking)Article 30, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. | CE marking logo |
| A hazardous chemical product: a cleaner, paint, glue | A CLP label naming a supplier established in the EU, with its name, address and telephone number, the product identifiers, the nominal quantity on packs sold to the public, and the hazard pictograms, signal word, hazard and precautionary statements where they apply, in the official language of each EU country where it is sold | Art. 4(11)Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, CLP (classification, labelling and packaging), consolidated text of 1 January 2027Article 4, paragraph 11Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 17(1)Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, CLP (classification, labelling and packaging), consolidated text of 1 January 2027Article 17, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 17(2)Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, CLP (classification, labelling and packaging), consolidated text of 1 January 2027Article 17, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. | CLP label |
| Clothing and other textiles | A label with the fibre composition, in the language of the country of sale, shown to the buyer before purchase, online included | Art. 14(1)Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, Textile Labelling RegulationArticle 14, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 16(1)Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, Textile Labelling RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 16(3)Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, Textile Labelling RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. | EU textile label |
| An electrical or electronic product | The crossed-out wheeled bin, on the product, with a mark, usually a bar or a date under it, showing it was placed on the market after 13 August 2005; on the packaging, the instructions and the warranty only where the size or function of the product requires it | Art. 14(4)Directive 2012/19/EU, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment DirectiveArticle 14, paragraph 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 15(2)Directive 2012/19/EU, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment DirectiveArticle 15, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Annex IX of the WEEE Directive | WEEE symbol |
| Packaging | No EU-wide recycling symbol yet. The harmonised sorting label applies from at the earliest. Until then the marks required are national: France, Italy and Spain each require their own now (Triman logo in France). | Art. 12(1)Regulation (EU) 2025/40, Packaging and Packaging Waste RegulationArticle 12, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. | Packaging recycling symbols |
Under GPSR, a QR code can carry this information only in addition to the physical label, never instead of it (Art. 21Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 21Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
A QR code is an addition, never a replacement
Economic operators may additionally put this information in digital form, through electronic technical solutions clearly visible on the product or, where that cannot be done, on its packaging or in a paper travelling with it (Art. 21Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 21Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). The article opens by leaving Art. 9(5)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., (6) and (7), Art. 11(3)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. and Art. 16(3)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. untouched: it applies “without prejudice” to them, so the physical requirements stand. The digital version has to be in a language consumers can easily understand, picked by the country where the product is sold, and in formats people with disabilities can use (Art. 21Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 21Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
The Commission says the same without the legal phrasing. Asked whether manufacturers can label products digitally only, for example with a QR code, its GPSR FAQ answers: “No, to fulfil the obligations of the GPSR solely digital labelling does not suffice.” Businesses “can still make the information available electronically. However, as digital labelling cannot replace physical labelling, this must be in addition to the physical labels they provide.”
If you do not do it
The first consequence comes out of your own supply chain. A distributor has to check your Art. 9(5)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., (6) and (7) marking before making the product available, and must not make it available where it has reason to believe the marking is missing, until the product has been brought into conformity (Art. 12(1)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 12, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 12(3)).
An importer must not place the product on the market where it believes Art. 9(5)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. or Art. 9(6)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 6Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. is unmet (Art. 11(2)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). A responsible person that checks Art. 9(5)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., (6) and (7), finds nothing there and has to produce documented evidence of its checks has a problem it must act on (Art. 16(2)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
The second comes from the channel. A provider of an online marketplaceArt. 3(14)a provider of an intermediary service using an online interface which allows consumers to conclude distance contracts with traders for the sale of productsClick the term for the full definition has to build its interface so traders can supply the Art. 19Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 19Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. information for each offer, and so consumers reach it easily on the listing (Art. 22(9)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 22, paragraph 9Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 22(10)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 22, paragraph 10Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). An empty field is a visible empty field.
The third is national. GPSR sets no figure of its own: each EU country lays down the rules on penalties and the measures to implement them, and the Regulation asks only that they be effective, proportionate and dissuasive (Art. 44Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 44Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). What each country actually sets is on GPSR fines.
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- Annex I, Art. R2(5), R2(6), R4(3)Decision No 768/2008/EC - Annex I, Art. R2(5) and (6) and R4(3): the model provisions EU product laws are written from; identifier, manufacturer name and contact address, importer name and contact address on the product
- Art. 4(1)Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 4(4)Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 4(5)Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, consolidated text of 12 August 2026 - the EU-established operator for products under the acts listed in its Art. 4(5), and its name and postal address on the product
- Art. 2(1)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EU) 2023/988, consolidated text of 29 May 2026 - scope, and the chapters that switch off for products under Union harmonisation legislation (Chapter IIa, added by Regulation (EU) 2024/2748, among them)
- Art. 3(1)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 3, point 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 3(8)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 3, point 8Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 3(10)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 3, point 10Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 3(11)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 3, point 11Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 3(13)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 3, point 13Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EU) 2023/988 - definitions of product, manufacturer, importer, distributor and economic operator
- Art. 4Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EU) 2023/988 - distance sales: an offer targeted at EU consumers is making available on the market
- Art. 6(1)(d)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 6, paragraph 1, point (d)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EU) 2023/988 - aspects for assessing safety, including presentation, labelling, warnings and instructions
- Art. 9(5)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 9(6)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 6Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 9(7)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 9, paragraph 7Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EU) 2023/988 - obligations of manufacturers: product identifier, own name and address, instructions and safety information
- Art. 11(1)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 11(2)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 11(3)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 11(4)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EU) 2023/988 - obligations of importers: verification before placing, the importer's own label, and instructions
- Art. 12(1)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 12, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 12(2)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 12, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 12(3)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 12, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EU) 2023/988 - obligations of distributors: check the marking and instructions before making a product available
- Art. 16(1)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 16(2)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 16(3)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EU) 2023/988 - responsible person: the regular check on Art. 9(5), (6) and (7), and the marking of its own details
- Art. 19Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 19Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EU) 2023/988 - obligations of economic operators in the case of distance sales: what every offer must show
- Art. 21Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 21Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EU) 2023/988 - information in electronic format: digital labelling is additional, never instead
- Art. 22(9)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 22, paragraph 9Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 22(10)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 22, paragraph 10Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EU) 2023/988 - online marketplaces must let traders supply the Article 19 information for each offer
- Art. 44Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 44Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EU) 2023/988 - penalties: laid down by each EU country, effective, proportionate and dissuasive
- Commission guidance, not lawEuropean Commission, EU General Product Safety Regulation - Frequently asked questions, sections on the responsible person and on labelling requirements and electronic address. Identical copy on the Italian Ministry of Enterprise site, accessed 2026-10-05
- Art. 6(5)-(7)Directive 2014/35/EU, Low Voltage Directive (consolidated text of 30 May 2026)Article 6, paragraphs 5 to 7Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 16-17Directive 2014/35/EU (low-voltage electrical equipment) - manufacturer marking duties and CE marking. Accessed 2026-10-05
- Art. 4(5)-(7)Directive 2009/48/EC, Toy Safety DirectiveArticle 4, paragraphs 5 to 7Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 11Directive 2009/48/EC, Toy Safety DirectiveArticle 11Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 16-17, Annex VDirective 2009/48/EC (toy safety) - manufacturer marking duties, warnings and CE marking. Accessed 2026-10-05
- Repeal and application datesRegulation (EU) 2025/2509 (toy safety) - repeals Directive 2009/48/EC from 1 August 2030. Accessed 2026-10-05
- Art. 10(6)-(10)Directive 2014/53/EU, Radio Equipment Directive (consolidated text of 30 May 2026)Article 10, paragraphs 6 to 10Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 19-20Directive 2014/53/EU (radio equipment) - manufacturer marking duties, declaration of conformity copy and CE marking. Accessed 2026-10-05
- Art. 10(5)-(8)Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, Machinery Regulation (consolidated text of 27 July 2026)Article 10, paragraphs 5 to 8Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 23-24Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 (machinery) - manufacturer marking and instruction duties and CE marking, applicable from 20 January 2027. Accessed 2026-10-05
- Art. 10(11)Regulation (EU) 2017/745, Medical Devices Regulation (consolidated text of 19 July 2026)Article 10, paragraph 11Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 20Regulation (EU) 2017/745, Medical Devices Regulation (consolidated text of 19 July 2026)Article 20Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (medical devices) - label and instructions, and CE marking. Accessed 2026-10-05
- Art. 19(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (cosmetic products) - labelling of the container and packaging. Accessed 2026-10-05
- Art. 30(1)Regulation (EC) No 765/2008, accreditation and market surveillance (CE marking)Article 30, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 30(2)Regulation (EC) No 765/2008, accreditation and market surveillance (CE marking)Article 30, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 - general principles of the CE marking: who affixes it, and that it goes only on products whose Union harmonisation legislation provides for it
- Art. 4(11)Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, CLP (classification, labelling and packaging), consolidated text of 1 January 2027Article 4, paragraph 11Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 17(1)Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, CLP (classification, labelling and packaging), consolidated text of 1 January 2027Article 17, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 17(2)Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, CLP (classification, labelling and packaging), consolidated text of 1 January 2027Article 17, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) - the EU supplier named on the label, and the elements of the label of a hazardous substance or mixture in packaging, and its language
- Art. 14(1)Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, Textile Labelling RegulationArticle 14, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 16(1)Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, Textile Labelling RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 16(3)Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, Textile Labelling RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 - textile products are labelled with their fibre composition; where and in which language it is shown, and visible before purchase, including by electronic means
- Art. 14(4)Directive 2012/19/EU, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment DirectiveArticle 14, paragraph 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 15(2)Directive 2012/19/EU, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment DirectiveArticle 15, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Annex IXDirective 2012/19/EU (WEEE) - producers mark electrical and electronic equipment with the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol of Annex IX
- Art. 12(1)Regulation (EU) 2025/40, Packaging and Packaging Waste RegulationArticle 12, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR) - the harmonised label on the material composition of packaging, applicable from 12 August 2028 or later