EU Regulation 2023/988 on General Product Safety: detailed guidance

19 December 2024

From the 13th December, new general product safety rules will take effect in the UK, aligning with the EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) to ensure the safety of products available to customers. These changes apply to business placing products on the market in NI and the EU.

At the moment, it seems as though the greatest additional administrative changes will fall on GB-based companies who are selling in to the EU and Northern Ireland. Some makers may notice difficulties with supplies of materials, particularly if you are buying from a smaller supplier, for example.

The regulations require all consumer products within scope to be safe and apply whether they are new, used, repaired, or reconditioned. Assessment of whether a product is safe includes considering aspects of it such as its characteristics, design, technical features, composition, packaging, instructions for assembly and installation, use, and maintenance.

Record keeping about your own processes and materials will be important.

Requirements include:

• Responsible economic operator: Businesses selling into Northern Ireland must designate a named point of contact to ensure product safety compliance tasks are fulfilled.
• Product traceability: Products must be traceable through methods such as batch or serial numbers, the manufacturer’s name, registered trade name or registered trademark, its postal and electronic address and, if different, the postal or electronic address of the single contact point by which it can be contacted.
• Online marketplace compliance: Businesses selling products through online platforms are obligated to verify that these products comply with GPSR requirements.

Further information:

• The regulation applies only to products placed on the market from 13 December 2024.
• The rules do not apply to products being placed on, or made available to, the GB market.
• Goods that meet the relevant EU GPSR rules in NI can be sold in GB and the EU without needing to meet any further regulatory requirements.

Please let us know if you if you are encountering any difficulties with GPSR and what these are – this will help us to signpost to the most relevant information and organise a sector specific briefing in the new year if that would be useful.

If you have any concerns about compliance with GPSR you can also directly contact OPSS.enquiries@businessandtrade.gov.uk.

The Department for Business and Trade has organised a series of virtual drop-in sessions on Microsoft Teams (no registration required). These events enable local businesses to ask questions and better understand how the new regulations apply in Northern Ireland:

• Fri 27 December 10am to 11am
• Fri 10 January 10am to 11am
• Fri 17 January 10am to 11am

This information was taken from the NI Business Info, published on the 5^th December; https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/new-product-safety-rules-northern-ireland-13-december-2024

See some further reading here:

• https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/product-safety-law-northern-ireland-13-december-2024
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/general-product-safety-regulations-northern-ireland/eu-regulation-2023988-on-general-product-safety-detailed-guidance