What is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)? The EU's per-country register/report/pay regime, in plain English

EPR makes the company placing a product on the market financially responsible for its post-consumer stage. It runs per-country and per-stream — packaging, WEEE, batteries, textiles — with marketplace delisting now the sharpest enforcement lever. Here's what it actually is.

EU Responsible Person (EU RP): who needs one, what they actually do, and how to designate one

An EU Responsible Person is the EU-established economic operator that authorities can reach when a non-EU brand sells into the Union. Since 13 December 2024, every covered consumer product placed on the EU market must have one named on the listing, the product, or the packaging. Here is what the role does, who needs it, and what to put in place this quarter.

GPSR for Shopify sellers: the Article 19 block, the EU Responsible Person, and what changes for every EU-shipping store

Shopify is not a marketplace under GPSR Article 22 — which makes the seller, not the platform, responsible for Article 19 compliance on every listing. Here is the exact listing block, the EU Responsible Person requirement, the theme-template change, and the per-region catalogue audit every Shopify store needs to run for the EU 27.

What is a Digital Product Passport (DPP)? The EU's per-SKU data record, in plain English

The Digital Product Passport is the structured digital record the EU is rolling out under ESPR — batteries first (Feb 2027), textiles next, then most physical product categories through 2030. Here's what it actually contains, who has to issue one, and what to do this quarter.

What is GPSR? A plain-English overview

The EU General Product Safety Regulation has been enforceable since 13 December 2024. Here is what it actually changes for online sellers — the obligations, the dates, and the practical baseline.

What is REACH SVHC? The 0.1% w/w per-article threshold and Article 33 communication duty, in plain English

REACH — Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 — requires anyone supplying an article in the EU that contains a Substance of Very High Concern above 0.1% w/w per article to (a) communicate sufficient information up the B2B chain under Article 33(1), (b) respond to consumer requests within 45 days under Article 33(2), and (c) notify the ECHA SCIP database. The Candidate List is updated by ECHA roughly each January and June — every update can pull new substances into your existing products.

What is CE marking? The EU self-declaration that lets you place a product on the market

CE marking is the manufacturer's declaration that a product meets every applicable EU product directive — Toy Safety, LVD, EMC, RED, PPE or Machinery, in most ecommerce cases. It is self-declared (Module A) for non-Annex-IV products, but you must hold a technical file and a signed EU Declaration of Conformity (EN ISO/IEC 17050-1) for ten years. Amazon EU has intensified DoC requests since August 2025 and delists ASINs that cannot produce one.

What is EmpCo? The EU's anti-greenwashing law, in plain English

EmpCo — Directive (EU) 2024/825 — is the live EU law banning vague eco-claims, offset-based 'carbon neutral' product claims and unverified sustainability labels. Enforcement starts 27 September 2026. Here's what it actually does.

What is the EU Right to Repair Directive? Plain-English overview of (EU) 2024/1799

The Right to Repair Directive — (EU) 2024/1799 — forces manufacturers of regulated product categories (washing machines, dishwashers, fridges, vacuum cleaners, smartphones, tablets and the categories ESPR expands to) to repair on request, offer spare parts and tools at a non-discriminatory price, and provide an indicative repair price up front using the standardised European Repair Information Form (Annex I). Repaired products get a 12-month warranty extension. Member states must apply the directive by 31 July 2026.

What is PPWR? The EU's directly-applicable packaging law, in plain English

PPWR — Regulation (EU) 2025/40 — is the EU's new packaging law. Same text in all 27 member states. General application starts 12 August 2026, with tightening milestones through 2038. Here's what it actually does.

GPSR on Amazon EU: the Manufacturer Contact attribute, the EU Responsible Person field, and how Seller Central enforces Article 22

Amazon is the EU's largest GPSR enforcer. The Manufacturer Contact and Responsible Person attributes in Seller Central are mandatory on covered listings since 13 December 2024, and Amazon delists non-compliant ASINs automatically. Here is what each field expects, the per-marketplace differences, and the audit every Amazon EU seller needs to run this quarter.

Non-EU seller obligations: the actual EU compliance stack for brands shipping into the Union from outside

If you sell physical consumer products into the EU from outside it, six regimes attach to every order: GPSR, EU Responsible Person, EPR, PPWR, EmpCo, and (from 2027 onwards) DPP. Here is the full obligation stack, the deadlines that are already live, and the operational checklist for 2026.

Banned green claims under EmpCo: the six practices to remove from your marketing

Under Directive (EU) 2024/825, six specific marketing practices are banned outright across the EU 27 from 27 September 2026 — no balancing test, no defence. Here are the six, with concrete before/after examples.

PPWR packaging requirements: the seven checks every EU seller must pass

PPWR (Regulation (EU) 2025/40) imposes seven concrete packaging requirements that phase in between 12 August 2026 and 2038. This guide walks each check with what is enforceable now versus what to capture for upcoming milestones.

EPR registration by country: the EU 27 register/report/pay map sellers actually need

EPR is implemented per member state — LUCID, ADEME, CONAI, Verpact and 24 others. Here's how the national registers work for packaging, WEEE, batteries and textiles, what PPWR Art. 44 changes from 12 August 2026, and where non-EU sellers need an Authorised Representative.

DPP for textiles: what sellers should track now

The Digital Product Passport lands on textiles before most other categories. Here is what fashion and apparel sellers should be capturing in 2026 to be ready.

Seller responsibilities under GPSR

GPSR assigns specific duties to manufacturers, importers, distributors and fulfilment providers. This guide maps the obligations to the role you actually play — and what 'documented' means when an authority asks.

Required product information under GPSR

GPSR Article 19 lists the information online sellers must surface before checkout — manufacturer details, Responsible Person, identifiers, warnings, safe-use instructions. Here is what each field really means in practice.

EPR for online sellers: how marketplaces enforce it, and what gets your listings delisted

For e-commerce sellers, the sharpest EPR risk in 2026 isn't national fines — it's marketplace delisting under the Digital Services Act. Here's how Amazon EU, Otto, Bol.com and others enforce EPR, what pay-on-behalf actually costs, and how to pre-empt suspension.

PPWR for e-commerce sellers: the parcel, the marketplace, and what changes 12 August 2026

PPWR explicitly covers e-commerce packaging and names online marketplaces as responsible actors. From 12 August 2026, the shipping box, mailer and polybag are in scope — and listing-level enforcement is the sharpest stick. Here's the practical guide.

GPSR for Etsy sellers: handmade is not exempt, the Responsible Person field, and what changes for makers shipping into the EU

Etsy is a marketplace under GPSR Article 22, and 'handmade' carries no exemption from the General Product Safety Regulation. Since 13 December 2024, every Etsy listing shipped into the EU 27 must carry manufacturer, Responsible Person, and warnings — and Etsy delists listings missing them. Here is what an Etsy shop actually needs to do.

EmpCo for fashion and textile brands: the highest-risk sector, mapped to the six bans

Fashion is the most-scrutinised sector under EmpCo. Generic 'sustainable' collections, offset-based 'climate neutral' garments, and self-made eco-badges are squarely in the banned set. Here's the sector-specific playbook for 2026.

DPP and product traceability: the supply-chain data work the passport actually demands

The Digital Product Passport is a traceability instrument before it is a consumer-facing artefact. Here's the data chain — identifier, components, suppliers, substances, country of origin, evidence — that any DPP under ESPR or the Batteries Regulation will demand, and how to start capturing it now.

GPSR for online marketplaces

GPSR Article 22 layers product-safety duties on top of the Digital Services Act. Here is what online marketplaces must now do, and what sellers should expect from the platforms they list on.

Common GPSR mistakes online sellers make

After a year of GPSR enforcement, the same gaps appear over and over in marketplace suppressions and national-authority findings. Here are the seven most common — and what a clean fix looks like.

Ecommerce compliance readiness: the per-SKU, per-regime readiness framework for EU-shipping catalogues in 2026

EU compliance is not a single 'are we compliant?' verdict — it is a per-SKU, per-regime readiness state across GPSR, EU RP, EPR, PPWR, EmpCo and DPP. Here is the five-layer framework, the per-SKU score that drives prioritisation, and the catalogue-audit pattern that turns a regulatory backlog into a shippable engineering ticket list.

GPSR compliance checklist: every field your EU product listing needs

The General Product Safety Regulation (EU 2023/988) — GPSR — has been applicable since 13 December 2024. Every consumer product listing on an EU marketplace or ecommerce storefront must carry specific information. Missing a single field can result in listing suppression, marketplace enforcement, or regulatory action.

Amazon suspended my listing for GPSR non-compliance — how to fix it

If your Amazon EU listing has been suppressed, deactivated, or flagged for GPSR non-compliance, you are not alone. Since the General Product Safety Regulation (EU 2023/988) became applicable on 13 December 2024, Amazon has been running automated compliance checks across every EU marketplace — and enforcement has intensified throughout 2025 and 2026.

EU Responsible Person vs Authorised Representative: what is the difference and which do you need?

"EU Responsible Person" and "Authorised Representative" are two terms that non-EU sellers encounter constantly when trying to comply with EU product regulations. They sound similar, they serve related purposes, and they are easy to confuse — but they are legally distinct roles created by different regulations with different scopes.

How to find and appoint an EU Responsible Person — step by step, with costs

If you are a non-EU seller placing consumer products on the EU market, you almost certainly need an EU Responsible Person (EU RP). The requirement comes from GPSR (Regulation (EU) 2023/988), applicable since 13 December 2024. Marketplaces are actively enforcing it — Amazon, bol.com, Etsy, and others are suppressing listings that do not include EU RP details.

GPSR for TikTok Shop sellers: what is required in 2026

If you sell physical products to EU consumers through TikTok Shop, the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) applies to you. The regulation does not distinguish between traditional ecommerce and social commerce — any channel that makes consumer products available to EU buyers is in scope, and GPSR Article 22 places explicit obligations on online marketplaces to verify compliance.

EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR): what changed on August 12 and what sellers must do now

On 12 August 2026, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation — Regulation (EU) 2025/40, known as the PPWR — became directly applicable across all 27 EU Member States. It replaced the 1994 Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive that had governed packaging rules for three decades. If you sell packaged products into the EU, the rules have changed. There is no grace period for existing stock.

PPWR and Amazon: what changes for FBA sellers in 2026

If you sell on Amazon EU marketplaces — Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, or Belgium — the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) now applies to you. The regulation became directly binding on 12 August 2026, and Amazon is named in the regulation as a responsible actor when it handles packaging or logistics on behalf of third-party sellers.

Packaging material data requirements under PPWR: the complete field list

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) — Regulation (EU) 2025/40 — requires every producer to hold documented data on every packaging format they place on the EU market. This is not optional supplementary information. From 12 August 2026, the Declaration of Conformity and technical documentation for packaging are regulatory requirements, and the data behind them must be available to authorities on request.

PFAS in food-contact packaging: the August 2026 EU restriction explained

As of 12 August 2026, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) restricts per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — commonly called PFAS or "forever chemicals" — in food-contact packaging. This is the most immediately enforceable requirement of the PPWR and the one that requires action from any seller whose packaging touches food.

EU green claims rules: what changes on September 27, 2026

On 27 September 2026, the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive — Directive (EU) 2024/825, known as EmpCo — becomes enforceable across all EU Member States. From that date, environmental claims made to EU consumers are subject to strict new rules. There is no transition period. Claims that were acceptable on September 26 may be unlawful on September 27.

Words you can no longer use on EU product listings after September 2026

From 27 September 2026, the EU Empowering Consumers Directive (EmpCo) — Directive (EU) 2024/825 — makes certain environmental marketing claims unlawful when used without substantiation. This is not a guideline or a best practice recommendation. It is enforceable law, transposed into the national consumer protection rules of every EU Member State.

"Eco-friendly," "sustainable," "green" — which product claims are now illegal in the EU?

"Eco-friendly." "Sustainable." "Green." These three words appear on millions of product listings across Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, and other EU-facing marketplaces. From 27 September 2026, using them without specific, verifiable evidence will be an unfair commercial practice under EU law.

5 MIN READ · UPDATED 30 AUGUST 2026 · REVIEWED BY THE REGONANCE EDITORIAL TEAM

This guide explains which everyday marketing terms are affected, why the EU is cracking down, and how to rewrite your product copy before the deadline.

Why the EU is banning vague green claims

The numbers are damning. A 2020 European Commission study found that 53.3% of environmental product claims in the EU were vague, misleading, or unfounded, and 40% were made without any supporting evidence. Consumers were making purchasing decisions based on environmental claims that could not be verified — and often were not true.

The Empowering Consumers Directive (EmpCo) — Directive (EU) 2024/825 — addresses this directly. It amends the EU Unfair Commercial Practices Directive to treat vague environmental claims as a category of unfair commercial practice, on the same legal footing as false advertising or misleading pricing.

The directive does not ban environmental marketing. It bans environmental marketing that cannot be proven.

The three claims every seller should review

"Eco-friendly"

This is the single most common environmental claim on consumer product listings, and it is almost certainly non-compliant under EmpCo unless accompanied by specific substantiation.

"Eco-friendly" implies that the product is beneficial to — or at least not harmful to — the environment as a whole. That is an extraordinarily broad claim. To substantiate it, you would need to demonstrate that the product excels across all relevant environmental dimensions: raw materials, manufacturing, transport, use, and disposal. No single product attribute (recycled packaging, reduced water use, organic materials) is sufficient to justify an overall "eco-friendly" claim.

Verdict: Effectively banned as a standalone marketing term. Replace with a specific claim about the attribute you can actually prove.

Before: "Eco-friendly phone case made with care for the planet." After: "Phone case made from 70% post-consumer recycled polycarbonate."

"Sustainable"

"Sustainable" is even broader than "eco-friendly." Sustainability encompasses environmental, social, and economic dimensions. A product claim of "sustainable" implies the product performs well across all three — which is essentially impossible to prove comprehensively.

The European Commission's EmpCo FAQ (updated May 2026) makes clear that "sustainable" used as a standalone product descriptor without qualification falls within the prohibition on generic environmental claims.

Verdict: Banned as a standalone marketing term. Can be used if scoped to a specific, substantiated dimension.

Before: "Our sustainable clothing line." After: "Clothing made from GOTS-certified organic cotton, produced in a factory audited under SA8000."

"Green"

When used in an environmental context — "green product," "green collection," "go green" — this term carries the same problem. It implies overall environmental merit without specifying what is green about the product.

"Green" used in a non-environmental context (colour, brand name, etc.) is obviously not affected.

Verdict: Banned as an environmental marketing claim. Replace with specifics.

Before: "Shop our green essentials." After: "Shop products made from certified recycled materials."

Other terms that need attention

Beyond the big three, several other common marketing terms are affected:

"Natural." EmpCo does not specifically list "natural," but the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive already prohibits misleading claims. A product described as "natural" that contains synthetic ingredients or is heavily processed may be challenged. Use "natural" only when it is factually accurate and relevant.

"Non-toxic." This is a factual claim about chemical composition, not a generic environmental endorsement. If true and testable, it can be used — but it should reference a specific standard or testing protocol, not be used as a vague safety claim.

"Biodegradable." This is a specific material property, but it requires qualification. "Biodegradable" without specifying the conditions (industrial composting? Home composting? Marine environment? Timeframe?) is misleading. "Compostable according to EN 13432" is compliant; "biodegradable" alone is not.

"Recyclable." Similar to biodegradable — a material may be technically recyclable but not recyclable in practice in the consumer's location. "Recyclable" should specify where and how. "Packaging is recyclable in household collection in Germany" is specific; "recyclable" alone is vague.

"Plant-based." This is a factual material composition claim, not an environmental claim. If the product is genuinely made from plant-derived materials, the claim is factual. However, using "plant-based" to imply environmental superiority (e.g. "plant-based, better for the planet") crosses into generic environmental claims territory.

The offset trap: "carbon neutral"

This deserves special attention because it affects a large number of brands.

Many products sold in the EU carry "carbon neutral" or "climate neutral" labels. In most cases, these claims are achieved by purchasing carbon credits or offsets — paying another organisation to reduce or capture emissions equivalent to the product's footprint.

EmpCo explicitly prohibits claims of neutral, reduced, or positive environmental impact when they are based on offsetting outside the product's own value chain. This means:

"Carbon neutral" based on purchased offsets → illegal from September 27.
"Climate neutral certified by [offset scheme]" → illegal from September 27.
"CO2 compensated" → illegal from September 27.

The only way to make a carbon neutrality claim under EmpCo is to demonstrate that the neutrality was achieved through actual emissions reductions within the product's own value chain — not through external credits.

If you currently display a "carbon neutral" label or certification mark on your products or listings, review it immediately. If the underlying mechanism is offset-based, the claim must be removed before September 27.

How to rewrite your product copy

The pattern for compliant environmental communication under EmpCo is straightforward:

1. Name one specific attribute. Not "eco-friendly." Instead: "recycled content," "water usage," "energy source," "certified organic."

2. Quantify it. Not "made with recycled materials." Instead: "made from 85% post-consumer recycled polyester."

3. Cite the source. Not "independently verified." Instead: "certified by GOTS," "verified by [named body] under [named standard]."

4. Scope the claim. Not "sustainable product." Instead: "packaging recyclable in German household waste collection."

The enforcement timeline

Date	What happens
6 March 2024	EmpCo published in Official Journal
27 March 2026	Member State transposition deadline — EmpCo incorporated into national law
27 September 2026	Rules become binding for businesses — no transition period
Ongoing	National consumer protection authorities enforce; penalties up to 4% of turnover

Check your claims now

The Regonance EmpCo Checker is a free tool that scans your product URL or pasted marketing copy and flags claims that risk non-compliance. It identifies generic eco-claims, offset-based neutrality language, unrecognised labels, and future commitments without substantiation. Each finding is cited to the specific EmpCo provision it engages.

Check your product claims → free, no account required

For ongoing monitoring across your full catalogue — automatically rescanning when your copy changes — Regonance covers EmpCo alongside GPSR, PPWR, DPP, and other EU mandates in one workspace.

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Educational information only. Not legal advice. National transposition of EmpCo may introduce additional requirements in specific Member States. The European Commission FAQ (May 2026) provides non-binding interpretation guidance. Consult qualified legal advice for your specific situation.

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Paste your product copy and see which environmental claims risk breaching the Empowering Consumers Directive before enforcement starts.

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