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.

This guide walks through how to find, evaluate, and appoint an EU Responsible Person, what the appointment process involves, and what it costs.

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Do you actually need one?

You need an EU Responsible Person if:

1. You sell consumer products to EU buyers.
2. Your business is not established in the EU.
3. There is no EU-based importer already carrying the obligation for your products.

This covers: US sellers, UK sellers (post-Brexit), Chinese sellers, Turkish sellers, Indian sellers, Canadian sellers, and sellers from any other non-EU country selling direct to EU consumers through any channel — own website, Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, TikTok Shop, eBay, or any marketplace.

If you are EU-based and you are the manufacturer or importer, you typically do not need a separate EU RP — you carry the obligation yourself.

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What to look for in an EU RP provider

Not all EU RP services are equal. The legal role carries real duties — it is not just an address on a label. When evaluating providers, check:

They are a real EU-established entity

The EU RP must be a natural or legal person established in an EU Member State. Verify: the entity has a registered business address (not a PO Box, not a virtual office), is registered with the relevant national business registry, and can demonstrate physical EU establishment.

They accept and hold documentation

Under GPSR Article 16, the EU RP must be able to hold your technical documentation and make it available to authorities on request. A provider that only offers an address and a name on your label, without a document storage capability, is not fulfilling the legal role.

They can respond to authorities

The EU RP must be reachable by market-surveillance authorities and able to respond in the official language(s) of the relevant Member State within statutory timelines. A provider with no staff, no process for receiving authority requests, and no language capability is a liability, not a compliance solution.

They cooperate with corrective actions

If a product needs to be recalled, withdrawn, or reported through the Safety Gate system, the EU RP must be able to cooperate. Confirm that the provider has a process for handling Safety Gate notifications and corrective actions — not just a promise that they will "deal with it."

They provide a written mandate

The appointment must be formalised in a written mandate — a document signed by the manufacturer designating the EU RP and specifying the products covered. The mandate should have an expiry date and a renewal process. Providers that do not issue a formal mandate are not providing a legally valid appointment.

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What the appointment process looks like

Step 1: Choose a provider

Select an EU RP service provider based on the criteria above. Consider: which EU country they are established in, which languages they support, whether they handle your product categories, and whether they offer additional compliance services (document storage, Safety Gate intake, authority liaison).

Step 2: Provide your product information

The provider will need:

• your business details (legal name, address, registration);
• the product categories you sell into the EU;
• the EU marketplaces or channels where you sell;
• your manufacturer details (if you are not the manufacturer);
• any existing compliance documentation (Declarations of Conformity, test reports, technical files).

Step 3: Sign the mandate

The provider issues a written mandate — an appointment letter that you (as the manufacturer or brand owner) sign, designating them as your EU Responsible Person for the specified products. The mandate typically covers:

• the identity of the manufacturer;
• the identity of the EU RP;
• the products covered (by category, SKU range, or product type);
• the duties the EU RP accepts;
• the effective date and expiry date;
• renewal terms.

Step 4: Receive the EU RP details

The provider gives you the information to put on your products, packaging, and listings:

• EU RP legal name
• EU RP postal address
• EU RP electronic contact (email)

Step 5: Update your products and listings

Add the EU RP details to:

• every EU product listing (GPSR Article 19);
• the product itself, its packaging, or the accompanying document (GPSR Article 9(2));
• your product labels or inserts (for physical products already in production, this may require a label update or sticker).

Step 6: Upload documentation

Provide your technical documentation to the EU RP for storage. At minimum: Declaration of Conformity (if applicable), product identification, risk analysis, test reports. The EU RP must be able to produce these on authority request.

Step 7: Set up renewal tracking

Mandate letters expire. Track the expiry date and renew before it lapses. If the mandate expires and you do not renew, you no longer have a valid EU RP — and your listings are non-compliant.

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What it costs

EU RP pricing varies by provider, country of establishment, number of products or SKUs, and the scope of services included. As of 2026, the market looks roughly like this:

Address-only services (low end)

€99–€299/year. These providers offer a name and address for your label and listing. They may not hold documentation, respond to authorities, or handle Safety Gate notifications. The cheapest options are often in Poland, Romania, or other lower-cost EU Member States.

Risk: If an authority contacts the address and nobody responds competently, or if the provider cannot produce your technical file, the appointment has not fulfilled its legal purpose. The listing may appear compliant, but you are exposed.

Standard EU RP services (mid range)

€299–€600/year. These providers offer a valid mandate, document storage, authority response capability, and basic Safety Gate intake. This is the range where most professionally run EU RP services sit for small-to-medium sellers with a moderate product range.

Full-service EU RP and compliance support (high end)

€600–€2,000+/year. These providers offer the EU RP role plus additional compliance services: product-level risk assessment, help with technical documentation, active monitoring for regulatory changes, multi-marketplace compliance support, and dedicated account management. Larger brands with many SKUs or complex product categories typically use providers in this range.

Per-product or per-SKU pricing

Some providers charge per product or per SKU rather than a flat annual fee. Typical range: €20–€100/SKU/year. This can be cheaper for sellers with a small catalogue and more expensive for sellers with hundreds of SKUs.

What is NOT included

Most EU RP services do not include: product testing, CE marking, Declaration of Conformity preparation, or translation of safety warnings. These are separate services with their own costs. An EU RP holds your documentation — they do not create it for you.

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Where to find providers

Regonance partner directory

Regonance maintains a vetted directory of EU Responsible Person service providers. Each partner has been reviewed for EU establishment, documentation capability, and authority response processes.

Browse EU RP partners

Marketplace referrals

Amazon, Etsy, and other marketplaces have begun listing EU RP service providers in their seller help centres. These referrals are convenient starting points but should be evaluated using the criteria above — a marketplace referral does not guarantee service quality.

Direct search

Search for "EU Responsible Person service" or "GPSR Responsible Person" in the EU country where you want representation. Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland have the largest concentrations of providers due to their central logistics positions and Amazon marketplace presence.

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After appointment: what to maintain

The EU RP appointment is not a one-time task. Ongoing obligations include:

• Keeping documentation current. When you launch new products, update the technical file and inform your EU RP.
• Updating labels and listings. If the EU RP changes address or entity, every label and listing must be updated.
• Renewing the mandate. Track expiry dates. A lapsed mandate means no valid EU RP.
• Responding to authority requests. If your EU RP receives a request, you must cooperate — providing information, documentation, or corrective action as required.
• Reporting incidents. If you become aware of a safety incident involving your product, the EU RP must be informed so they can cooperate with Safety Gate notifications if required.

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How Regonance helps

Regonance tracks your EU RP appointment — mandate date, expiry, renewal reminders — and renders the EU RP details on every product passport, Article 19 listing block, and GPSR technical file from one source. When the mandate approaches expiry, the platform alerts you. When you add new products, it surfaces the EU RP requirement if applicable.

Scan your products now → free, no account

Browse EU RP partners

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Compliance guidance based on published EU regulatory texts. Does not constitute legal advice. EU RP requirements and pricing may vary by Member State and provider.