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.

EU compliance for textile and apparel sellers: the full 2026 regulatory stack

Textiles and apparel are among the most regulated product categories in the EU — and the regulatory burden is increasing. A textile seller entering the EU market in 2026 faces obligations under at least six overlapping regulations, with more arriving through the ESPR framework. This guide maps the complete regulatory stack for textile products, explains what each regulation requires, and identifies where the obligations overlap.

EU compliance for electronics sellers: CE, WEEE, RoHS, batteries, and DPP

Electronics and electrical products carry the heaviest regulatory burden of any consumer product category in the EU. A single electronic product can fall under six or more EU regulations simultaneously — each with its own documentation, labelling, registration, and reporting requirements.

EU compliance for cosmetics sellers: what is different from GPSR

Cosmetics are a special case in EU product compliance. The Cosmetics Regulation (EC 1223/2009) is a standalone, comprehensive framework that predates GPSR and operates alongside it. Cosmetics sellers face a distinct set of requirements — including their own "Responsible Person" role that is different from the GPSR EU Responsible Person — and getting the two confused is one of the most common compliance mistakes in this category.

EU compliance for furniture and home goods: REACH, GPSR, and product safety

Furniture and home goods occupy an unusual position in EU product compliance. Unlike electronics (which have CE marking directives) or cosmetics (which have a dedicated regulation), furniture has no single sector-specific EU regulation. Instead, compliance comes from the intersection of GPSR, REACH, flammability standards, PPWR, and — increasingly — ESPR sustainability requirements.

What is a Digital Product Passport and when does your product need one?

A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a machine-readable digital record that consolidates essential information about a product's identity, composition, compliance, sustainability, and lifecycle. Mandated under the EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) — Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 — the DPP is intended to make supply chains more transparent, support circular economy objectives, and give consumers, regulators, and recyclers structured access to product information.

EU product compliance roadmap 2026–2030: every deadline in one place

EU product compliance is not a single event. It is a rolling series of deadlines — some already enforced, some weeks away, some years out. Missing one can mean listing suppression, customs refusal, fines, or product recalls. This roadmap consolidates every major EU product compliance deadline from 2026 through 2030 in one reference document.

The cost of EU product non-compliance: fines, delistings, and recalls in 2025–2026

Non-compliance with EU product regulations is no longer a theoretical risk. In 2025 and 2026, enforcement has accelerated across every channel — marketplace automated checks, customs interceptions, market-surveillance authority actions, and Safety Gate alerts have all increased significantly. The cost of non-compliance is no longer limited to a fine you might someday receive. It is listing suppression today, customs refusal tomorrow, and a recall notice next week.

EU compliance for US and UK brands: the complete market access guide

If you are a US or UK brand selling consumer products to EU buyers, 2024–2026 has fundamentally changed your compliance obligations. The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), the Empowering Consumers Directive (EmpCo), and intensified marketplace enforcement mean that selling into the EU now requires structured compliance work that many non-EU brands have never done.

Country of origin labelling for EU products: when is it mandatory?

Country of origin is the second most common compliance gap across products scanned on Regonance — missing from 32.5% of all scanned products. This guide explains when origin labelling is legally mandatory in the EU, when marketplaces enforce it anyway, and what "country of origin" actually means in EU law.

"Made in" rules for the EU: what counts and what does not

There are no harmonised EU rules on when a product can carry a "Made in" claim. The rules come from customs law, national regulations, court rulings and the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive — and they do not always agree. Here is what applies.

EU textile labelling requirements: fibre composition, care symbols, and what is changing under ESPR

Regulation (EU) 1007/2011 governs fibre composition disclosure for textiles sold in the EU, and the ESPR revision is expected to add digital labelling and Digital Product Passport duties. Here are the current rules and what to prepare now.

Care label requirements for products sold in the EU: the regulation-by-regulation guide

Care instructions are the third most common compliance gap across products scanned on Regonance — missing from 25% of scanned products. There is no single EU care-labelling mandate, but national law, GPSR, marketplace policy and ESPR make care labels effectively compulsory.

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.

EU compliance for toy sellers: safety, CE marking, and the updated Toy Safety Regulation

Toys are one of the most strictly regulated product categories in the EU. The existing Toy Safety Directive (2009/48/EC) sets comprehensive safety requirements, and the European Commission has adopted a new Toy Safety Regulation (published 2024) that will replace it with even stricter rules. If you sell toys in the EU — whether you manufacture them, import them, or resell them through marketplaces — you face a regulatory stack that combines product safety, chemical restrictions, CE marking, traceability, and marketplace enforcement.

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

The current framework: Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC

The Toy Safety Directive applies to products designed or intended for use in play by children under 14 years of age. It sets essential safety requirements covering physical and mechanical properties, flammability, chemical properties, electrical properties, hygiene, and radioactivity.

CE marking is mandatory

Every toy placed on the EU market must carry the CE mark. This requires the manufacturer to conduct or commission a conformity assessment, prepare a technical file, issue a Declaration of Conformity, and affix the CE mark to the product. For toys, the conformity assessment may involve third-party testing by a notified body, depending on the applicable harmonised standards and the type of toy.

Chemical restrictions — stricter than REACH

Toy safety chemical limits are stricter than general REACH limits. The Toy Safety Directive sets specific migration limits for chemicals in toy materials that children may put in their mouths or have prolonged skin contact with. These include limits on heavy metals (lead, cadmium, chromium, etc.), nitrosamines, phthalates, and allergens — often at lower thresholds than REACH imposes for general consumer products.

Age warnings and safety markings

Toys must carry appropriate warnings based on their characteristics: age recommendations ("Not suitable for children under 36 months"), choking hazard warnings (small parts), warnings specific to the toy type (projectiles, water toys, chemical toys). Warnings must be in the official language(s) of the Member State where the toy is sold.

The CE mark, manufacturer details, importer details, and warnings must all appear on the toy (or its packaging) and on every online listing under GPSR Article 19.

The new Toy Safety Regulation

The European Commission adopted a new Toy Safety Regulation in 2024 to replace the 2009 Directive. Key changes include:

Digital Product Passport. Toys will require a DPP — a machine-readable digital record containing safety, compliance, and traceability information. The DPP will be accessible via a data carrier (QR code) on the toy or its packaging.

Stricter chemical restrictions. The new regulation further restricts endocrine disruptors and adds new substance categories to the restricted lists. It aligns toy chemical safety more closely with the latest scientific assessments.

Enhanced marketplace obligations. Online marketplaces must verify that toy listings carry all required information before allowing sales — consistent with GPSR Article 22 but with toy-specific requirements.

Strengthened enforcement. The regulation gives market-surveillance authorities stronger powers for testing, recalls, and cross-border enforcement.

The new regulation has a transitional period — the 2009 Directive remains in force until the new regulation's application date (expected 2027, subject to transitional provisions). Sellers should monitor the Official Journal for the exact timeline.

GPSR obligations for toys

GPSR applies to toys as consumer products, alongside the Toy Safety Directive. GPSR adds:

EU Responsible Person requirement. If the toy manufacturer is not EU-based, a designated EU RP must be named on the listing and product. This is in addition to any authorised representative required under the Toy Safety Directive.

Listing information requirements. Article 19 requires manufacturer details, EU RP details, product identification, and safety information to be visible on every online listing.

Incident reporting. Manufacturers and their EU RPs must cooperate with Safety Gate notifications and corrective actions.

Marketplace enforcement for toys

Amazon, eBay, and other EU marketplaces apply particularly strict enforcement to toy listings due to the child safety dimension. Common enforcement actions include:

listing suppression for missing CE marking documentation;
requests for test reports (physical/mechanical, chemical migration);
suppression for missing age warnings or choking hazard notices;
removal for missing manufacturer or EU RP details;
removal following Safety Gate alerts for similar products.

Toy sellers should expect more frequent compliance audits and documentation requests than sellers of other product categories.

The compliance checklist for toy sellers

Requirement	Regulation	Notes
CE marking on product	Toy Safety Directive	Mandatory — conformity assessment required
Declaration of Conformity	Toy Safety Directive	Must reference all applicable directives
Technical file	Toy Safety Directive	Test reports, design docs, risk analysis
Notified body assessment	Toy Safety Directive	Required for certain toy types
Chemical testing (migration limits)	Toy Safety Directive + REACH	Stricter than general REACH for toy materials
Age warnings	Toy Safety Directive	"Not suitable for children under 36 months," choking hazard, etc.
Manufacturer details on listing and product	GPSR	Name, address, email
EU Responsible Person (if non-EU)	GPSR + Toy Safety Directive	May need both EU RP (GPSR) and Authorised Rep (Directive)
Product identification (batch/serial)	GPSR	Traceable identifier
Safety warnings in local language	GPSR + Toy Safety Directive	On listing and on product/packaging
WEEE registration (if electronic toy)	WEEE Directive	Per-country registration
Battery compliance (if contains battery)	EU Battery Regulation	Labelling, registration, collection
Packaging EPR	PPWR/EPR	Per-country registration
Green claims audit	EmpCo	By 27 September 2026

How Regonance helps

Regonance scans toy product listings against GPSR, CE marking, Toy Safety, REACH, WEEE, Battery, PPWR, and EmpCo requirements — identifying which apply and what is missing. For toy sellers, the platform surfaces the specific safety warnings, documentation, and registration requirements that marketplaces and authorities check.

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Compliance guidance based on published EU regulatory texts. Does not constitute legal advice. Toy safety compliance requires specialist testing — particularly chemical migration testing, which must be performed by accredited laboratories.

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Compliance guidance based on published EU regulatory texts. Not legal advice. Consult qualified counsel for your specific situation.